We combined various novel chess variants together in a single game. Time travel your pieces to new timelines! Cast spells to secure an advantage! Navigate around slimes following cellular automata rules!

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Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Narik Chess is built around experimental chess variants that can be mixed together, so player feedback is important for deciding which combinations are fun, clear, and balanced. During Early Access, we plan to refine the rules, improve usability, fix issues, and use community feedback to help shape the final version.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We currently expect Narik Chess to be in Early Access for around 3 months, though this may change depending on player feedback and development needs.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“We plan for the full version to include clearer instructions, balance improvements, usability updates, and a better-tuned selection of variants and rule combinations. We may also add new gameplay options or modes based on what players want most during Early Access.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version currently supports head-to-head matches with combinable variant options, including Conway Chess, Multiverse Chess, Spell Chess, and Duck Chess. It supports online PvP, shared/split-screen PvP, and Steam Remote Play Together. The core gameplay is playable, but rules, balance, interface flow, presentation, and available modes may change during development.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“We plan to keep Narik Chess free-to-play during and after Early Access. Chess should be free for all.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Community feedback will help guide our priorities during Early Access, especially around variant balance, confusing rules, desired options, bugs, and new mode ideas.”
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About This Game

Narik Chess is a chess client that supports a variety of variants, all of which can be played as standalone variants or in combination.

Variants

Conway Chess

Based on Conway's game of life, Conway-Like pieces survive across turns only with 2 or 3 neighbors.  Empty spaces spawn neighboring Conway-Like pieces when there are exactly 3 neighbors.

Multiverse Chess

Time travel becomes a new dimension of play. Pieces can move between historical boards, revisiting earlier turns to create branching timelines. Every new timeline remains active, forcing players to defend multiple realities at once.

Includes built-in puzzles and steam workshop integration for user-created puzzles.

And much more!

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

While the game is primarily human-made, AI tools were used to increase development efficiency in some areas.

System Requirements

Windows
SteamOS + Linux
    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10, 11
    • Processor: 2 GHz
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 400 MB available space
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    Minimum:
    • OS: Any modern 64-bit Linux distribution
    • Processor: 2 GHz
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 400 MB available space
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