Really Bad Chess
Board
About this app
As heard on NPR's Weekend Edition
5 out of 5 Stars "An essential puzzle experience for anyone even remotely interested in strategy games" - TouchArcade
Whether you play chess daily, or quit just after learning the rules, this small twist will open the door to an entire new world of chess.
------WHATS IN THE “BOX”?
The free version of Really Bad Chess lets you compete vs. an AI in Ranked, Daily, or Weekly Challenges. Improve your skills using the included Freeplay mode. A single in-app purchase unlocks Versus Mode so you can compete against your friends locally! It also removes ads, displays captured pieces, and adds soothing alternate color-palettes to choose from.
------REALLY BAD PRESS
"Makes chess fun even if you’re really bad" - The Verge
"Feels more modern than chess has ever felt" - Applenapps
"Really Bad Chess takes a really bad idea and somehow manages to make it a lot of fun." - Pocket Gamer
------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER
Chess is one of those games I always wished I enjoyed, but its commitment to beauty, elegance, and perfect balance always turned me away. Really Bad Chess removes these boring restrictions and flips chess on its head.
As much as random pieces change the game in some ways, I was really surprised to notice how much the game remains the same, and how powerful some pieces are — you've never truly struggled against a pawn until you've struggled against a pawn in the back row.
For chess pros, Really Bad Chess will give you a new type of challenge — the pieces & the moves are the same, but you'll have to throw out your openings and your understanding of normal patterns of play.
For novice chess players (like most of us), Really Bad Chess greatly opens up the game. Instead of starting by studying openings, in your first games you'll get to discover the joy (and challenge!) of learning how to checkmate.
I hope you have as much fun with Really Bad Chess as much as I did making it.
-zach
App Info
What's New
App Permissions
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Wi-Fi connection information
- view Wi-Fi connections
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Other
- view network connections
- full network access
- run at startup
- prevent device from sleeping
- read Google service configuration
Ratings and Reviews
The game was great before the big overhaul. Not sure why they decided to ruin the game and actively make it worse: - The old AI was great. Not too hard, not too easy, and fair. The new AI is terrible because it's either too powerful when ahead or just gives up when behind. - The new AI is also clearly not built for these rules. Since there is no draw (stalemate, draw by repetition), the new AI will literally softlock you by repeating the same move infinitely even though you have no other moves.
Ads are bothersome... But if I continue to enjoy the game I will have no problem at all paying for the ad free option. The concept is simple, but the puzzles are unique and interesting, they keep me on my toes as someone who doesn't consider.myself to be particularly good at chess. I also think it is very helpful as a beginner to help familiarise yourself with how the pieces move, especially in relation to eachother.
Pretty good game overall. But I can't get over how it controls your units options, how is it fair that my king gets soft locked into only running around and being unable to kill his attacker, like come on.
Best chess ever
Games fun but the amount of times you just get softlocked from a winning position just because the AI can repeat the same position indefinitely without penalty needs to change. In normal chess this would result in a draw but in Really Bad Chess it always results in a softlock until you surrender when it should result in a win for the player.
The game has a good premise and the computer opponent is not that bad. I have two big problems with it though: 1. The game constantly reminds you that greed is an infinite constant in humanity, as anything you do is met with an ad, and undos are buyable even if you pay for premium. 2. Nobody wants to pay premium for a game where the volume slider is cosmetic only. The music can't be turned off and it's a boring 2-second loop. (edit) My hatred for the broken music grows every time I open the game
