Casting Chess

Casting Chess is played on a 6x6 board with 12 pieces a side, so a match runs a few minutes instead of an hour. Before the first move you draft a loadout: three spells to cast during the game, plus enchantments to bolt onto individual pieces.

The spells are the point. Bolt kills a piece standing next to yours without moving. Meteor wipes every enemy pawn in a 3x3. Time Warp hands you two moves in a row. Resurrect drags your best dead piece back onto the board. There are twelve, you bring three, and picking those three is half the match.

Enchantments are quieter, but they change how a piece moves for the whole game. A Void Queen also leaps like a knight. A Siege Tower kills at range without leaving its square. A Thornwood Pawn takes its killer down with it. Fifteen to unlock.

Campaign - nine rivals stand between you and the Archmage, each with their own army and their own bad habits. Beat one to face the next.

Local 1v1 - two players, one device, pass it back and forth.

Wins pay Shards, and Shards buy new spells, enchantments and looks for your board and army in the Grimoire.

Knowing chess helps. Knowing your three spells helps more.

Mouse or touch. No keyboard needed.

• Tap a piece to pick it up. Gold dots are quiet moves, red rings are captures. Tap where you want to land.
• Tap a spell on the bar under the board to arm it, then tap a target. Tap the spell again to cancel.
• Enchanted pieces glow and wear a small rune badge, so you can see what a piece can do before you move it.
• Hint asks the engine for a move if you're stuck. Resign gives up the match, Menu leaves it.

In Local 1v1 the board flips between turns so whoever's playing always faces their own side. Flip: Auto switches that off.