Beyond the Board Takes Bold Steps

Whoa, okay, so there’s this game. Picture this: you know chess, right? That serious game where everyone’s like deep in thought, and there’s this dead silence. Now, throw all that out the window. Enter Beyond the Board. It’s like they picked up chess, shook it violently, and ended up with something… wild. Honestly, it’s my kind of weird chaos.

Right, so Fragile Shapes Studio (what a name, huh? Sounds poetic or maybe just fragile) is behind this. They’re serving up what they call a minimalist puzzle adventure. Steam is where it’s gonna land eventually, but there’s a demo. A teaser. A “hey, come check this out” kinda thing. No clue why I’m obsessed with demos, but there’s something about a sneak peek that’s thrilling.

Anyway, you start as a Rook, which is just hilarious, right? Just this lone Rook wandering through a chess world gone bonkers. Tiles shifting, existential mazes, it’s like Monument Valley met Limbo and decided on a chessboard background. I almost expected Alice to pop out from Wonderland or something. Spooky, wouldn’t you say?

Now, they showcased this at the OTK Games Expo, and I was just like, HOW DOES THIS EVEN WORK? You don’t need to be a chess genius. Nope. Curiosity and a knack for getting lost should do the trick. And I mean, who doesn’t love getting lost in mind-bending Maze Land? Guilty as charged.

Then there’s this backstory—very “lightning bolt hits the board, everything flips upside down.” A story without words. It’s like the game decided dialogue is overrated, let’s just vibe. Visuals, mood, and that ambient sound that grips you. Oh, and the atmosphere? Thick enough to slice. Almost tasted like mystery itself.

So, this Rook has to wrangle through cursed lands, chase an enemy king, and solve puzzles along the way. Each step is like, a whole new brain teaser. Didn’t your brain just spin reading that?

I mentioned a demo already, right? Sorry if I’m repeating myself. Just really hyped about it, I guess. So if you’re into surreal trips and flipping chess on its head (don’t break your brain now), then go grab a piece of this adventure on Steam. Chess knowledge not required, I promise.