Regicide Turns Chess Into a Score-Chasing Roguelike Deckbuilder
Forget slow positional grind and long endgames. Regicide strips chess down to its bones and hands you a new goal: score as much as you can. Every capture adds to your total. Every round pushes a higher target. And between rounds you spend cash in a shop to turn ordinary pieces into the kind of nonsense that breaks scoreboards.
This is chess without changing the moveset. Pawns still move like pawns and knights still hop, but the way you approach the board is all about combos, synergies, and escalating risk. Quickfire minichess rounds keep the pace tight and the decisions sharp.
Chess, But You Score
Light on chess, big on score. Regicide runs play out as short minichess matches where captures are the currency of success. Each capture awards points and clears space for cascading possibilities. Win conditions are less about checkmate and more about hitting an ever-higher score target before the round ends.
Between rounds you earn cash based on performance. Spend that cash in the shop to upgrade your toolkit for the next run. The structure rewards repeated attempts, experimentation, and the occasional glorious collapse that yields the highest points.
Build Something Broken
The build systems are where Regicide really leans into its rogue deckbuilder identity. Collect floppy disks that alter scoring and behavior, slot zodiac cards that change piece boxes and interactions, and level up wonder cards for dramatic run-altering effects.
These systems let you craft a playstyle on the fly. Turn a pawn army into a scoring swarm. Engineer deliberate sacrifices to trigger chains. Or funnel upgrades into a single piece and watch a one-man army rip through the board. Every floppy disk, box tweak, and wonder choice shifts how you think about captures and combos.
Run Structure and Progression
Runs are designed to be fast but meaningful. Quick rounds last minutes, and full runs can be finished in under an hour, making Regicide easy to slot into short play sessions or longer, focused evenings. The game promises endless combinations: each capture and upgrade changes the landscape of your run.
Progression stretches beyond one session. Unlock new items, boards, and challenges across multiple runs, so experimentation pays off over time. Small victories let you buy into bigger gambits in future attempts, and deep progression encourages you to chase scores you might have thought were out of reach.
Vibe and Who It's For
Wrapped in a chill retro aesthetic, Regicide is equal parts punchy and relaxed. It looks made for late-night runs and quick bursts of play, perfect for players who love systems that fold into one another. Because the moveset stays classic chess, the game welcomes both novices and veteran players: beginners can enjoy approachable minichess and upgrades, while experts can optimize combos and score chains.
If you want something that treats chess pieces like tools for spectacle rather than trophies, add Regicide to your wishlist and join the mailing list to be notified of upcoming playtests.
➡️ Check out Regicide now on Steam
