Gambonanza reinvents traditional chess as a roguelike adventure with gambits and board twists, arriving later this year

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Story Highlights

  • Gambonanza reimagines classic chess as a condensed, turn based roguelike.
  • To win, you must capture every piece using synergistic play and not just the King.
  • The game offers 150+ Gambits, tactical board upgrades, dynamic reserve system, mini-games, vibrant pixel art, and more.

Stray Fawn and Sidekick Publishing are releasing a new strategy game called Gambonanza later this year on both mobile and PC. The game is similar to chess and features roguelike elements. It’s being developed by Paul Giovannini of Blukulélé Studio, and ATEO is responsible for bringing it to mobile devices.

Get ready to experiment with Gambits and tiles to capture every pieces

Gambonanza takes the classic game of chess and transforms it into a fast-paced, strategic adventure. Played on a smaller board, it lets you try out unique tactics, use your winnings to unlock new abilities and piece combinations (called Gambits), and face off against tough bosses. It’s a roguelike, meaning each game offers a fresh, challenging experience.

This puzzle is particularly tricky because you need to capture all the pieces, not just the King. Plus, the board itself starts to fall apart if you take too long. I also thought the way you could save extra pieces off the board for later was a neat feature.

You can reshape your run with Gambits, enjoy mini-games, and more

As a huge fan, I’m telling you, the Gambits system is a game-changer! There are over 150 of them, and they let you totally control how a run goes – you can seriously power up your best gear or even make enemies miss their turns. It doesn’t stop there, though! You can also improve the game board itself, adding things like golden squares, blessed tiles, and protective surfaces to give yourself a real edge when things get tough. It’s amazing how much control you have!

This game is shaping up to be really exciting and could become incredibly popular, similar to Balatro. So far, everything looks fantastic – the colorful pixel art with its retro filter is a standout, and the mini-games, inspired by things like pachinko, slot machines, and gachapon toys, are a lot of fun. It also features interesting bosses, strategic upgrades, and a wide variety of gameplay options.

Gambonanza will be available on mobile and PC devices worldwide later this year. Keep an eye out for announcements regarding its release date and when it appears in app stores.

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2026-01-27 19:11