WeaponizedChess is an Android game that aims to bring the humble game of Chess into the future. Played on a board with a similar size and layout of a Chess board each piece is loaded up with different, high-tech weapons that allows players to use different strategies and such to take down their opponent. WeaponizedChess is a game that is designed to be played with two people side-by-side using pass-and-play, taking it turns. A game for the strategist, WeaponizedChess features all sorts of settings and toggles to tailor the game to exactly how Android players like, and the whole game is one packed full of strategy and careful consideration when making moves .
To get WeaponizedChess on Android, all players need to do is download it from the Play Store, there is also a free version of the game, but this only allows players to move. Once launched, you’ll be thrown into the game board.
I would have liked some sort of tutorial here, but instead there’s only a sort of short intro on how to play in the top-left corner of the display which is cut off. However, under View you can choose “Read Documentation” to read about how to play the game (in whatever foreign language you prefer).
Thankfully, playing the game is not too difficult, you just need to tap a square and then highlighters will show you where you an move or where your hardware can attack.
An interesting approach by the developer of WeaponizedChess is to offer up YouTube Videos to educate players on how to play the game. Here’s the quick format one, for instance:
These little videos also go hand-in-hand with the detailed website that covers what WeaponizedChess is all about and how to play. There are simple menus in the game so you and your friend can save your progress or start a new game. Your new game can use the usual start board, one you create yourself using the board editor, or one of the pre-built start boards. Want a game with lots of jets? Or with choppers carrying invisible airborne troops? Or with extra flame-throwing tanks? I doubt standard Chess can bring such military hardware to the table.
The Board Editor is fairly well explained to those looking to configure things, and there are tons of things you can change here, quite quickly.
You can even start from scratch and build something you want to play right from the ground up.
Things become more configurable in the Play Change menu, which allows players to change all sorts of things about the game.
WeaponizedChess is designed to be played on hardware of lower-end specifications, making it a game for everyone. It’s also localised in 48 different languages and if you fancy a bigger, better challenge the PC and Linux versions of the game include a pretty tricky AI to fight against.
Personally, I prefer something with a little more going on and the graphics here not only feel a little basic but it’s difficult to figure out what’s going on. Then again, I was never much of a Chess fan in the first place, which is why playing more of WeaponizedChess might help turn me into a reformed man. After reading the literature (available in many different languages) and watching the available videos things become clear soon enough, but an interactive tutorial would be preferable here. Either way, for the more intelligent player looking for a game to test their wits against friends and family, this Android version of the game is a good option. It’s configurable and brings the humble game of Chess right into the 21st century, making it far more exciting for younger players. Thanks to the fact that the graphics don’t tax your device too hard, those with lower-end devices can happily play this wherever, and kill oodles of time when they have nothing better to do, occupying the brain with strategy is often the best way to take its focus off of something else.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – This is a game that works on all sorts of different hardware and there are no issues with performance on even low-end devices.
- Features (3.5/5) – The overall concept here is a good one, but the lack of an interactive tutorial and an AI to play on your own makes things feel a little limited. Younger players and those fed up of the same Chess game each and every time can go crazy with customisations and using military hardware to wreak havoc.
- Theme (3.5/5) – While designed to run on low-end hardware, the overall game board view is hardly all that exciting, but it does at least get the job done.
- Overall (3.5/5) – With some more polish, a built-in tutorial or help screen and WeaponizedChess would be a much better game overall.
Pros
- Makes Chess feel new again, something that is a difficult task in and of itself.
- Infinitely configurable to make each game feel unique and tailored to each pairing of players.
- Great fun if you enjoy playing board games with friends but want something to take with you.
- Available in 48 different languages across the globe, including the documentation on how to play.
Cons
- No AI in this version, so if you wanted to practice or play this on your own, you can’t. At least not yet.
- No interactive tutorial or built-in prompts for completely new players.
WeaponizedChess is not the type of game that would be for everyone, but it’s got a lot going for it, and we’re sure that younger players looking to get into Chess without the boring side of things will really like it. An AI would be a nice inclusion, but it is nice to see a game the encourages playing with people actually in the same room, and on a tablet this sort of thing works brilliantly.