Story

In 1986, three children obsessed with chess play again and again without ever stopping. Chess is their passion and their reason for living. “Checkmate” is their way of saying hello to one another.

Years later, now brilliant science students, they decide to build a probe bound for the cosmos as their graduation project. Inside the probe rests a chess set, carefully stored in its case, intended for whoever might one day open it in the vastness of the universe.

The probe launches into space. Our friends move on with their lives and never hear about it again.

And yet...

In the year 7026, the probe gently bumps into the ship of three galactic explorers...

They try the game, understand it, and fall in love with it. They decide to change a few rules and have some friends test it.

While attempting to decipher the English text found inside the probe, and to give the game a new identity, they conclude that it shall be called... CHYSS.

In the year 12026, CHYSS has become an intergalactic sensation. Magic, ancient energies, and advanced technology have merged throughout the universe. Strange events sometimes occur on the battlefield, and legends tell of people who vanished into the game during a match...

Gameplay

Chyss preserves the distinct movement patterns of chess pieces while separating movement from attacking. Every unit has its own MOVEMENT range (green), ATTACK range (red) - often different from one another - and classic ATTACK and HEALTH statistics.

A special action called Take allows a unit to move onto and eliminate another unit using only the turn’s attack action. A Take can be performed when your attack is lethal.

By mastering Take, you can chain multiple movements in a single turn and unleash devastating combos. Even better, Take can be triggered using either your unit’s movement range or its attack range.

Try it!

Between turns, bonuses appear in the three central columns of the board. These bonuses create tactical objectives and let you unleash even more devastating COMBOS.

To collect one, a unit must move onto its tile.

Movement Orb: Restores your movement action for the current turn.
Attack Orb: Restores your attack action for the current turn!
Mana Crystal: Grants you +3 mana.

You gain 1 mana point per turn, which allows you to play your elements (spells and summoned units), and there is no maximum mana limit. Use it wisely!

You can also gain mana through various actions during the match, such as stepping on a Mana Crystal, drinking a potion, or selling cards to the merchant.

You draw 1 new element every 2 turns, and can obtain additional elements through spells, passive abilities, merchants, and treasure chests.

In single-player mode, you build your deck as the adventure progresses in a roguelike-style experience with permadeath.
In multiplayer mode, your deck is randomized, but you choose your starting team, their placement on the board, and your opening hand - allowing for explosive starts and powerful strategies right from turn one.

Your team’s playstyle revolves around your Leader.

The king and queen of chess have merged into a powerful character with strong stats, exceptional mobility, and potent passive abilities.

But be careful: if your Leader falls, the game is over.

There are three types of units:

Lesser Units are the equivalent of pawns in chess. Weak, positioned at the front, and limited in mobility, they are inexpensive and ideal for opening up the board. They can also catch your opponent off guard by dealing damage to the enemy Leader. Lesser Units can be summoned adjacent to your Leader or to your Greater Units.
Greater Units are the equivalents of bishops, rooks, and knights. They have stronger stats, longer range, and much more powerful passive abilities. More expensive and harder to summon, they form the core of your strategy and build unstoppable offensives. Each Greater Unit has its own unique strengths. Greater Units can only be summoned adjacent to your Leader.
The Leader supports your entire army. Leaders are immune to most spells and cannot be Captured. With the best mobility - often able to move in all eight directions - they define your team’s identity. Protect your Leader until the moment comes to strike!

In addition to bonus orbs, neutral NPCs can appear randomly on the board between turns. There are many different types.

Most of them represent valuable opportunities. For example, the Merchant Apprentice allows you to interact simply by moving a unit next to her. You can buy new elements using mana or sell your existing elements to recover mana.

Treasure chests and other random events may also appear.

Will you stick to your original strategy, or take a risk by interacting with the unexpected?

Before starting a battle in single-player mode or searching for a multiplayer match, you can use the Team Builder to create your ideal composition within the allowed limits.

The possibilities are nearly endless!

Chyss is designed to be exceptionally generous with its animations. Characters are modeled in 3D and then transformed into 2D sprites, with attack animations inspired by classic fighting games.

Here are a few examples of units in action!

All spell icons are animated, and casting spells unleashes a spectacular barrage of special effects across the battlefield.

Give them a try!

Many more characters are currently in development. The goal for Chyss Version 1.0 is to feature 50 playable units and 50 spells.

To stay up to date with the latest development progress and support the project, please add Chyss to your wishlist—it makes a huge difference for us.

Finally, because Chyss is a game that exists within its own universe, many of the main story characters are themselves CHYSS PLAYERS.

Each player has a unique passive ability that influences their gameplay and reflects their personality. Some spend a long time calculating their moves, others gain infinite scaling over time, and some have special affinities with particular playstyles.

Try every player and discover countless combinations!