Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Chess 1 was a hit, no doubt about it. Chess 2 seeks to build on the greatness of the original while addressing a few problems and also going in a new direction.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Read the full game description
Chess 1 was a hit, no doubt about it. Chess 2 seeks to build on the greatness of the original while addressing a few problems and also going in a new direction. There are now SIX ARMIES to choose from, rather than just 1, creating 21 matchups instead of just 1. There's a new win condition for crossing the midline of the board with your king (in addition to your grandpa's checkmates). There's also a bidding mechanic called dueling that makes memorized openings even more impractical, and emphasizes adaptation and reading the opponent's tendencies. The Six Armies: Classic (balanced) Nemesis (favors pawns) Empowered (favors knights/bishops/rooks) Reaper (favors queen) Two Kings (has two kings!) Animal (wild card)