Checkmate in the Wild West – Chess Adventure

Checkmate in the Wild West – Chess Adventure is a game that hadn’t been on my radar, and honestly, something I likely wouldn’t have sought out as someone who isn’t very good at chess. But sometimes life gives you a chance to branch out and try something new, and you just say yes.

So, saddle up for a Wild West chess adventure where you cross paths with bandits, sheriffs and hustlers. Solve puzzles, challenge characters, buy power-ups and determine your destiny in a game where your choices matter.

You can play a simple mode and learn more about chess. You are challenged to find captures and checks on a board. You are told now how many for each side (black and white) there are. As someone who hasn’t played chess in a very long time, I found this very helpful and still slightly challenging at times. As you complete the levels, you can use the money to purchase power-ups to help/give hints. There are multiple difficulty levels in the options setting, so this game is approachable for a wide range of skills. The controls are simple, allowing for more accessibility as well.

As you progress through the levels, you will unlock new puzzles and game modes. You also can play in an offline mode, where you play chess against customized bots. It’s easy to pop in and out of when you have a few free moments or completely lose many hours in it. It can be as challenging as you want it to be, a calm, Zen-like gameplay or something more challenging.

The Wild West setting is well represented across the puzzle boards, pieces and characters. Simple but effective. I kept thinking about how much I would like to see mini cut scenes with some of the characters you meet.

Checkmate in the Wild West is available on Steam, iOS and Android for $3.99 USD. The Steam version is ad-free. There are in-app purchases for coins, but this is not necessary to play through the game.