Pawnbarian is a brilliant fusion of chess and the roguelike genre. It takes the familiar movement rules of chess pieces and turns them into a tactical combat system where every single move matters. You have a small deck of cards—each representing a chess piece—and you use them to move your hero around a 5x5 board, attacking monsters and dodging their abilities.
It’s a 'bite-sized' roguelike, with runs typically lasting 15 to 30 minutes, but the tactical depth is immense. Because you can see exactly where enemies will attack next turn, the game becomes a high-stakes puzzle of positioning. It’s incredibly satisfying to pull off a perfect turn where you chain a Knight's leap into a Queen's sweep, clearing the board without taking a scratch. The minimalist art style and punchy combat make it one of the most clever and addictive strategy games on mobile.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.2.11Fri Apr 14 2023
Small changes to the infinite mode
Chess-inspired puzzle roguelike. Demo - single IAP unlocks full game.
The demo is ad-free. It contains a single character and dungeon.
Pawnbarian is a turn-based puzzle roguelike with bite-sized, but challenging sessions. Play cards to control your hero like a chess piece on a tiny dungeon board, outmaneuver enemies with their assortment of tricky abilities, and become the mightiest warrior of the Chesslands!
Features
- Use a deck of chess pieces to hack and slash through hordes of monsters.
- Pick up the basics instantly if you're familiar with chess, or learn in minutes if you aren't.
- Carefully plan your moves to navigate challenging, emergent tactical situations.
- Spend treasure to upgrade your cards with additional powers.
- Blitz through quick 15-30 minute runs - or die trying.
- Take on the infinite post-run Gauntlet to see how long you can survive.
- Pick from 6 characters to conquer 3 dungeons, all requiring an unique approach.
- Progress through Chains, a series of extra difficulty modifiers.
Not Features
- No permanent upgrades, and not much that needs unlocking. The progress and satisfaction come from your growing mastery of the game's elegant systems!
- No complex and varied builds. The shops provide a few key decisions, but the bulk of the roguelike depth lies in how you approach the emergent combat puzzles!
Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.Chess-inspired puzzle roguelike. Demo - single IAP unlocks full game.
The demo is ad-free. It contains a single character and dungeon.
Pawnbarian is a turn-based puzzle roguelike with bite-sized, but challenging sessions. Play cards to control your hero like a chess piece on a tiny dungeon board, outmaneuver enemies with their assortment of tricky abilities, and become the mightiest warrior of the Chesslands!
Features
- Use a deck of chess pieces to hack and slash through hordes of monsters.
- Pick up the basics instantly if you're familiar with chess, or learn in minutes if you aren't.
- Carefully plan your moves to navigate challenging, emergent tactical situations.
- Spend treasure to upgrade your cards with additional powers.
- Blitz through quick 15-30 minute runs - or die trying.
- Take on the infinite post-run Gauntlet to see how long you can survive.
- Pick from 6 characters to conquer 3 dungeons, all requiring an unique approach.
- Progress through Chains, a series of extra difficulty modifiers.
Not Features
- No permanent upgrades, and not much that needs unlocking. The progress and satisfaction come from your growing mastery of the game's elegant systems!
- No complex and varied builds. The shops provide a few key decisions, but the bulk of the roguelike depth lies in how you approach the emergent combat puzzles!
Pawnbarian combines the tactical depth of chess with the thrill of a roguelike. Navigate a tiny dungeon board using cards that represent chess pieces—moving like a Knight to jump over traps or a Rook to charge across the room. Master the unique abilities of six different characters and survive three challenging dungeons. With quick 20-minute runs and no permanent upgrades, it's a pure test of your strategic skill in the 'Chesslands.'
Unique chess-based movement mechanics
Six distinct playable characters
Fast-paced 15-30 minute runs
Infinite 'Gauntlet' mode for high scores
Look at the enemy's 'intent' icons to see where they will hit next turn. Plan your move so that you end your turn in a safe square, ideally after having used your movement cards to kill the nearest threat.
Indie developer Jan Wojtecki has shared his experience of promoting its roguelike Pawnbarian. Although he had no budget for marketing,...
Game World Observer - Thu Apr 28 2022
Developer Jan Wojtecki has announced the upcoming launch of Pawnbarian on July 26th, letting players get a taste of the chess-themed...
Pocket Gamer - Sat Jan 28 2023
The roguelike subgenre has been providing the most original ideas in the gaming world for a long time. Perhaps because every second...
Letem světem Applem - Sat Jan 28 2023
The idea is that you'll play cards from your deck in order to move your player through each floor of a dungeon, defeating enemies, collecting items, and moving...
TouchArcade - Mon Dec 28 2020
Between rooms, you can spend gold to add permanent buffs to your cards, such as adding 'Shield' to your Pawn cards or 'Double Attack' to your Bishop. Tailoring your deck to your character's strengths is key.
Not at all! You only need to know how the pieces move, which the game teaches you in seconds.