Dark Chess

Turn-based chess with hidden enemy pieces and rule-breaking opponents

Tall Troll Games · Published by Tall Troll Games, Hawthorn Games · Released Feb 28, 2023

Reviews: Mostly Positive; 75% of 163
Recent reviews: Not enough recent
Players: 0; daily peak, Oct 28, 2026
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update on Steam: 1 year ago; Jul 29, 2025
Minimum PC: DirectX 9 GPU; 2 GB RAM · 1.2 GB disk; Full requirements

What is Dark Chess?

A chess-based strategy game with a narrated single-player campaign against historical rulers such as Genghis Khan and King Solomon. You solve board puzzles and play boss matches, maneuvering to capture a king or queen while dealing with respawning pieces, traps, and poisoned boards.

For you if...

+you enjoy adapting tactics rather than memorizing chess openings
+you like solving challenges to unlock avatar customization

Not for you if...

−you expect standard chess rules and evenly balanced matches

What players say

75% of 163 reviews are positive

Players praise the campaign's puzzle design. Common complaints concern unfair enemy advantages and guesswork that slows matches; some players also criticize the voice acting.

Screenshots and trailer

Dark Chess system requirements

Minimum: DirectX 9 GPU, 2 GB RAM, 1.2 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Dark Chess?

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Minimum

OS: Windows 7/8/10 32-bit
Processor: Intel Core i3 or faster
Graphics: DirectX 9.0 Compatible GPU
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Storage: 1200 MB available space
DirectX: Version 9.0

Does Dark Chess have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: PvP split-screen. It also has a single-player mode. With Remote Play Together, one copy is enough to play the local modes online with friends.

Does Dark Chess run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Keyboard and mouse
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements: 61
Steam features: Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages: Full audio: English. Text only: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish - Latin America.

Does Dark Chess use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam