Beyond the Board is Taking Action

Alright, so there’s this game called Beyond the Board – sounds simple, right? But no, it’s not. It’s like if chess drank some weird potion and decided to reinvent itself. Wait, does that make sense? Anyway, whatever. It’s from these clever folks over at Fragile Shapes Studio. Minimalist puzzle adventure, they say. It’ll hit Steam soon. I tried a demo. You can too. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

So here we are, guiding this Rook. A solitary piece wandering through a bizarre, chess-esque world. Like a trippy Monument Valley… combined with Limbo, and tossed into a checkerboard blender. I swear that’s a thing. Or maybe it’s just what I imagine when I’m zoning out. Anyway — wait, where was I?

Ah, right. They showed this off at some OTK Expo gig. Kind of broke the chessboard, really. Pieces are doing their own thing. Puzzles twisting your brain like… a pretzel? No need for chess expertise. Just bring your curiosity and willingness to dive into chaos, and you’re good. Probably.

At one point, you’re just a plain ol’ Rook. Then wham! Lightning strike, and whoosh! You’re in some alternate realm, chasing down enemy kings. Kingdoms crumble, paths shift — like an escalator to nowhere. You’ll face puzzles, enemy pieces, and whatnot. Boss battles too, because why not?

There’s no dialogue here. It’s all about vibes and visuals, man. And the sound! Atmosphere just pulls you in. You piece together the story through what you feel and see — in between the lines… or checks, really.

Look, if this sounds like the ride you’re into, there’s a demo on Steam. Jump into it if you want — it’s not just for chess geeks, I promise. Might just be worth it, you know?