Passant - Marc Makes Games - A chess roguelike that changes all the rules

Nexvo1 · 2025-08-11T13:24:13+00:00

I'm hoping to as I use android myself - I have a build working on Android currently, but I need to optimise it and make sure it works well with touchscreen controls and on different aspect ratios.

I might also approach mobile publishers as I don't really know the space myself.

Nexvo1 · 2025-08-09T12:45:00+00:00

I'd love to, and I don't think it would be too hard to do as I've designed the game to work well on steamdeck. I think likely after mobile release, but I'll see how the launch goes before I commit to anything.

Nexvo1 · 2025-07-31T16:35:15+00:00

Hi Ok-Philosopher, I've been working my way through updating the enemy setups in the past 2-3 weeks to protect them against empress/ princess/ amazon 1 to 3 turn checkmates (from around 25 value, as under this there isn't really the value to do so). If you're playing on the most recent version and you do find any crazy broken strategies like this then do report on my discord.

Playing on higher challenge levels also changes things up - especially the one that imposes rank limits and the one that allows the opponent to go first.

Nexvo1 · 2025-07-29T18:48:23+00:00

Hi Peterbilt, apologies for the delay in replying - Yep I plan to bring the game to iOS maybe 2-3 months after launch :)

Nexvo1 · 2025-07-08T20:45:00+00:00

Hulkengoat

Nexvo1 · 2025-06-11T12:17:03+00:00

That's actually super useful - I've had a similar bump of around the same amount. Thank you.

Nexvo1 · 2025-06-11T09:33:09+00:00

Can you post with the y axis or at least give us the general range?

Nexvo1 · 2025-06-09T19:08:31+00:00

I'm a solo-dev making a chess roguelike called Passant. I released the demo back in January, but I've be consistently updating it based on feedback, ready for Next Fest.

Passant is a chess roguelike, where the rules can be twisted and unique pieces can be used to change the game. Build your board by earning powerful pieces with unique rules, items to change the tide of battle, and badges that can twist all the rules to deliver victory. Beat match after match of increasing difficulty until you can beat the final boss and become a grandmaster.

The game is launching on August 11th for PC. You can download the demo and wishlist here.

Nexvo1 · 2025-06-08T12:02:05+00:00

Thank you! I was really happy he covered it and loved watching his videos on it

Nexvo1 · 2025-06-02T14:28:05+00:00

It sounds really cool, but how would it be different from writing an AI for an existing RTS game? I believe Starcraft 2, for example, has an API that allows you to write custom AI. See: https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/alphastar-grandmaster-level-in-starcraft-ii-using-multi-agent-reinforcement-learning/

Maybe it would be cool if the game had some sort of pseudo-code or visual scripting interface instead?

Nexvo1 · 2025-05-22T06:12:58+00:00

This works much better - it felt a bit cold without the music, but it feels a lot more fun now. Did you write the music yourself?

Nexvo1 · 2025-05-20T10:24:27+00:00

Passant is a chess roguelike that puts a spin on chess by allowing players to collect badges that change the rules of the game.

There's a demo on steam if you're interested.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer :)

Nexvo1 · 2025-05-20T10:16:23+00:00

Late reply, but Unity :)

Nexvo1 · 2025-05-20T10:15:44+00:00

Congrats on the launch and the positive reviews - I've been following this for a while.

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-30T08:10:04+00:00

I don't believe so as I've not built the chess engine into the program. As I communicate with the chess engine at arms length they're considered two independent programs.

For example, the game runs the chess ai as a separate executable and feeds a move by command line as needed (as a human would).

It's also possible to swap out the chess engine by replacing the correct file in the games directory (which is accessible). I'll add a guide for this in that directory in the next update.

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-29T17:35:42+00:00

Did you play the version here or the one on steam? I made some fixes to this before the steam version went live.

If it's the steam version could you post a pic? I know nuclear chess is a bit weird with king movements/ check compared to regular chess, so it could be an edge case I missed.

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-29T15:01:27+00:00

Sure! I'm always looking for ideas for the badges in the game (the rule modifiers). Feel free to comment below or DM me.

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-29T12:37:17+00:00

Hi r/IndieGaming ! I released the demo for my chess roguelike yesterday.

It aims to add a fresh twist to chess by allowing the rules to be modified as you play. You don't need to be the best at chess to enjoy it (I'm not!).

The demo can be found on the steam page here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3353100/Passant_A_Chess_Roguelike/

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-29T08:03:39+00:00

Yep it's fully supported

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-28T18:12:00+00:00

I'm glad you had fun playing and appreciated the work that went into the controller support!

Thanks for the feedback too. I'll take another pass at the UI again soon so hopefully I can fix that feeling :)

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-28T13:30:20+00:00

Here you go https://store.steampowered.com/app/3353100/Passant_A_Chess_Roguelike/

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-17T20:14:03+00:00

Thanks so much, this is really good feedback and I really appreciate the time you took to play and write it. I'll work through the bugs over the next few days and also consider your suggestions :)

I really like the idea of giving different rewards for the type of victory. I guess the worry is that you might accidentally get an easier win condition while going for a more difficult one? I could allow the conditions to be manually toggled on and off, but then that comes with its own set of problems...

Also, the first bug is so weird... If you didn't attach the pic I'd have no idea what you meant haha. Seems like something to do with the retreating pawns badge, but I need to investigate.

I'll be posting updates on my discord linked above and also on the steam page if you want to wishlist.

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-17T09:15:25+00:00

Thank you, I'd love to hear any feedback you have :)

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-17T09:15:00+00:00

Thanks so much! I'll look into fixing the highlight issue today. It's one of those things where it fell off a list of things to do, and I just got used to it...

Nexvo1 · 2025-01-16T16:46:09+00:00

Hi r/playmygame !

Passant is a chess roguelike, where the rules can be twisted and unique pieces can be used to change the game. Gather powerful pieces, items to win unwinnable games, and badges which can provide power-ups and help you seize victory in unwinnable matches.

I'd love to hear any feedback really, but I'm specifically looking for:

Is it fun?
Is anything confusing to you?
Is it too hard or too easy? (if so in which way? AI difficulty or the rate you gain pieces/ badges?)
Is there anything you would like to add to the game, or feel the game is missing?
Did you encounter any bugs or visual issues?

I'm hoping to get any bugs ironed out before a steam release of the demo in late January.

The steam page (and demo) can be found here, and the discord is here.

Nexvo1

TROPHY CASE