At this point in Early Access, this game is missing tons of features, missing tons of balancing, tons of content, tons of units and spells, etc...

...and it is still the most fun, addictive game I've played in years. Fantastic. If you have any interest in tactics, wizards, hexagons, chess, poker, or enjoying your life, buy it immediately.

Chaos Reborn is a fantastic game by the creator of X-COM. It's turn based combat mixed with a little RNGesus, and a whole lot of wizardry. Highly recommended if you're into these kinds of games, and don't mind the multiplayer focus! :)

As it stands right now this game is worth it. If you remember the original it's more than worth it. This is one of the games that I still have a spectrum emulator knocking around for. So aside from the spruce up in terms of graphics and sound (compared to 29 years ago, damn I'm old) the mechanics have had a spit and polish, nothing too drastic but overall I think it's an improvement. Games are faster to play due to the massively improved UI. There's also network multiplayer now compared to the originals 'crowd around the keyboard' multiplayer. Though the latter is still present and absolutely recommended.

I'm not going to cover what's been promised for this game but not yet implemented. Given what's on display right now, things are very good, very playable and a lot of fun and serves to convince me that the goals promised in the kickstarter are not only well within reach but will add to the foundations of an already worthwhile game.

My best investment in 2014 was the 20$ I spent to become a Kickstarter backer of this game. Chaos Reborn is a turn based strategy game where wizards move around a board, cast creatures and other spells in order to be the last wizard standing. Individual games can be heavily influenced by the RNG, but understanding how to adapt and play around it gives the game longevity. Regardless of whether you want to charge forwards on a unicorn and smack your enemy in the face with a bolt of raw power, or if you want to surround youself with a protective forest and cover your enemies with living ooze, Chaos Reborn has it all.

Based on the greatest game of all time, Chaos Reborn is the updated version of the ZX Spectrum classic by Julian Gollop. As would be expected, lots of care has been taken to ensure that this version is equally amazing and as it evolves you can see that lots of feedback is noted by the development team and implemented in the game.

If you like turn-based strategy, this is for you. Clicking the fastest wont win you the game, but careful tactics and thinking ahead will. I love RTS games too, but this reminds me why (at their best) turn-based strategies are the best games out there.

I cant believe that anyone would be disappointed by this game, so it gets my full recommendation! 10/10

I've followed Chaos Reborn since the Kickstarter campaign and I must say that I couldn't be happier with the game.

This game is a excellant blend between Strategy and Card Game... This game has Allot of Replayability as each game thus far is random. There are many things that can happen in the game that is solely up to chance. Such is living from being attacked by 3 sapphire dragons, or killing a enemy wizard with a goblin.

I played the original Chaos on the ZX Spectrum and on Spectrum emulators for 30 years. I found it was the perfect game for taking a break from work. I would start a game, cast some spells, kill some creatures and basically have fun. Whether I won or lost I would go back to work feeling refreshed. The best thing for me was that every game was different, since you had to adapt your strategy to the spells you got, rather than designing a strategy and then picking the spells to implement it. So, after playing Chaos for 30 years, you'll understand that I was a tad excited when I heard that Julian Gollop was planning to work on a Chaos reboot, so to speak, to be called Chaos Reborn.

I've been a backer since day one and I've been having great fun watching the game grow, playing the early prototypes and exchanging ideas with other people (including Julian Gollop himself) in the Chaos Reborn forum. Instead of saying "Here's a new version of the prototype, see you next time", Julian says "Here's a new version. What do you think? Does this work? What about this? How can we make the game better?". I truly feel that Julian values everyone's input, and the improvements made in each version of the prototype reflect just that. Some things are added, others are removed, and the game gets better and better with every new version.

What is the game about, then? Well, each player controls a wizard and your goal is to be the last wizard standing. Each turn you can move your wizard, attack other creatures and - most importantly - cast spells. Spells include creatures, magical attacks, magical equipment (like swords and shields) and other fantastic stuff like Shadow Trees and Gooey Blob. In every turn there are decisions to make. Shall you risk having your wizard in the front on keep him or her in the rear, while letting your creatures fend for themselves? Shall you use your mana to boost the casting chance of spells or shall you save it in order to try getting your mega spell? Shall you take the initiative or hold back in the corner and trust that the other wizards will be kind enough to kill each other while you watch and wait for the perfect moment to strike?

Another great thing is that you whenever you cast a creature you have the option of making it real or an illusion. Real creatures are subject to casting chances, with stronger creatures like dragons and hydras being quite difficult to cast. Conversely, illusions work every time, but they can be destroyed instantly with the disbelieve spell. This adds a bluffing element to the game. Each time you see an enemy creature you wonder if it's real or an illusion, but the only way to find out is either by killing it or by casting disbelieve, and if it turns out that the creature is real then you will have wasted your chance to cast a spell for that turn and may find yourself wishing you hadn't. Only a Chaos and/or Chaos Reborn player knows the feeling of giving everything you've got in order to kill a creature, only to see it blow up in smoke and to realise that it was an illusion all along and that you could have simply disbelieved it.

By the way, since the first Chaos Reborn prototype came out I haven't playing the original Chaos again. As things stand, I have played Chaos for 30 years and I truly believe that I will be playing Chaos Reborn for the next 30. Kudos to Julian Gollop and his team for making an early access game so immensely fun to play.

As of v0.22:
Chaos Reborn is a game about tactical turn-based duels of wizards.
Grab your wizard, spawn on the battlefield and use your spells and summons to defeat the competitor.
The game was designed by Julian Gollop - a father of original X-com game - so, it has some very interesting mechanics and they can assembly into pretty complex strategies even though they look pretty simple.
Do you want to summon a real creature or trick the opponent with an illusion? Do you want to go for a quick kill or take it slow and steady?
You will have to consider a lot of things during the game. And once again - don't let the simplicity of a rules and mechanics trick you - this game is not an easy one.

At the moment game only features the multiplayer mode, so if you want the AI and single player, it's better to wait a bit.
But if you enjoy some pvp action and/or have some friends to play with - this game is pretty fantastic.

More detailed look in the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MEWS8Ciyw4

I always wanted to see Chaos: Battle of the Wizards (the original game that this is based off) remade because I feel it's a timeless design with wide appeal. It's the only game that I ever managed to get three generations of my family around the TV playing together. It's a game that's easy to learn and play, and even gives new players a chance at victory, but it also rewards experience and skill. There's a lot of tactical depth to this game once you learn the strengths and weaknesses of the different spells and creatures. It takes a few games before you really start to appreciate this.

Chaos Reborn is one of the few remakes that actually retains the feel of the original game, yet brings it up to date and improves the rough edges of its inspiration. It's extremely addictive, and even after playing essentially the same game for 30 years (we're talking thousands if not tens of thousands of games, I've played it a lot!) I still enjoy the hell out of it. I even encounter new situations, new ways of approaching the game. I seriously expect to be playing this for years.

I won't go over the mechanics here because others have explained it well in their reviews, and the game does a good job of introducing you to its systems, although there are many details that you'll need to learn through experience. The community around this game is excellent so far, lots of friendly players willing to help newcomers, and after a few hundred games (including the prototype which I've been playing for 7 months) I've yet to really have a bad experience.

This Early Access version is extremely polished, it really feels like a finished game, although right now there's only multiplayer skirmish mode available. That's enough to keep you going for months (years in fact, going by past experience!) but there's more to come. Right now we're only playing with a small subset of the planned spells, so the depth will increase considerably over time. There are also plenty of balancing tweaks still happening, although after 7 months it's playing very well. Coming soon is single player hotseat including AI wizards, and later a whole single player RPG-based campaign, and special abilities for social ranks once achieved. I'll update my review once they're available.

Overall this is my most played game so far in 2014, including the prototype, and I never tire of it. If you're on the fence because it's Early Access, I'd say this is the most polished Early Access game I've seen, although there's the odd bug here and there still. The only reason to hold off now is if you're after single player; it's coming, but right now it's multiplayer skirmish only.

The gameplay is good. And this has got to be the most polished Early Access game that has hit Steam to date. It isn't finished. It is missing a lot of features. But it plays well already. And what is playable could easily be a stand alone game. If you normally avoid Early Access you might want to consider this one anyway.

THE REVIEWER: I have followed the progress of the game’s development since its Kickstarter ended in April 2014. I've played numerous matches both before and after the game's Early Release on Steam. I enjoy this game immensely. This review summarizes some reasons why.

THE THEME: Magic was unleashed on Earth in the 14th century. Wizards arose. Too many Wizards. And they fought. Until the Earth shattered. The most powerful Wizards, who some called Gods, preserved fragments of the broken Earth. A magical refuge also was found in a place called Limbo. But the Wizards still fight. Even the Wizard Gods fight. Chaos Reborn is a game about these endless Wizard battles.

THE DEVELOPER: Chaos Reborn is a rebirth and reimagining of Chaos: The Battle of Wizards (1985) and Lords of Chaos (1990) by their original creator, Julian Gollop. Mr. Gollop is more known for creating the original X-COM: UFO Defense (1994), the widely acclaimed classic which inspired XCOM: Enemy Unknown and many other games. The classic Chaos and X-COM games were rooted upon deep, tactical play. Chaos Reborn is a true successor to both legacies.

GAMEPLAY: I cannot really do the gameplay experience justice in a short paragraph. It has too many tactical layers. But at essence, the game currently involves duels of up to 4 Wizards. Wizards can invoke flamboyantly magical spells and creatures. Yet Wizards themselves are fragile and must be protected. In other words, imagine a three dimensional, multi-layered game of Wizard chess with a variable numbers and types of pieces which can come and go, and where each attack has a very real chance of failure. But if you lose the Wizard, then you lose the game.

ONLINE MULTIPLAYER GAME MODES: The multiplayer Wizard duels can be played live or asynchronously with up to 4 players. The default live games give each player up to 3 minutes to complete each turn, and the game ends after 20 turns. Games generally go quickly. As for the asynchronous games, these are my favorites. You can have up to 20 asynchronous games going at any time. Each player has 20 days to complete up to 20 turns needed to finish a match. But these asynchronous games generally go much, much quicker than that, and can even be played out live if players are then available. (I love, love the asynchronous functionality.) Additionally, players can create custom, private matches of either type, changing the parameters of the game.

OFFLINE HOTSEAT AND SINGLEPLAYER GAME MODES: The developers recently introduced offline game modes which allow hotseat gameplay against any combination of human or AI-controlled opponents. The initial version of the AI is fairly basic, but it can provide a challenge if you choose to play with three AI-controlled Wizards at the same time. For right now, playing against the AI is probably the best way to learn the game before trying out the online multiplayer game modes.

GRAPHICS: The game uses the Unity game engine, which should be compatible with most computers. The art and animations are solid. And the game really does have its own, unique graphical theme. Don’t rely on me for too much input on this, as I was playing the game when wizards and creatures were represented by crude, unanimated placeholder graphics. But if you really care about graphics, the graphics are good.

THE FUTURE: As-is, the game is a gem. If you like tactical games, then spending $20 on Chaos Reborn’s current alpha will get you one of the more fun games in your Steam inventory. But consider that this is merely Julian Gollop’s starting point for the game he is on track to complete by the end of Summer 2015. More creatures and spells will be added to the Wizard battle interface in the near future. (E.g., I played with some of the forthcoming creatures in the pre-Steam prototype; they were removed from Steam’s Early Release because their animations weren’t completed in time.) After that, Mr. Gollop and his team will be focusing on developing an expansive single-player/co-op RPG game experience that allows for realm exploration and guilds.

IN SUM: If you’ve read this far and haven't yet made up your mind, then you should get the game. Jump right in, the water’s great!

I am a KS Backer, and haven't played until the Steam release; so I am super late to the party.
I just didn't like downloading and playing the Alpha versions; I guess I was lazy...lol.

But, I just want to say, this game is amazing. Even in it's current state it is fun and smooth and an amazing work of art: graphically, conceptually and programmatically. I can't imagine being disappointed, now, in backing at Wizard King level; especially once we can start customizing our Wizards and start designing our own realms!!!

I have been playing video games for a good part of my life (I'm 31 now) and whenever a fantasy realm offered a Caster, I played it. Casters are my thing. You can't imagine how long I've wanted a game that does what Chaos Reborn does. I've always imagined how Magic: The Gathering Online would be like if it could simulate graphical creatures with animations to make it more engaging and this is so it.

I've been waiting for a game like this for a very long time and you nailed it Julian (and the Snapshot team) ... Thank You ... So many Kudos to you!!!

Already one of the most enjoyable tactical games out there. The fantastic thing about this game is every person has 1 health and if you get hit, that's it! You can use mounts to keep your wizard alive but if that mount gets hit then you're on the ground and have only one more hit to take!

The way defense vs strength vs agility and magic resistance works in this game is that changes the percentage chance you have to hit. The height of your units also plays a role in the percentage and you can use mana to boost spells as well. You can either sacrifice cards to get mana or you can pick up one of the mana sprites that spawn in the maps.

Right now it's just multiplayer, but it really is a blast. Definitely proves once again that Julian Gollop knows what he's doing. I am currently backing this at the lord level and will soon be upgrading to king.

Chaos Reborn is the bomb.

It has instantly become one of my favorite games of all time.

You start in an arena with one to three other wizards. You have one of several staffs and a plethora of spells. You can summon hordes of creatures and send them into battle while you support them with your magic. Or cast sword of law, hop aboard a manticore, and challenge the enemy wizards in personal combat. You can bluff by summoning creatures as illusions. Entrap hostile monsters with the gooey blob. Singe your opponent's eyebrows with a magic bolt. There is a great deal of strategy involved, but luck also plays a big role in the game, making every match unique.

Every spell you cast has a percent chance to succeed. Every attack you make has a percent chance to kill. There are no hit points in Chaos Reborn. An action is either wildly successful or a dismal failure. This makes for exciting swings in fortune! One moment you might be sitting on top of the world because you've cornered your opponent with your sapphire dragon, unicorn, and giant spider. Suddenly, your opponent's magic bolt kills your spider, your opponent runs the unicorn through with her sword, and your opponent's rat somehow manages to slay your dragon (a 7% chance!). Now you're on the back foot and have to do some fast thinking to salvage the situation.

The luck factor can create some ridiculously funny situations in Chaos Reborn. My most fun and memorable games have involved wild swings in fortune. That being said, careful planning is still a very important aspect of the game. You must be constantly aware of your chances, maximize your odds, and prepare a backup plan in case lady luck doesn't go your way. Bluffing can also help control the influence of luck. (See below.)

Although all spells have a percent chance to fail, you can choose to cast any creature as in illusion and automatically be successful 100% of the time. An illusion behaves precisely like a "real" creature: it can attack, defend, fly, and carry you around on its back if it is a mount. But perhaps an enemy wizard suspects that huge dragon you summoned last turn is an illusion. He casts Disbelieve on your dragon and it vanishes in a puff of smoke. That's the downside to using illusions. If the dragon had been real, the Disbelieve spell would have failed and your opponent would have wasted his turn! If you are a great bluffer, you can probably get away with summoning lots of illusory creatures. If you are a very perceptive person you can probably deduce which creatures your opponents have summoned as illusions and Disbelieve them!

I am a big fan of the graphics in this game. The art direction is distinctive and avoids the typical visual cliches associated with well-known fantasy creatures like unicorns and dwarves. Spells and creatures identifying with the concept of Law tend to have cool colors and a rigid crystalline appearance. Spells and creatures identifying with the concept of Chaos tend to have warm colors and an "entropic" aesthetic. If you like unique art direction, you will love this. If you prefer predictable visuals that you can easily associate with character models from other games, this will probably not be your cup of tea.

At the time that I write this, only a very basic version of the game is available to play. It's a lot of fun already, but there is a great deal more to come before the game is officially released. More creatures, more spells, and more environments are a given. There will also be an entire single-player Realm of Chaos to explore where you can find exotic equipment and artifacts. (Single-player mode against a basic A.I. is already implemented.) Players will have the opportunity to create their own realms for others to enjoy. There will be a social rank system with guilds, demi-gods, and gods. Have you ever wanted to be a God? Well start gathering your worshipers because you will have that chance in Chaos Reborn!

Some folks seem to be under the impression that this is a deck-building game similar to Magic: the Gathering. It really isn't. Chaos Reborn does not have thousands of spells to choose from, and you will probably never have full control over the library of spells that you bring into duels.

Great game and loving it. Backed this project way back when it was on kickstarter and after playing it today I dont regret it. Great fun.

Been playing since the early prototype and I'm just in love with this game. While the randomness can be frustrating at times, the unpredictability it brings makes every game a blast to play. And even if you're having a horrible game and can't cast a single spell - they are over quite quickly so you can come right back in and try again.

The plans they have for the game going forward just make everything that much better - but even with what is currently available in the Early Access version is well worth the asking price!

[Update for 12/22 patch]
The most impressive game project I've had the pleasure of backing on Kickstarter. Development is moving swiftly and productively, and the latest Steam Early Access version now includes an offline play option with support for up to 4 human or AI opponents in addition to the existing online multiplayer options. This is essentially a hotseat mode but is limited to free for all, with no team play option yet. This combined with the rudimentary but passable AI make it great for learning the game or battling it out with friends, but you'll still have to rely on matchmaking to scratch that co-op itch. This release also brings us some new spells, showcases a new environment skin, and adds some seasonal holiday details to some of the creature models. A handy play guide is now also featured on the launch screen to help get started, and is highly recommended reading for every new player.

The final feature set will be nothing short of stellar at this pace. The devs care about just about everything, and that is already beginning to show throughout. I'm focusing on quality and development here because the fundamental concept is already rock-solid: turn-based wizard hex strategy with spell decks plus all the usual online roleplaying frills (guilds, gear, pvp/pve) PLUS a social ladder in which you can become a king or even a god, design your realm, and act as an NPC opponent when you're offline (and customize, track, and be rewarded for your performance as such!). If you're not sold already, then you are definitely in the wrong place.

A few other points are worth mentioning here. The temporary, placeholder leveling system in use now doesn't take long to max, but will be fully replaced (likely accompanied by a stat reset). The game does not have native controller support, although it has been suggested that it may make the final feature set. It is rather easy to map with Xpadder or the like in the meantime.

All in all, if you have even the slightest love of roleplaying or strategy games, this is one you will want in your Steam library sooner or later.

I have been playing computer games for 30 years and have probably played over 1000 games in my time. The original Chaos is my favourite out of them all and I have spent more time on that one game than any other.

At first I thought Chaos Reborn would not be a match for the original as 'improvements' such as levelling and deck customisation sounded as if they would harm the simple core gameplay. However I have been following the development of this game for the last 8 months and am now certain that this game is the real deal and will be a worthy successor to the brilliant original. Any feedback left of the forums is taken into account and any features that did not work have been changed or removed completely.

Some people complain about the RNG and how there is a degree of luck in the game but Chaos Reborn is all about successful risk management. It is possible for a weaker player to be lucky and beat a stronger player but they would not win over a long run of games. I actually prefer this system as it means no matter who you are playing or how far the game has swung one way there is still a chance you can win or lose.

Julian Gollop is the mozart of the gaming world and his games will be remembered as classics long after other games fade into history! If you enjoy turn based strategy games then this game will entertain you for years and possibly decades.

While I believe this is a remake of an older game, I only have very distant memories of a game that may or may not be similar on the PS1. So my perspective is mainly that of a newcomer. I love strategy games, and while I watched a video of it on YouTube I still wasn't 100% sure what playing it would be like.

The game is deceptively simple in premise - you are a squishy wizard, and you can move, attack and cast a spell (which are generally to summon creatures or deal direct damage) during your turn, and likewise move and attack with any creatures, in any order. The other player(s) - up to 4 total - then take their turns. There is no health - there is just a percentage chance to kill based on the stats. While seemingly simplistic, the gamble is thrilling as you can only really tip the odds in your favour and reduce the risks to your own demise.

Creatures have strengths and weaknesses, and there are spells that provide tactical and defensive advantages as well.

One thing that does add an extra dimension is when you cast a spell, it has a % chance for success based on the strength of the creature you are summoning. You can choose to cast it as an illusion with 100% success, and it will be just as effective, unless your opponent uses their spell to disbelieve your summon for the illusion it really is. So there is an element of poker going on there too. Your chance to cast creatures depends on the current overall magic-o-meter, which can swing between law and chaos depending on what types of spells the wizards are casting. Neutral spells are not affected by this.

There looks to be future mechanisms to allow you to change the appearance of your wizard and introduce more RPG elements, but I ended up jumping into frays with experienced players and holding my own quite well.

The graphics are detailed and not overblown, as is the music and atmosphere, and the UI and overall feel is good and generally well executed - especially for an early access game.

Currently it's multiplayer (real time or play-by-mail-like) only at present, with single player to come but people seem friendly.

I'd say this game has a lot of longevity and you will find yourself wanting to come back to it time and again. Thoroughly recommended for anyone who wants a modernised and well polished version of old-school strategy at its best :)