Pawnbarian (tuxdb.com)

Pawnbarian

j4nw Developer

j4nw Publisher

2021 Release

Indie Strategy RPG SingleplayerTags

Game News Posts: 40

🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse

Very Positive (419 reviews)

https://j4nw.com/pawnbarian

Steam Store

Public Linux Depots:

Pawnbarian Linux [163.15 M]

1.0.4 Patch Notes

- changed shogi piece icons to kanji + pattern instead of just kanji (this is currently the only way; the old display might come back as an option in a future update) - changed Spark Surge description to clarify that it only attacks the targeted squares like a normal attack - fixed Spark sfx when a Cantrip card is selected continuing to play after abandoning the run

[ 2021-10-02 10:44:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Pawnbarian is a minimalist puzzle roguelike. It's built around the core mechanic of using chess moves to control your adventurer on a tiny dungeon board.

Use a deck of chess pieces to hack and slash through hordes of monsters.
Pick up the basics instantly if you're familiar with chess, or learn in minutes if you aren't.
Carefully plan your moves to navigate tricky, emergent tactical situations.
Spend treasure to upgrade your cards with additional powers.
Blitz through quick 15-30 minute runs - or die trying.
Take on the infinite post-run Gauntlet to see how long you can survive.
Pick from 3 characters with unique rules to conquer 3 dungeons full of varied monsters.
Progress through Chains, a series of extra difficulty settings.

What Pawnbarian is not

Pawnbarian is not a full-fledged roguelike with deep and varied builds to explore. There is a bit of progression over the course of a run, but the core of the game is dealing with a variety of enemies, and figuring out what to do each turn.

Think of it as a highly replayable puzzle game with a roguelike card battler feel.