Planned Release Date: 2026

About This Game

Play 3D chess with friends online through Steam, with a friend on the same screen, or against the computer.

Choose your board and pieces

Preview the available boards and piece sets in the showroom, then choose a combination for your game.

Save and review your games

Save your games and return to them from the archive. Replay the moves, work with PGN files, and use Stockfish analysis to examine evaluations and candidate continuations.

Features

• Online matches with friends through Steam
  
• Local two-player chess on one screen
  
• Computer opponents with built-in AI and Stockfish integration
  
• A choice of boards and piece sets, with a showroom preview
  
• Saved-game archive, replay and PGN tools
  
• Position analysis with Stockfish

Planned direction: distinctive chess collections

The direction for Chess: Apex is classic chess with imaginative sets. Planned themed collections bring together distinctive forms, materials, animation and sound, from the movement of a piece to its capture, restoration or promotion. These themed collections are planned additions; the current sets are shown in the gameplay images.

Planned release model

The current plan is a paid Early Access release, followed by a free core game with optional cosmetic packs. That free core is intended to include normal chess play, a classic set, saves, the main offline features and Steam Friends. Under this plan, Early Access buyers keep the cosmetic content included in their purchase when the core game becomes free. Cosmetic packs are intended to change the presentation without granting a gameplay advantage.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

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

Generative AI tools were used during development to assist with the creation of some content.