Gambonanza

Gambonanza is a Roguelike that absolutely feels like a team taking what made Balatro incredible and applying it to chess. This might seem derivative at first, but it's pulled off so well in the end that it ultimately feels like its own amazing thing entirely. Initial pacing at the beginning can feel a little slow and repetitive, but once you start unlocking new items via progression and simply learn the game, it becomes a deep and surprisingly intense loop of incredible and different-feeling chess action. Imitation or flattery, I don't really care. Gambonanza rules.

Gambonanza isn’t as feature-rich or varied as it could be, but it remains hypnotically compelling all the same. 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, and are worth checking out for any roguelike fan.

Gambonanza is a good game with the potential to be great. With some adjustments to the probability system and the balancing of the gambits, it could establish itself as one of the most original productions in the genre. For now, it falls into the category of games that impress with their idea, but leave us a little disappointed in their execution. Promising, fun, and at the same time, unnecessarily unfair and punitive.

Gambonanza is a charming but extremely limited chess-and-gambling roguelike that fails to produce a compelling challenge or an experience with any sort of staying power.