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Dungeon Chess

Moby ID: 66438
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Description

Dungeon Chess is a board game similar to chess, played on an 8x8 board, called the dungeon. The player has access to sixteen weapons of five different types: eight Circs and two each of Arcs, Trigs, Rects, and Stars. Each weapon moves differently: Circs can move one room in any direction; Arcs move like knights in chess; Trigs, like chess bishops, move along diagonals; Rects, like chess rooks, move along the rows and columns; and Stars, like chess queens, can move any number of rooms either diagonally or along the rows and columns.

Circs and Trigs also have special abilities. Circs, like pawns in chess, can be morphed into any other type of weapon upon reaching the opponent's home row. If a Trig is the last weapon available, it gains the ability to move like a Circ, so that it can access the whole dungeon.

When starting a new game, the player has the option of starting with an empty dungeon and placing his weapons manually when and where he chooses, or starting with the weapons already placed on the first two rows in a similar manner to the initial configuration of chess pieces.

Dungeon Chess keeps score, but only as an indicator for how the game is going. The game is won when all the opponent's weapons have been captured--there is no checkmate in Dungeon Chess.

One major difference from chess is that the player can only see those rooms of the dungeon which one of his weapons can access. If, for example, the player has only a Rect left, then only the row and column the Rect occupies will be visible--and the view will be blocked by any weapons that are in the way of movement.

Two game modes are offered: Master and GrandMaster. In Master mode, the grid of the dungeon is clearly marked and visible rooms are colored differently. In GrandMaster mode, the dungeon is solid black, and the rooms that are visible aren't marked, so the player must carefully inspect the positioning of the weapons to determine which rooms are definitely empty and which are simply out of view.

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Credits (OS/2 version)

Trivia

New Game Messages

The button the player clicks to start a new game randomly displays one of twelve different messages:

  • Protect yourself always.
  • Anticipate the enemy.
  • Expect the unexpected.
  • Take chances, gamble some.
  • Defense over offense, usually.
  • Plan your attack. Fight back.
  • It's never the same again.
  • Early birds eat better.
  • Take the bird, there's no bush.
  • Keep alert and alive.
  • Don't get greedy. Keep your cool.
  • If luck is good, skill is better.

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 66438
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Tracy Poff.

Game added June 25, 2014. Last modified February 13, 2023.