It’s great when a title takes something that we have an obvious concept of and then warps that concept into something new. This is worth mentioning because that’s exactly what’s happening with the game we’ll be discussing today. Beyond the Board is taking the idea of Chess and pulling it in an entirely different direction. “How different could this possibly be?” I hear you ask. Well, my friends, a lot actually, so you’d better keep reading.
Coming from the clever bods at Fragile Shapes Studio, Beyond the Board is a minimalist puzzle adventure that’s due to be hitting Steam in the not-too-distant future. They have been nice enough to release a demo for us to play with, though, until we see more. You can go and get your hands on that here if you’re interested in giving it a try.
In Beyond the Board, you’re being invited to guide a lone Rook through a surreal chess-inspired world. You’ll adventure through a land of shifting tiles, searching for answers and the rest of your party as you solve puzzles within a turn-based existential maze. If we can imagine Monument Valley meets Limbo in a chequered universe, we’re on the right track.
Unveiled during the OTK Games Expo with a first look at gameplay, Beyond the Board breaks the boundaries of the chessboard. Pieces defy the grid, puzzles twist perception, and the path forward is anything but linear. You won’t need to be a budding chess grandmaster to progress here. Come armed with a good dose of curiosity and the desire to lose yourself in the unknown, and you’ll be setting yourself in very good stead for the journey.
You were just a Rook in a game of chess until a bolt of lightning hit the board mid-match and hurled it into a new dimension. Now you must chase the enemy king through collapsing kingdoms and cursed lands in an adventure where each step becomes a new puzzle to solve. The way ahead won’t be easy for you. Expect shifting tiles, hidden pathways, enemy pieces, and powerful boss battles to be waiting between you and your ultimate goal.
Beyond the Board is not a story told through dialogue. This is a tale that’s told through visual storytelling, atmosphere, and sound. All of these components will draw you, the player, in and invite you to make sense of a surreal world, piece by piece, through mood, movement, and the spaces in between.
If this is a journey you feel like you need to go on, Beyond the Board won’t be too far away. As I mentioned earlier, there’s that demo waiting on Steam for you if you want to get a taste of what sounds like a surreal and innovative adventure. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need to be a chess fan to enjoy this title. It might be worth making a move (sorry,) over there and seeing what it’s all about.
