Rock Paper Shotgun put a spotlight on the early access launch date of Below the Crown by Misfits Attic, a love letter to chess, roguelikes, and dungeon crawlers, with a demo out now for October’s Steam Next Fest.
Am I good at chess? I’ll take no for $1500, Alex. But do I love a funky twist on games that are older than time itself? You bet your bottom dollar I do! Enter Below the Crown, a chess video game that is also a roguelike, ,and is also a turn-based strategy game, and is also a dungeon crawler on top of that.
In Below the Crown, you are a wizard who is working to get The Emperor the gold he knows is down in the dungeon below his castle. This wizard version of you places a single king on a chess board in each run, with a selection of other, occasionally remixed versions of classic pieces at your disposal.
Outwit the enemy with superior strategic maneuvers, or wing it by flinging freezing spells and explosions. Collect and assign magical runes to increase the challenge level of the next run. Acquire new skills and spell cards to expand the tactical possibilities, as well as the fun.
Engage in an approachable and dynamic experience that honors the dynamism of chess, now with a magical, dark ‘80s sci-fi twist. Below the Crown was created by industry veterans who have worked on everything from well-known series Diablo and Call of Duty to DreamWorks classics, including Shrek 2, How to Train Your Dragon, and Bee Movie.
Read Rock Paper Shotgun’s full article here. Below the Crown will launch on Windows PC via Steam Early Access on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. For more information, follow the developers on Bluesky, X, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok – join the community on Discord and Reddit, and search #BelowTheCrown on social media.
