Chess of Mana

I'm a fan of chess, even though I'm not very good at it. When I first saw this game in the demo, it reminded me of Battle Chess, which I used to play when I was young. So, I'm really excited to play this game, hoping things will be better on release. Sadly, it didn’t meet my expectations. - The AI isn’t very smart. Even on hard difficulty, it often makes mistakes, like letting me capture a piece for no reason. Maybe the game focuses too much on the “resurrection” mechanic, so the AI doesn’t value pieces properly? On hard difficulty, it feels like easy/normal in most other chess games. - The battle animations aren’t very interesting. Each piece seems to have only one animation that repeats every time. In Battle Chess, every piece had unique fight animations depending on the matchup. Sometimes I would even try to capture a specific piece just to see the animation. - The mana mechanic doesn’t add much depth. It feels more like a softer version of an “undo” button rather than a feature that changes the strategy. I think it needs something more unique to stand out from regular chess. For example, maybe a magic attack that allows a piece to capture without moving onto the destination square, or a fire trap that leaves a blocked tile behind after moving? I’m sorry if this review sounds harsh. The pixel art is beautiful, and I can see the game's potential. I genuinely hope you continue improving it and turn it into something amazing.

It's hard to believe that in 2026 Chess could still get such an interesting variation, but here we are! This is so much fun to replay with different scenarios and skins, I think it might become a favorite of mine. I super recommend it, and hope they will release a mobile version soon as well!

Really cute little chess game! The atmosphere and character animations are very well done. I loved how the pieces literally pee themselves in fear when they’re hanging and about to be captured. That detail is hilarious and such a creative touch 😂 It’s a fun and charming twist on classic chess. Definitely worth checking out!

Yes, the AI sucks a little. In fact, I'm still pissed off at the fact that the very first match that I played, the AI stopped responding after I checkmate it. So, the game got stuck and nothing was working (because the AI wasn't admiting defeat) and eventually, I had to leave the game which counted as MY LOSS... *smh* Well, other than the fact that it legit will try to ragebait you. The game for what it's worth, IS FUN TO PLAY. Especially, the mana version. PS: I don't know why but the achivements aren't in english. So, that's an issue for me as well.

Chess of Mana é uma linda surpresa que une o melhor do xadrez com elementos únicos de estratégia, é fácil de aprender, mas profundo o bastante para desafiar sua mente em cada partida. A curva de dificuldade é justa e bem calibrada, permitindo que tanto iniciantes quanto jogadores mais experientes se divirtam e evoluam. Recomendo fortemente jogar com amigos ou familiares, pois torna as partidas mais envolventes. O visual em pixel art tem seu charme e a trilha sonora cria uma atmosfera envolvente que combina perfeitamente com o ritmo das partidas. As mecânicas são sólidas e bem implementadas, e cada partida traz novas possibilidades táticas que me fizeram repensar o jogo diversas vezes. Além disso, dá para sentir o cuidado e carinho dos desenvolvedores em cada detalhe, o que torna Chess of Mana uma adição excelente à biblioteca de quem ama jogos de tabuleiro e estratégia. Recomendo fortemente, é diversão garantida!

Se você gosta de xadrez você vai amar esse joguinho! Divertido, lindinho e pega na sua mão pra ensinar todas as regras do xadrez, como se você tivesse 5 anos de idade, o que é ótimo, porque eu sei bem menos do que uma criança de 5 anos de idade. Amei <3

Simply brilliant, especially the mana mode which gives chess a fresh feel. The classic mode has become my favorite way to play; there's something about having animations and a beautiful setting that made me want to study chess again.

Jogo com uma arte e animações adoráveis e umas inovações bem interessantes nas mecânicas do xadrez, Vale muito a pena galera, se tiver duvida, recomendo pelo menos testarem a demo do jogo para ter um gostinho da experiência e vão ver o carinho que os desenvolvedores colocaram em cada pixel!

I used to play a lot of chess in my childhood, but I hadn’t played in years, and this game rekindled my interest in playing chess again!!! It’s extremely fun and immersive to play chess with the pixel art animations. I hope my friends buy it too so I can play with other players!

Recomendo muito esse jogo tanto pra quem já joga xadrez quanto para quem nunca jogou, pois tem modo do xadrez clássico e dá pra vc aprender a jogar xadrez com ele. Essa sacada de usar a Mana pra trazer peças de volta pro tabuleiro é muito viciante de usar kkk eu amo jogar com a Rainha e com o cavalo e sei que qualquer coisa dá pra trazer de volta como mágica. Muito boas as animações, super recomendo! parabéns aos devs pela sacada!