We don't report on a ton of mobile games here at Hardcore Gamer. That's not because we detest them, in fact some of us here play them regularly. Unfortunately, the variety of titles from which to choose in the medium is less than ideal. You can only play a match-three so many times before they all start feeling the same (minus Hero Emblems, because that game just simply rules). Nevertheless, it's interesting, then, when a game comes along in the mobile space that catches our attention because of how radically different it is from what's available. That's Chesslike: Adventures in Chess.

Having released on Android last month, the two-man developed game just hit the iOS store this week, and already is proving to be a unique and fun title. It's as the name says: this is a hybrid of Chess and a dungeon crawler. How does that work exactly? Well quite basic: players assume the role of a traditional Chess piece and must delve a labyrinth using the movement rules of the classic strategy game. Enemies are other pieces that one would find in a typical game of Chess, and follow that piece's particular movement rules as well. The goal is ultimately to solve puzzles and make it out of each maze alive. Simple, but effective. It's fascinating to see the blend come together, as the game, though rooted in the beloved board game, has an undeniable Final Fantasy Tactics-like appeal to it.

It's a compelling, albeit odd, mash-up no doubt; but it's also one that will continue to grow. Right now, the designers have taken a development approach similar to that of Terra Battle in that the more people pledge their support through downloading the title, the more features are added. We even reached out to the game's artist (and one-half of the dev team), Brandon Evans, who mentioned that they would love to implement more of a narrative structure in the game, just to connect the various missions. He mentioned that it would not be overly involved, but instead would merely serve as a means of tying everything together.

Nevertheless, the game is available now for $1.99 for your mobile device of choice. If you're looking for something unique, it's worth the investment as not only is its concept fascinating, its execution is spot-on, as well. For a quick look at the game, scope the trailer below.

https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3607085/type/dlg/sid/UUhgUeUpU47073/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1a2NlXRjkM