Steam Playtests
Chess 3: The Final Chapter

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Chess 3: The Final Chapter playtest

by TeamTwoStudios

Outsmart the world's strongest chess engine, Stockfish. See its plan, then turn that plan against it, using abilities from a procedural skill tree in this turn-based strategy roguelike.

Anyone with a Steam account can join, and it's free.

Access
Instant
On playtest since
Sep 20, 2026
Planned release
To be announced
Developer
TeamTwoStudios
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
Players
Single-player
Languages
English

How to join the Chess 3: The Final Chapter playtest

  1. Open the game's Steam page with the Join playtest button. Sign in to Steam if it asks.
  2. Use the Chess 3: The Final Chapter playtest signup there. You're in straight away, with nothing to pay.
  3. The playtest shows up in your Steam library, ready to install and play.

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About Chess 3: The Final Chapter

Chess 3 is a turn-based tactics roguelike about turning Stockfish against itself with crushing tactics

Use chess fundamentals and rule-bending Liberties to setup crushing tactics that exploit Stockfish's plan. Every checkmate earns Insight that buy you upgrades from a procedural skill tree. And you're going to need all the synergies you can get, as each round Stockfish gains Modules that ratchet up the difficulty by giving it ways to fight back. Find a way to the end of the skill tree and defeat Stockfish in its final form.

Chess 3 is early in development, so a lot might change! But here's what will be in the playtest:

  • Move Previews: Focus on setting up tactics without getting bogged down in calculations.
  • Liberties: Abilities that bend the rules of chess in ways stockfish can't understand, giving you the opportunity to set up devastating traps .
  • Modules: Stockfish's own abilities that make positions more difficult and interesting.
  • Choices Matter: Giving Stockfish Modules earns you more Insight to spend on Liberties.
  • Procedural Skill Tree: Every run is unique.

In addition to more Modules and Liberties, here's what's cooking on the roadmap:

  • Do you want to make dynamic moves on the battle field?
  • Or do you want to make the position too complex for even Stockfish?
  • Maybe you want to mess with Stockfish's very own behaviors and perception of the position?

Edicts: Meta-level difficulty modifiers

Puzzle Mode: Unique and interested hand-crafted challenges

Lichess Integration: If you just like how the game handles and want to use the fancy UI to play normal chess against other people

Multi-Engine Support: Fancy a different opponent? Play against other engines like Lc0, Maia, or Reckless.

Inspired by: Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate, Talented, Into the Breach, Nuclear Throne, Balatro, Luck be a Landlord.

From the game's Steam page.