Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2026
Gambonanza
Developer Blukulélé
Gambonanza is a 2026 turn-based chess roguelike video game developed by Blukulélé and copublished with Sidekick Publishing and Stray Fawn Publishing. The game's goal is to capture every single rival piece instead of just putting the king in checkmate. The game was chosen as part of the SXSW Sydney 2025 Game Festival official selection and was shortlisted for the festival's Game of the Year. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
61 reactions from 2 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Sep 21, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
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60 of 61 · most liked first3 weeks ago, I released Gambonanza Since then the game has reached: - 200k+ sales (135k on Steam - 75k on mobile) - 300k+ wishlists I wanted to share the real numbers, what helped the most, and the things that genuinely surprised me as an indie dev 👀 Thread 🧵 1/15
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza masterfully combines Balatro and chess and it's out now #Gambonanza #IndieGames #PCGaming #Linux
unlabelledView post →GAMBONANZA, the turn-based chess roguelike adventure JUST LAUNCHED on Steam and Mobile! 🔥♟️ Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3509230/... 🔃 Repost and comment for a chance to win a game key
unlabelledView post →🎉Gambonanza playtest is live right now on Steam🎉 If you’re curious to see what the game looks like and want to join the adventure, your feedback is more than welcome! #indiegame #gamedev
unlabelledView post →Super proud of my friend Blukulélé who just released Gambonanza!!! The game is insanely good and he absolutely nailed the development. Even if you suck at chess (like me), this one’s a gem 💎
unlabelledView post →I made a tiny – cozy – COSMIC - fishing game in 48h with 3 friends for the Spooky Game Jam! 🌌 I needed to recharge creatively before jumping into the last big feature of Gambonanza! It was such a blast, but vacation’s over… let’s go!! #indiegame #gamedev
unlabelledView post →My silly game reached 60.000 Wishlists on Steam! Gambonanza has been shaping my life for over a year now, and I can't thank you enough for the support. It still feels unreal, thank you so much! 🙏
unlabelledView post →I started Gambonanza alone in my room as a quiet little project and now it’s been shortlisted for SXSW Sydney 2025 Game of the Year 😱 I’m overwhelmed, thank you to everyone who believed in it, it means so much to me❤️ #gamedev #indiegame
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza masterfully combines Balatro and chess and it's out now https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/05/gambonanza-masterfully-combines-balatro-and-chess-and-its-out-now/ #Gambonanza #IndieGames #PCGaming #Linux
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza is the best Balatro-like version of chess yet and you have to try the demo https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/02/gambonanza-is-the-best-balatro-like-version-of-chess-yet-and-you-have-to-try-the-demo/ #Gambonanza #IndieGames #Linux #Demo
unlabelledView post →I LOVE when players surprise me with my own game 😭 Tonight, I watched XandyPants turn a Gambit I intentionally designed to be weak into a completely broken build. We’ve reached the "the players are smarter than the dev" phase of Gambonanza 👀
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza does not have a fishing minigame :(( #gambonanza #indiegame #gaming #videogames #fishing #fishingminigame
unlabelledView post →The excellent fusion of Balatro and chess in Gambonanza releases May 1 https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/03/the-excellent-fusion-of-balatro-and-chess-in-gambonanza-releases-may-1/ #Gambonanza #IndieGames #Linux #Demo #Gaming
unlabelledView post →Another one on my "to try" list from Steam Next Fest, Gambonanza I'm interested in a "Balatro-like" chess game, why not? store.steampowered.com/app/3509230/...
unlabelledView post →Speaking of chess, has anybody heard of Gambonanza? It’s a roguelike chess puzzle game. *sort of* how Balatro is roguelike poker, but much more consistent with the actual rules of chess. apps.apple.com/us/app/gambo...
unlabelledView post →This one is for German-speaking gamers! 🇩🇪🇦🇹🇨🇭 Gambonanza ♟️ ist Teil des FYNG (Find Your New Game) Showcase auf der CAGGTUS Leipzig 2026 🌵 Schau live auf dem @gamestar.bsky.social Twitch-Kanal 💜 zu: twitch.tv/gamestar #indiegame #GamingDE
unlabelledView post →I can see me playing Gambonanza as much as I played Peglin to switch off, it's so enjoyable to create these wild builds in chess. The sheer ammount of confidence I had during this play though... Man, I'm glad I streamed yesterday, hahahaha. Thanks @blukulelestudio.bsky.social for an awesome game!
unlabelledView post →Aloha! Thanks for the opportunity! I'm making Gambonanza, a weird-roguelike-deckbuilder game where I twist the rules of chess to experiment with playful chaos and delightful randomness! ✨♟️✨ store.steampowered.com/app/3509230/...
unlabelledView post →The wishlist growth honestly surprised me from the start. My previous game released with ~2k WL, and the one before that with only 115 WL. Gambonanza did: - 3.5k WL in 5 days - 6k WL in 10 days - 10k WL in 3 weeks - 60k WL in 1 year - 200k WL in 1.5 years 3/15
unlabelledView post →I've reviewed @blukulelestudio.bsky.social's Gambonanza for @official.entertainium.co; the best "Balatro but Chess" game yet. entertainium.co/2026/05/02/g...
unlabelledView post →“It still feels a bit random honestly.” Solo indie dev whose breakout hit sold 200,000 units in two weeks shares detailed breakdown of sales and what boosted Wishlists Gambonanza is a chess-themed deckbuilding roguelike with Balatro-vibes automaton-media.com/en/news/it-s...
unlabelledView post →One thing that surprised me a lot: the game kept growing AFTER release. Gambonanza launched with ~200k wishlists and is now above 300k+ WL only 3 weeks later. A lot of the growth came from: - streamers - word of mouth - people sharing weird/funny moments from the game 8/15
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza is such a good game and stands out from Balatro likes because like- it does the good thing Balatro does where it pulls the mechanics of the game out and recontexualizes them, it has really interesting "jokers", and craziest of all the strategy genuinely goes crazy.
unlabelledView post →We're live and we're playing Gambonanza! The game that asks "what if Balatro, but Chess?" Also my dog is here, and his name is Magnus (not Carlsen), so we're gonna do great! twitch.tv/savedatateam (and YT!)
unlabelledView post →Trailer - GAMBONANZA youtu.be/TiMtyWOR_VE #GAMBONANZA #Trailer #IndieGame
unlabelledView post →Did Gamescom actually boost my game's sales? 👀 Gambonanza is already 4 months old, so I was curious to see what would happen after spending a week at one of the biggest game events in the world! 1/9
unlabelledView post →I love spending weekend time with my brother, we wandered all over town and went back to his place to game and laugh. Naturally he has to introduce me to yet another addictive rouge like, a Balatro-esque but with Buildable Chess? Crazy good game called Gambonanza.
unlabelledView post →✨ ADD IT OR PASS IT? – #SteamNextFest Day 2 ✨ ⚔️ Slaughter Void - @slaughtervoid.bsky.social 🧟 Local Zombies 💰 A Game About Opening A Chest ♟️ Gambonanza - @blukulelestudio.bsky.social 🚀 Future Knight What’s getting ADDED to the wishlist and what’s a PASS? 👀 #IndieGames #SteamDemos #Gaming
unlabelledView post →For your wishlist: #Gambonanza is a turn-based chess roguelike set on a condensed board where tactical risks yield high rewards. The game reimagines traditional chess as a strategy-packed adventure. Capture every piece on the board through synergistic play. store.steampowered.com/app/3509230/...
unlabelledView post →Reinventing the Wheel stream from 9/8/2026... - You Don't Know Jack Vol. 2 (Steam) The Simpsons: Hit & Run (PS2) Words on Stream A-Mazing Tater (Game Boy) Gambonanza (Steam) **Balatro (Steam)** Boulder Dash (NES)
unlabelledView post →It's a fun game. Blukulélé popped into a Nick Attempts stream last week to watch Nick play through a bit of Gambonanza and dropped a key for it in the chat. Can safely say as the person who grabbed it and has played a dozen hours of it when I should be doing other things it has the juice.
unlabelledView post →Game Review: Gambonanza: A Unique Twist on Classic Chess - by @eridrex.bsky.social #Gaming #videogames #gamesky thecosmiccircus.com/game-review-...
unlabelledView post →From inspiration to community, we recently talked with Gambonanza Grandmaster @blukulelestudio.bsky.social about this Roguelike-Chess match made in heaven… www.gamersheroes.com/game-intervi...
unlabelledView post →#Stream is Live Feeling a little sleepy but checking out a new chess roguelike game called Gambonanza. Lets see if I'm smart enough to handle this game. XD 💜- twitch.tv/lupus_okami #vtuber #envtuber #vsky #vtlive
unlabelledView post →Here's this week's stream schedule! Ace Attorney's on tuesday, then we're checking out two new games, Saros and Gambonanza, and finishing the week with a bad PS2 game we have nostalgia for! See y'all there!
unlabelledView post →shoutout table game roguelikes, gotta be one of my favorite video game genres (no seriously I want more of shit like Balatro and Gambonanza)
unlabelledView post →Aloha! Thanks a ton for taking the time to play my silly game and even dedicate a whole episode to it! And yes, my accent gave me away, I'm indeed French! Also, I'm so happy you liked the name Gambonanza. I say it every time something cool happens now: "RoguePod covered my game? GAMBONANZA!!" 🎉
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza is a really good fun game and it's on sale on steam. Y'all should check it out if you like bolatro. I genuinely prefer the game over bolatro because the game doesn't quite screw you through poor rng
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza, a singleplayer chess roguelike that cearly pulls visual inspiration from Balatro. Perfectly fine and entertaining game however it lacks variety in it's setups for each run (you can easily come across identical or similar setups in consecutive runs) which is a big problem for a roguelike.
unlabelledView post →gurl im SO hooked on this game #gambonanza #streamer #envtuber #vtuber
unlabelledView post →REVIEW: Gambonanza "Whether you’re a champion chess player or don’t know your Rooks from your Pawns, Gambonanza’s short, sharp matches and varied Gambit mechanics are engagingly addictive" @blukulelestudio.bsky.social checkpointgaming.net/reviews/2026...
unlabelledView post →for the stream tonight, I wanted to relax and play Cultic on the highest difficulty before trying out the chess roguelike Gambonanza youtu.be/niXS7mzQnbo
unlabelledView post →Excited about Gambonanza, Elfie, and Map Map! Played the Gambonanza playtest/demo a while back, but haven’t had time to get the full game yet. Which ones are you most excited about?
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza is a chess roguelike where I move pieces and get variable results based on how well I can see into the future. It's been...maybe 20 years since I've played chess?!? This should be fun! www.twitch.tv/propokenoob @blukulelestudio.bsky.social @strayfawnstudio.bsky.social
unlabelledView post →going live with @sidekickpublishing.bsky.social 's #Gambonanza game: store.steampowered.com/app/3509230/... -come here: twitch.tv/rookrules
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza is AMAZING! Dare I say even more fun than Balatro. Will you potentially release the game on PS5? I love playing Chess on my TV :) I'd be happy to personally pay $100 for this game on PS5 if I could!!
unlabelledView post →If you're playing Gambonanza, try seed 3506634752. I ended up with 10 Queens on the board and 7 Queens in the stock using the White Crown's Gambit and Recruiter Hat's Gambit while having only Queens in the stock. You'll be set to the end of the game.
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza : "Balatro but with chess", a cool concept executed with elegance. The game is noticably harder than Balatro, especially as you rise through the different "stakes", but it also feels pretty reptitive after a while, mainly because of the joker equivalent (gambits) not feeling very deep.
unlabelledView post →🔥 Games recently added to Play Pass: ➤ Planet of Lana ➤ How Many Dudes? ➤ Gambonanza ➤ Monument Valley 3 ➤ Goat Simulator 3 ➤ Suika Game ➤ Easy Delivery Co. ➤ Subnautica STACKED lineup!
unlabelledView post →🎮 **Gambonanza is the most underappreciated game of 2026 (so far)** Gambonanza may be themed around chess, but you don't need to be good at chess to win. We spoke to the dev and give our impressions after a few hours. 📰 Source: Polygon.com 🔗 Link: […] [Original post on igeek.gamer-geek-news.com]
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza by @blukulelestudio.bsky.social @strayfawnstudio.bsky.social - Chess roguelike that also feels like a puzzle game. Buy upgrades to break the rules of chess but be careful because lost pieces are lost forever, even between rounds. store.steampowered.com/app/3509230/...
unlabelledView post →#Gambonanza #22maggio Interessati ad un titolo basato sugli scacchi ma roguelike? Seguiteci nella recensione di Gambonanza per PC https://www.gamernews.it/articoli/recensioni/recensione-gambonanza-pc.php
unlabelledView post →People are leaving negative reviews for #gambonanza on Steam because, compared to #balatro, it's more expensive... It's a chess game, without cards, no score attack, no multipliers... me-no-understand...
unlabelledView post →#gambonanza GAMBONANZA è disponibile su PC e mobile Il roguelike a tema scacchistico è disponibile https://www.gamernews.it/notizie/2026/05/06/gambonanza-e-disponibile-su-pc-e-mobile-21844.php
unlabelledView post →Tomorrow we go rogue (-like): ♟️ Gambonanza (by Blukulélé) ⚔️ Cypher Dungeon (by 1TK) See you LIVE on YouTube❤️+💜Twitch #puzzlegame #indiegame #livestream #gambonanza #turnbound
unlabelledView post →I like that the bosses in GAMBONANZA are references to real life grandmasters. ♟️ This game seems PERFECT for any fan of chess.
unlabelledView post →🎮 **Gambonanza review – Checkers, not chess** Chess is a classic game, and more popular than ever—also, crucially, fiendishly hard to innovate on. That hasn’t stopped people from trying, and you’d be surprised at how many chess-themed indie ga... 📰 Source: Destructoid 🔗 Link […]
unlabelledView post →Chess Roguelike 'Gambonanza' is Now Available on PC and Mobile www.nettosgameroom.com/2026/05/ches...
unlabelledView post →Gambonanza masterfully combines Balatro and chess and it's out now #Gambonanza #IndieGames #PCGaming #Linux Gambonanza masterfully combine...
unlabelledView post →The excellent fusion of Balatro and chess in Gambonanza releases May 1 #Gambonanza #IndieGames #Linux #Demo #Gaming The excellent fusion of Balatr...
unlabelledView post →
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