This Is Not Chess

This Is Not Chess is a turn-based tactics game in which squads of goofy characters fight across colourful battlefields. You manage a shared pool of actions for the whole team, choosing when to move, transform or deploy units. The story follows an unlikely party that forms to save the day.

Plan your turns

Moving, transforming and deploying units all use actions from your team’s limited pool. Techniques work differently: preparing one costs nothing and does not trigger it immediately. A unit left alone focuses on its technique and executes it on a later turn, or you can spend actions to make it happen sooner.

Characters have unusual attack ranges and distinct attacks. The wizard flings spells, the swordsman slashes, the jester throws custard pies and the robotic stalker waits for a chance to pounce. Elements attached to characters and techniques add Rock-Paper-Scissors strategy.

Game modes

Challenge mode lets you create a squad and take on predefined battlefields. Local skirmish mode supports multiple teams, with customisable winning conditions and randomly generated or preset maps.

Create your own content

Inbuilt editors let you create units, maps and campaigns.