Chesster [SFML Puzzle Game]

[CJ_COIMBRA]

Chesster is a match 3 game based on the rules of chess. The objective is simple, connect 3 like pieces horizontally or vertically for points. However, the pieces can only move like their counterparts in chess. Chesster will be a stand out puzzler because it of it's slower, strategy oriented gameplay (not racing against the clock), crisp professional graphics and rich period inspired music!






It is being developed in C++ with SFML.


If you feel like, help us talking about Chesster or even helping in our Kickstarter page right here:



http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1619230931/chesster-a-new-puzzle-game-based-on-chess




There are awesome rewards!


Thanks!

[sbroadfoot90]

Hey, I just watched the teaser. Very nice graphics and immersive music. Any chance it will be cross platform? I use OS X

[CJ_COIMBRA]

Yeah, isn´t it? This guy I am working with is a very talented and professional designer... I managed to join him on this project before any other smart programmers had the chance  

We are thinking on a short term: PC and iOS.
When we get the iOS version acomplished I think it will be a small step to port to OS X.

If everything goes wrong, Steam doesn´t take Chesster and our Kickstarter project fails to be funded, then we will probably stick only with iOS.

[sbroadfoot90]

iOS is fine I guess because I have an iPhone/iPad too! Oh yeah, make sure you develop for iPad, much better for games, the phone screen is way too small to do anything funky.(See world of goo )

[CJ_COIMBRA]

This is something I am thinking of. The background art plus the game board won´t fit the iPhone, at least not in a pleasant way. If all screen space is dedicated to the board, the game might be playable, but it won´t be the same!

We´ll see!

[Haikarainen]

I'm sorry but I dont belive in this project. The video should be more focused on explaining the difference to regular chess than just stunning cool eyewatering effects. Also, Chess is really really old because no one tampered with it, a spinoff of something as original as chess is just a waste of time and will never be profitable.

You guys seem to have the aestetichal skills to compete with some huge players in the business, focus on a RPG / FPS game instead.

Feel like a bastard for just chopping up you ideas like this but it's just my thoughts.

[Nexus]

The graphics look very good! But as nice as they are, you should also show or at least explain more about the gameplay. I can't really imagine how such a game sequence might look like.

[CJ_COIMBRA]

Haikarainen,

No problem and don´t be sorry. It´s not my idea anyways, I am representing the dev team... I agree that the video could handle out some more info on the gameplay, but that´s all the designer has at this time. More videos, screenshots and information will be added during the next weeks.

At least in my opinion, it´s much more a match-3 game with custom rules than a standard chess game.

Unlike you, I think it is a good idea and it can be profitable. Also it is a project that we can actually acomplish in a reasonable time, and that´s  perhaps the main reason for me to have joined the team.


Nexus,

Thanks. Since several people are having the same feeling about the video I´ll discuss it with the designer so we can show up some gameplay soon. By the way, your C++ library is great!

[sbroadfoot90]

I agree that there should be gameplay in the trailer video. But as I saw it, it was a new idea and that maybe there isn't enough to show yet. As for being profitable, I don't really care if you make money or not from it, I just wanna play it because I love chess and puzzle games

[CJ_COIMBRA]

Just a little video of the gameplay (work in progress).

[CJ_COIMBRA]

After a while we have some gameplay to show and we are also a couple weeks from the demo version which will have all main features of the final game except that it will only have the first stage.

Of course when it´s ready, I´ll provide the full beta version to the SFML community to test drive it!

The game is planned to Windows, OSX and iOS.

The project´s owner has setup the Indiedb page:

http://www.indiedb.com/games/chesster

That´s all for now! Thanks!

[CJ_COIMBRA]

We´re on Facebook now! Check it out if you have interest in Chesster progress: http://www.facebook.com/playchesster

[CJ_COIMBRA]

Hi, again!

Chesster´s demo is out! If you have a chance, take look and give us some feedback on this early playble version of our game.

Any SFML fellow programmers feedback is very important for me!

http://www.indiedb.com/games/chesster/downloads/chesster-demo-10

[zsbzsb]

I just downloaded it and had some time to play some rounds. Initial thoughts about the style was chess combined with tetris.
Here is a list of some of the things I thought

• Great graphics, how about putting some kind of protection on them because at the moment I can view every single .png in the folders.
• On the currently available level, it is very easy to meet the demand and not loose parts of the chess board. So maybe give us a slightly harder level to test with 
• Show places that are available to move to. For example, maybe after a piece has been selected, highlight places that the piece is capable of moving to.
• In places in the game that require you to "press a button to continue" how about allowing a click of the mouse to work too.
• Sometimes when the game is animating the removal of pieces from a combo, instead of going in order (1,2,3,4) sometimes it is out of order (1,3,2,4).
• Ever consider a time limit? Maybe a time limit per turn or time limit per game.
• Treasure, maybe instead of making it just for points allow it to unlock more levels of gameplay.

I will play it a bit more and tell you if I see anything else.

On the side, I did get a crash of the game once, but I was unable to reproduce it on Win Vista SP2 32 Bit.

[CJ_COIMBRA]

  Great graphics, how about putting some kind of protection on them because at the moment I can view every single .png in the folders.
# Data packaging and protection is in our to-do list for sure!

    On the currently available level, it is very easy to meet the demand and not loose parts of the chess board. So maybe give us a slightly harder level to test with 
# We couldn´t avoid that in the demo because the main game mode was designed to be played in a sequence where you build up score and carry it to the next level (if you pass). Each subsequent level has a higher demand so if you dont score big points in the easiest levels you wont pass the harder ones later. I am sure we will have another demo version later with a couple more levels this give this sequence feeling.

    Show places that are available to move to. For example, maybe after a piece has been selected, highlight places that the piece is capable of moving to.
# Good point, we had that partially working so I disabled it for the demo version so it didn´t look like a bug.

    In places in the game that require you to "press a button to continue" how about allowing a click of the mouse to work too.
# Another user experience item that we had to rush because we needed to finish this demo for our Indiecade festival entry! This wont happen in the final version.

    Sometimes when the game is animating the removal of pieces from a combo, instead of going in order (1,2,3,4) sometimes it is out of order (1,3,2,4).
# This is my fault! I´ll fix that!

    Ever consider a time limit? Maybe a time limit per turn or time limit per game.
# Well, the game designer didn´t want a timed game. But we are working on a versus mode where two players will compete over the internet and instead of avoiding negative scores you will have to get a score higher than you adversaries. This game mode will definitely need a time limit.

    Treasure, maybe instead of making it just for points allow it to unlock more levels of gameplay.
# Treasures do have other utilities on our design, but again, demo limitations!


This crash you had is probably a memory usage problem. I am already working on a solution to manage memory better. We are working with full hd assets that take a lot of memory, because they are just resized to your resolution. I guess I´ll have to find a workaround for that.

Thank you very much for this huge and informative feedback. It´s means a lot for me and for my team! I´ll post here any news on Chesster, but you can track us on indiedb or facebook if you like! Oh, and Chesster is to be released also on OSX(confirmed) and iPad(just planned).