Gambonanza

Cool

Too random to be tactically fun.

I like it. It’s a cool world like chess game.

Worth the money for sure

Yes i know this is on steam as well but this is peak. if you love balatro and chess you HAVE to play this

This game is very like balatro, except it is also chess, which is very fun! I really enjoy the gambits, and the way the whole game balances out. However, as someone who also enjoys chess, there are a couple things that threw me for a loop. In chess, pawns can move two squares on their first turn. This isn’t present in the game, which is alright. But I would love if there was a reason for it, or a way that I could know, rather than having to find out when I die from placing the piece under the wrong expectations. The same problem is present with the king piece. In chess, the king MUST move out of check if he possibly can. He also cannot move into check. In this game, the king moves like a pawn with all directions unlocked. This is also fine, and I am sure there were good reasons for it, but could there maybe be a little pop or something, so that if I tap on a piece I am facing, I can get information about it? Or even just a compendium of “ways this game is like and unlike chess” in the main menu, so people don’t get too confused. The other thing which I have seen mentioned is battery life. I lost five percent from a 30-45 minute session, with a fairly powerful phone and a new battery. This isn’t really a problem, but I am including it in here for data purposes, as I buy mobile games for long road trips and other activities where I might not have access to a charger. Edit: the game has been updated and optimized since this review. My battery experience is currently old data. :3 All in all, this is a very good game! I would give it an 7.7-to-8.3 [Edit: solid 9, now, for the devs. You guys are awesome!] out of 10, especially if you like Balatro. Congratulations to the developer, as well, for making the top charts list! You have made a very quality game. It would be wonderful to see a resolution of some sort for the thing with the kings and pawns that I mentioned earlier, but I will keep playing the game either way. Definitely worth the purchase. Final Edit: Overall, this is a truly great game, but as mentioned by the (awesome!) developers in their reply, it isn’t a 1:1 chess simulator. Expect a few differences getting into the game, and slight shifts in chess-brain strategy to account for that. However, these guys have demonstrated great talent in conceptual and practical game design, so I would expect any minor kinks to continue being worked out going forward. Thanks again for the response, Stray Faun Studio! I will continue forward in anticipation and enjoyment!

Why does this game bypass my silent mode on my iPhone? I am forced to turn down all music and sound effects in settings in order to play silently.

I love this game just please add it to Xbox I’m begging

I’ve only been playing for a few hours but much like Balatro once the pieces fall into place it becomes so much fun to see how far you can go. Games like this really make me appreciate the indie scene.

There’s a lot going on in Gambonanza and it has potential, but feels as if the game released without tuning. Going on a deep run is incredibly difficult due to the variance of gambits that rarely if ever share synergies with each other. The economy is very stingy. Losing any game pieces in a sacrifice maneuver is near catastrophic considering how little currency you earn. Recommendations for adjustments - make the first shop re-roll free each round. Start the game with a gambit token so you can pick after game pieces are rolled. Consider expanding gambits from 5 to 7. Add conditions that reward the player for winning - flawless victory, capturing all pieces with the same piece, capturing with only pawns… etc.