What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch
Game
Game2026Published by indie.io
Once a Pawn a King
Developer Clover Bite
Chess is broken. Gather the Black Army, build a party of chess pieces, and battle through fractured boards in this asymmetric turn-based roguelike. Empower your army, adapt your strategy each run, and unravel the mystery behind a world trapped in an endless match. From the Steam store page
50 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Aug 26, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
60
Fresh
28 positive · 19 negative
95% range 45–72%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 28 | 19 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
3 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mixed
34 of 58 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Mixed reactions: praised for concept and fun, but heavily criticised for bugs and unfinished state.
Many players enjoy the game's core concept, calling it a fun and challenging roguelike with a creative chess theme. They praise the unique mechanics, art style, and engaging gameplay loop. [2][4]
However, a significant number of players report severe bugs, crashes, and a lack of polish, especially after the 1.0 release. Some allege the game was released unfinished due to publisher pressure, and that it is now abandoned. [23][25][30][31]
Praised creative chess-themed roguelike · fun and challenging gameplay · unique art style
Criticised bugs and crashes · unfinished 1.0 release · lack of undo button · abandoned by developers
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 7, 2026. Method
Reactions
50 of 50 · most liked firstAnnouncement Post from the official discord of the game: Nettart — 5/6/2026 12:11 PMWednesday, May 6, 2026 12:11 PM Hey @everyone I’m sorry for the long silence. It’s been a difficult time, and unfortunately, I have some tough news to share. Last month, the company under which we developed Once a Pawn a King (and which still owns the IP) let go of its workers - ourselves included. We’re still doing what we can to fix bugs and make small improvements, but as things stand right now,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, good concept, unfortunately, indie.io strikes again, forcing an indie game out before it's fully cooked. The "1.0" release basically added a few text box, and updated a few graphics, unless a miracle happens it's probably gonna be stuck in a lukewarm buggy mess state forever. The Devs and the game deserved more, better luck next time guys.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I get this is early access so I was trying to give the game some slack. I played the demo for around an hour, but that was all I could take. Where do I start with this game... The concept is brilliant and is one that I have been tempted to make myself for a long time now. But I never have because of all of the obvious design pitfalls that are evident in a game like this. This game solves none of them. It blunders into them blindly with no apparent care. First off, why is it using 100% of my…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played the demo for a long time before buying this game, but since I enjoyed the demo I didn't check the reviews before buying it. Experienced just how much of a buggy mess this "finished" product actually was from the get go. Somehow the demo is the superior product. If everything that's being said about the original devs being sacked, the publisher forcing an early release and so on, is true - the future looks bleak for this game. I'd highly recommend sticking to the demo for now.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall? It's pretty good. I'd give it a 6/10 on it's own, but a 7.5/10 among early access games. As of today (08/31/2025) It's very clearly unfinished, but it has lots of potential, and a fairly well executed gimmick. The Good: - Good Core Mechanics Each piece is unique in it's capabilities and 'vibe'. You can choose a certain play-style depending on how you prefer to move around the levels. i.e.: Which chess piece you're most comfortable with, for me this was the almighty pony. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →EDIT: Thanks to another reviewer, it seems this game is no longer in hands of original developers. It was released in an incomplete state, thus why only two floors and an assortment of bugs. Unless this comes back to original developers, DO NOT BUY! Original: At this time, I would not recommend buying this game until the bugs are resolved. Currently, it requires a lot of restarts or avoiding certain areas to play the game. OTHER THAN THE BUGS, it is a great concept, intriguing gameplay,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing Idea, since full release too buggy to play it was actually better in early access somehow? Will come Back to check if it is fixed sometime,
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Once A Pawn A King (@OnceAPawnAKing) by Clover Bite, a roguelike strategy game [PC EA] The White King has captured the Black King and is changing all the rules! As his loyal chess pieces, venture into the ever-changing castle and make your own rules to win. #indiegame
unlabelledView post →Just what I was looking for! I’m having a blast with this game. Every run feels fresh as I try out new upgrades and strategies, and the atmosphere pulls me right in. The art style is unique and sets such a great mood. The shops are a really fun addition. I can’t wait to keep exploring and see what else the game has in store!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey, Dima K. here =) Good job, guys. Nice game. Continue working on it, looks very promising. Full support from me. For people who actually read review: The game is WIP, (well duh), rough around the edges and etc., but the gameplay is still very fun. Makes your brains work. Plus the devs actually read reviews and ideas in community hub and discord. A lot of day-one issues were already fixed.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. IT IS A BUGGY MESS AND THERE IS BASICALLY NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think this game's downfall has 2 main people to blame. To make a long story short, Cloverbite could have been a successful publisher if greed and money weren't the main motivator to making games. The game by itself is fine I guess? it has its own charm, not a too steep learning curve, but its boring. Don't buy games from Cloverbite until they change their policies as to how students get paid for the time they invest in games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Have crashed 5 times in 14 minutes, from black screens, to soft locks the game is just unplayable and should not have been released to 1.0 yet, also cant seem to find any responses from the Developers about any planned fixes and still hasn't been a 1.0+ patch to date despite the very common complaints.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I should state that I have not read any patch notes so I have no clue if any of my issues are getting fixed but at this moment I have some issues. 1. As far as I'm aware there is no undo button, I know that the game shouldn't baby me all the time but an easy mode that has an undo button would be nice especially when my pieces die due to a game mechanic I didn't understand. For example I pulled a rook with the hook ability over an ice tile and it killed my piece and ended my run when I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So lucky to have gotten a key for this - the game is top tier for sure! Love the combination between roguelite and plain-old chess, and the Hades-style narrative just makes it all the better! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to oil up their brain gears a bit, you can't afford to lose attention on the field here. Prepare to die a lot, this game is as tough as nails (ahem ahem f*ck Pawnathan ahem ahem) The art direction, the animations, and SFX and VFX - all look phenomenal - way to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awsome game! Interesting twist on chess, adding this magical world around it makes it feel like an adventure. Also power ups, Bosses and other elements from more action based genres makes it feel intense and challenging. I only lost to the boss twice so far, but I enjoyed my time in this world and I wait to see what the game will become on launch. Still I imagine there is a way to go but for what I've seen so far it looks very promising!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It was a great game, but somehow its even more buggy on release than it was in early access. Visuals will stay on certain abilities and completely cover areas, sometimes you can see full patrol rotations of the white pieces, but its completely random when you can and can't see them, loading into a new room you will sometimes be completely unable to place pieces and have to fully exit the game and reload it to fix the issue.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you have an ultra widescreen monitor you are cooked. The game is unplayable. I cant even get past the start menu. The game loads up and the title is over the top of the play button. I can click on "settings" but then it opens a menu that simply has move speed options and none of the other settings can be clicked or navigated to. I Tried - Verifying game files - Clean install - Forcing to windowed mode - Using various commands on the steam launch settings to change resolution and set…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is fun, a nice concept. It however is basically abandoned, a buggy early access game that got a 1.0 just so they could say it was released
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've softlocked the tutorial twice by just playing the game. It wasn't ready for release. Getting a refund.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Needs an undo button or at least a way to purchase an undo. I don't have time in my life to restart a new run because of one mistake. I won't be playing again until they add an undo.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For some reason, the game wont let me bypass the Angel due to there being no resolution settings for this game.... I cant see where I need to click to exit the angel and the menu's are all squished. I have a 3440x1440 monitor and even the main menu has overlap (Play is under the title screen for some reason) seems like the bottom of the screen is missing when in maps. I got through the first 2 battles with this being no issue but as soon as I hit the first angel after buying my options I cant…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Once a Pawn a King - similar to how Balatro is poker but not really (positive), this game is chess but not really (positive). a roguelike, turn-based strategy game where you command an army of chess pieces to rescue the Black King. #SteamNextFest
unlabelledView post →Got a bug that softlock the game within 10 minutes of playing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game deserves more love. I don't play chess often. I know how to play, but I barley have over 700 elo on chess.com. Despite my lack of skill, I still find this game super enjoyable! It has satisfying animations, appealing visuals, and is overall super easy to play! You don't need to be some chess grandmaster to enjoy the game, and that is one of the best features. The story is entertaining, most of the pieces have a unique personality, and the music matches the theme very well.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super fun game, highly recommended! I'm quite picky with the roguelikes I enjoyed, but this one is one of my favorites for sure. The art is cool, the gameplay is enjoyable and the writing is interesting and engaging. Can't wait to play more and see what's next!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The full release is a buggy mess. It felt far more user friendly and playable before 1.0. A list of the bugs i've encountered so far for 1.0 Health/Damage overlays stay and block visuals after a piece has been captured. Paths don't show when they should, and are sometimes shown permanantly after a capture. Only 2 floors. Definently only half finished. Consistent crashes. No cue on how to progress the story or gain unlockable resources (memories). Re-rolls on shops sometimes just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →even though I only play for 5 hours, it already ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ fun! I love the idea of this. I will love to see more stuff added into this! and I will recommend you to get it, probably better on sale. but it still worth a cost. (Only issues is that there bug where I can't place down chess at all, or do action which mostly will end my run since I can't do anything)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think its important for people to understand that more then this game is a chess rogue-like, its a chess **themed** rogue-like. and thats a critical distinction. yes, while its true that the core "unit" movement works like traditional chess, on a macro level it plays similer to games like Into The Breach. and so, even though there are some kinks that need to be ironed out, if you like tactical games that require you to put in a lot of thought before each action you take - then I highly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great concept, great soundtrack, cute story, dances on the border of thinking and casual. What complaints I had get improved with every update. Finished the 2 levels of the campaign several times by now, eager for more! I would only suggest for a better explanation of how different resources are actually farmed, because I'm dying to unlock the Queen but have no idea how. Note: Still work in progress (campaign isn't finished yet)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the concept and story but Gods the bugs are annoying, and everything feels so slow
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's buggy and apparently the game is officially unfinished and will not be updated due to company restructuring. This shouldn't even be allowed to be sold.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is super fun and have interesting mechanichs. However its super short. You can finish it in like 2-3 hours by understanding the meta I just finished two runs in a row using 2 rooks in both runs. It seems like there only 2 bosses and 2 rooms for each run.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still in development, but a fun game so far and the devs are very responsive to any issues, bugs, or comments you provide.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game still needs some polishing (A lot of cutscene is just an outline with no color), but it’s already very promising. My main suggestion is to make the chess pieces visible in the Main Menu (the selection screen). Right now, they remain hidden under the sewer even after being unlocked, which makes it hard to appreciate their designs. Also, please consider adding a zoom-in/zoom-out feature. The art is beautiful, but everything is zoomed out—especially during boss fights. The chess pieces…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really cute roguelike puzzle. Utilizes movement of chess pieces that can be upgraded with special abilities like damage 1 to surrounding enemies, stunning enemy pieces, etc. Enemies repeat a fixed patrol but that doesn't make it easier at all, especiallzy later when there's a dozen enemy pieces to dodge and/or attack. The story, short as it may be, is sweet and the humor is nice. Looking forward to how it deleops, there's still heaps of potential!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fantastic and brutal puzzle rogue-like! i'll start by stating that this game kicks my ass.. allot, its a true challenge! and a very fun and rewarding challenge at that. the chess theme is really creative, while the game does not play anything like a chess match the familiar pawns and their roles makes for some interesting and dynamic situations. not paying attention is costly and can and will get you killed. i really enjoy this one, highly recomended!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →couple hours in and its fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty good game! The game seemed simple at first, but It's actually pretty challenging and overall a fun experience. It can sometimes be a bit frustrating but it feels even better when I actually managed to pass the boss. It's also a nice addition to have a story and interactions between the pieces. There's still a lot of improvements that can be made but overall I really enjoyed my time with it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just the right balance of fun and challenging! I usually play action-oriented roguelikes, which I love, and find the turn-based/card based ones a bit 'dull' - not enough decisions or considerations to make in my turn. But this gameplay loop is just challenging enough to be fun, without being frustratingly difficult, I find myself properly enjoying a tactic-based skill curve for the first time, amazing concept, great level designs, I'm stuck in a 'okay, just one more run' loop!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is fun, it’s totally different then chess, which isn’t a bad thing it’s just takes the most basic elements of it and adds allot more to it. Game is really challenging though, very hard to keep track when you have multiple pieces and the board is huge, but the game isn’t stingy or tries to cheat you, you just need to be really careful. Or Git Gud Can’t wait and see how the game continues to develop.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just bought the game after waiting for it a long time. Was worth the wait! At first I was disappointed the enemies were so predictable - but after dying a few dozen times I realized it was part of the charm of the game. Because the enemies are so predictable, every loss was 100% my own fault for not seeing the big picture and not planning ahead. Reminds me of Into The Breach in many ways, and that's a huge compliment in my book. So far, from one hour of playtime, it's a really clever twist,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Moved a pawn, triggered a trap, lost half my team, and the board started shifting like it was possessed. 10/10, would get checkmated by a hallway again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#onceapawnaking Once A Pawn A King lascia l'Early Access La versione 1.0 di Once A Pawn A King è disponibile https://www.gamernews.it/notizie/2026/06/29/once-a-pawn-a-king-lascia-l-early-access-22184.php
unlabelledView post →this is a great game!!!!! very interesting puzzle game it makes you think moves in advance to do well and adds a skill add to the roguelike
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good game. I'd give it about an 8/10, needs some bug fixing and additional content but overall really good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The teleporting Rook isn't real....
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a person that loves chess, this is like fresh breath of air. Its fun, its different. Animation and how it makes me feel, I love it. A chess-roguelike game? count me in. If you like puzzles or chess, this is for sure a must try
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chess rogue-like sounds like really great idea. And it is one. It doesn't matter if you like chess or not, you will love the game anyway. Each room feels like chess puzzle that You need to crack. Like in chess itself, you learn some patterns and strategies and then make blunder in the most stupidest way possible. Game in its current state has some flaws and bugs, but it doesn't make it unplayable or frustrating for me. Overall great game and I'm looking forward to full release!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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