Chesh is what happens if Chess were designed by anarchists on heavy hallucinogens. This is an inventive concept that creates a random set of pieces and rules with every match. That is both good and bad, as once you touch a piece, you have to move this. This can have some consequences when the only place you can move has another one of your pieces in it. On the other hand, you know you and your opponent are relying on new strategies, not memorized openings.
You have a life bar based on the number of your pieces still alive. Each game has to royal pieces that are worth more life than the rest, that are in the same spot as the King and Queen in Chess. They are often the most powerful pieces in terms of movement, but not always.
The look of the game is a bit rough. It seems to be apeing an Atari/Intellivision era pallet. The pieces are randomized each time you play. Though they don’t seem to changed based on how the pieces move, it’s a neat touch to a game that’s already unique. The art style is probably not the barrier to entry here, but I know the rough pixel style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
There’s lots of options you can tweak, including adding an additional row of pieces. You can play two levels of AI, or as a pass and play game. You can also play the game online, using Game Center.
What’s Good?: Random rules ensure a unique experience each time you play.
What Sucks?: Art style is lo-fi.
Buy It?: If you enjoy the idea of a game that tries its hardest to be as random as possible, check out Chesh. Get it on the App Store for $2.99.
