Info about WizardChess:

Official game description:
WizardChess is **Deckbuilding Chess** from a preposterous fantasy realm, invented by mysterious wizards. Multiple game modes challenge players to think on their feet and balance tactics with speed: hit the Arcade for quick, replayable runs or explore the world in Story mode. Whether you're an amateur or an expert WizardChess has something for Grandma's and Grand Masters alike.
Manoeuvre specialized units (of 50+ unique classes) in emergent, often unhinged, turn-based combat and use unique skills to defeat enemy units. Much like chess, small errors can (and often will) lead to harsh consequences. Unlike chess, your pieces are enchanted and have ATK, DEF and SKL stats... and your opponent(s) are the Fae.
Recruit, upgrade, sacrifice, trade and gamble your units away to create the most powerful build you can. Learn the systems, unlock the full pool of units and take calculated risks and maybe you’ll defeat the Fae Queen herself.
WizardChess is entirely procedurally generated. Every run, every room, every tile, every item, and every unit is determined by a combination of luck and a dynamic response to your playstyle. Each biome features unique rooms, enemies and a boss with its own opponent "style" and scaling difficulty.
_TwoPM consists of Ben Follington and Ricky James, both based in Queensland, Australia. We've been best friends for about 15 years and have been making games for almost as long._

Release date: Dec 14, 2024

Categories: Deckbuilding, Chess-based Gameplay, Roguelike, Turn-based Strategy, Procedural Generation, Tactical Combat


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users find the game worth purchasing when it is on sale, implying that the base price might be considered high. The mentions of the game being a good purchase on sale and comparisons to other professionally made games being cheaper indicate that the community perceives the fair price to be lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.5h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct statements about session lengths and overall playtime. The first quote mentions a session length of 25 minutes. The second and third quotes provide information on the duration of a full run, which can be interpreted as a session length. The fourth quote suggests that the player has spent a few hours on the game but feels there is much more content to explore, indicating that the game completion time is likely longer than a few hours.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun and addictive after completing the tutorial, which is initially tedious. Strategic gameplay and progression mechanics drive enjoyment.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Completing the tutorial
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: tedious tutorial; repetitive music
  - Unlock drivers: strategic gameplay; interesting progression mechanics
  - Conditions: engaging in main game content; enjoying strategic elements
- Player Archetypes:
  - Critical Reviewer (no buy)
    - Motivation: Ensuring ethical standards and quality in gaming.
    - Playstyle: Analytical and critical, focusing on the broader context of game development and ethics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: reviewer; critic
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Strategy Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying strategic and tactical gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys deep, turn-based strategy games with a focus on tactical decisions.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: strategy fan; tactical gamer
    - Reference games: Final Fantasy Tactics; Into the Breach
  - Casual Gamer (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying games that fit into a busy lifestyle and provide relaxation.
    - Playstyle: Casual and relaxed, preferring games that can be played in short sessions.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual player; relaxed gamer
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Tactical roguelite gameplay (weight 0.52): The game is described as a fun tactical battle roguelite with quirky turn-based gameplay.
- Jazzy music appreciated (weight 0.43): The game's jazzy music was highlighted as enjoyable and engaging by multiple players.
- Positive overall reception (weight 0.34): Players generally enjoyed the game, describing it as amazing, lovely, addicting, and fun.
- Fun and interesting concept (weight 0.28): The game's concept and mechanics were found to be fun and interesting by several reviewers.
- Charming presentation (weight 0.22): The game is noted for its charming presentation and overall charm.
- Cute and clever design (weight 0.16): Reviewers found the game to be cute, funny, and clever.
- Easy to play (weight 0.16): Players found the game simple enough to play and enjoyable.
- Unique art style (weight 0.16): The art style is praised as great, silly, and expressive.
- Interesting and beautiful mechanics (weight 0.16): The game's mechanics are described as compact, beautiful, and interesting.
- Worth the price (weight 0.15): The game is considered worth the price, especially on sale.
- Variety in gameplay (weight 0.15): There is a variety of movement ranges and shapes, adding to the gameplay experience.
- Fun boss battles (weight 0.15): The boss battles are noted as tense and fun.

Common complaints:
- Confusing and tedious gameplay (weight 0.29): Many players find the gameplay confusing and tedious, making it difficult to enjoy the game.
- Not like real chess (weight 0.27): Players feel that the game does not resemble real chess and find it insulting to the traditional game.
- Optimization and content needed (weight 0.23): Players feel that the game requires more optimization and additional content to improve the overall experience.
- AI issues (weight 0.23): The AI in the game has several issues, including making nonsensical moves and not punishing players sufficiently for bad moves.
- Design flaws (weight 0.22): There are obvious design flaws in the game that detract from the overall experience.
- Restrictive movement mechanics (weight 0.22): Players are forced to move one unit at a time, which limits strategic options and makes gameplay tedious.
- Unclear achievement descriptions (weight 0.22): The descriptions for achievements are vague and unclear, making it difficult for players to understand what is required.
- No mid-run save option (weight 0.17): There is no option to save and exit mid-run, which frustrates players who want to take breaks.
- Poor tutorial and explanations (weight 0.17): The tutorial does not explain combat well, and the mechanics aren't explained clearly, leaving players confused.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.16): The game needs Chinese language support as many players have requested translations.
- Limited content and bosses (weight 0.16): The game has limited content and only three bosses, which makes it feel incomplete and repetitive.
- Frustrating mechanics (weight 0.16): The game has several frustrating mechanics, including a weird exhaustion system and cumbersome chess ruleset.
- Control issues (weight 0.16): The controls in the game are described as jank and sloppy, making it difficult to play smoothly.
- Unit and upgrade issues (weight 0.16): Players cannot decide which units go into battle and cannot decline upgrades or rewards, which limits strategic choices.
- Repetitive music (weight 0.16): The music in the game becomes repetitive quickly, which can be irritating for players.
- Visual and aesthetic issues (weight 0.16): The game is described as aesthetically unpleasant with graphical elements that are unappealing.

Gameplay feedback:
- Chess-like tactical gameplay (weight 0.97): The game features turn-based strategy gameplay similar to chess, with tactical and strategic battle elements. Players manage unit abilities and positioning to succeed.
- Roguelike and deckbuilder elements (weight 0.6): The game incorporates roguelike elements and deckbuilding mechanics, allowing players to build and customize their decks with unique unit abilities.
- Complex and increasing systems (weight 0.46): The game offers complex systems and increasing complexity, including progression mechanics, unit management, and various upgrades.
- Unit abilities and combinations (weight 0.46): Units have unique abilities and traits that can be combined for strategic advantages. Players can unlock and upgrade different units.
- Special mechanics and systems (weight 0.22): The game includes various special mechanics such as an exhaustion system, elemental upgrades, and specific movement and attack patterns for units.
- Random elements and mechanics (weight 0.21): The game includes random elements such as unit stats and generated maps, adding variety and unpredictability to the gameplay.
- Tutorial and learning (weight 0.19): The game features tutorials and a learning curve that allows players to understand mechanics as they progress.
- Visual and feel elements (weight 0.13): The game has a distinct visual style with 2D pixel art and a unique game feel that enhances the overall experience.
- Ranking and achievement systems (weight 0.12): The game features a ranking system that affects unlocks and enemy difficulty, as well as achievements to strive for.

Performance notes:
- Main menu bug on Steam Deck (weight 0.1): A specific bug has been identified that causes players to get stuck on the main menu when using the Steam Deck.
- Optimization issues (weight 0.09): Players have reported problems with the game's optimization, leading to performance issues.

Recommendations:
- Good value during sales (weight 0.16): Players find the game to be a good purchase when it is on sale or included in a bundle.
- Request for untimed mode (weight 0.08): Some players have expressed interest in having a game mode that does not include a move timer.
- Preference for alternative game (weight 0.07): A few players suggest that others might prefer playing 'Into the Breach' instead of this game.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.19): Players enjoy the game due to its challenging and strategic gameplay, variety in mechanics, and engaging music. The game's charm, polish, and character traits also contribute to a positive and fun experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.17): The addition of a turn-based mode, unlocking different units, and the anticipation of future content and expansions drive excitement. Players also enjoy the game's complexity, charm, and music, looking forward to refinements and new content.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Frustration stems from repeated diagnostics menus, losing to the same enemy multiple times, and various game mechanics issues. Poor design decisions, lack of clarity, irritating level design, and control issues also contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players feel disappointed due to the limited number of bosses, lack of content, and the game not meeting their expectations. Some feel the game is not as fun as it seems and that it does not live up to its potential.
- Excited (weight 0.08): Players are excited about the game's potential for building unit combinations and the anticipation of future updates and refinements. The enjoyment of the game's elements and the prospect of more content also contribute to this excitement.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy comes from the enjoyable music and overall fun and positive gaming experience. Players appreciate the game's music and the overall engaging gameplay.
- Frustrated (weight 0.05): Frustration arises from game mechanics issues and comparisons to another game. The difficulty and mechanics of the game contribute to this frustration.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger is caused by the lack of misclick protection and a misleading game description. These issues lead to a negative player experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Players feel satisfied due to the overall positive experience the game provides. The enjoyable gameplay and music contribute to this satisfaction.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): The game's strategy-filled tactical gameplay keeps players engaged. The depth and complexity of the game mechanics hold players' interest.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from the lack of clarity in what each unit does. Players find it challenging to understand the roles and abilities of different units.
- Disappointed (weight 0.02): Disappointment is caused by aesthetic and text issues within the game. These issues detract from the overall experience and enjoyment.
- Uncertainty (weight 0.02): Uncertainty stems from concerns about the game's difficulty curve and long-term engagement. Players are unsure about the game's longevity and sustained interest.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Players are looking forward to new bosses, which creates a sense of anticipation. The prospect of new challenges and content drives this emotion.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from the gameplay being different from what players expected. The unique mechanics and gameplay elements catch players off guard.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Players find the game and its unit abilities interesting. The unique mechanics and strategic depth of the game hold their interest.}