Press Kit
Everything you need to write about, stream or feature Rookspell. All copy on this page is free to use as-is. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
Fact sheet
| Title | Rookspell |
|---|---|
| Developer | 8bitblock (independent) |
| Engine | Godot Engine 4 |
| Genre | Chess · Strategy · Card game |
| Platforms | Windows (lead). macOS and Linux builds in testing. |
| Modes | Single-player vs AI · Local hot-seat · Online multiplayer via Steam |
| Release | In development — wishlist for launch |
| Price | To be announced |
| Languages | English |
| Store | Steam |
| Tagline | "Chess, but every capture is a spell." |
Key art · 1200 × 630
Rookspell is chess with a deck of rule-breaking spells shuffled in. Underneath is a complete, rules-accurate chess engine; on top is a deck of 41 cards that break it. Every piece you capture earns a spell, and those spells rewrite the board mid-match — pawns that leap three squares, fog that only you can see through, a piece dragged back from the dead.
The chess is real, which is what makes the cheating fun. Play the Classic variant and Rookspell is a straight game of chess with the deck switched off. Turn the deck on and the same engine has to cope with a king that oversteps, a file set on fire, and an opponent who may not be showing you their real king.
- A complete chess engine — castling, en passant, promotion, and every standard draw
- 41 spell cards across five rarities, earned only by capturing
- Cards change what is legal: fog of war, sticky terrain, burning files, resurrection
- An AI tunable from 400 to 2400 Elo, searching on its own thread
- The AI genuinely plays blind against fog and veils, rather than pretending to
- Online peer-to-peer multiplayer through Steam, with lobbies and friend invites
- Local hot-seat pass-and-play, spells included
- Four rules variants: Standard, Classic Chess, Arcane and Chaos
- Card Collection, constructed spellbooks, and 15 Steam achievements
- Steam Workshop packs with an in-game pack builder and uploader
- Full controller support, rebindable keys, and Full / Reduced / Off animation levels
- Hand-drawn pixel art on a warm wooden table
41 spells, five rarities
Four families — Tempo & Movement, Defence & Recovery, Control & Trickery, and Hand & Economy. The game rolls a rarity tier first and then a card inside it, so Legendaries stay genuinely rare at about one draw in forty.
Full card list with rules text| Rarity | Cards | Draw chance |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 5 | 50% |
| Uncommon | 8 | 30% |
| Rare | 15 | 12.5% |
| Epic | 9 | 5% |
| Legendary | 4 | 2.5% |
Standard variant. The Arcane variant flattens this curve; Chaos mirrors it.
Logo & key art
Vector SVG, scalable to any size. Right-click to save, or use the buttons.
In-engine screenshots and a trailer will be added here as the build approaches release. Need something specific for a piece you are writing? Ask and we will put it together.
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit), macOS 11, or a modern 64-bit Linux |
|---|---|
| Processor | Dual-core 2.0 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Integrated, OpenGL 3.3 / Vulkan capable |
| Storage | 250 MB available |
| OS | Windows 11 (64-bit), macOS 13, or a modern 64-bit Linux |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 3.0 GHz |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Any dedicated GPU |
| Storage | 500 MB available |
Estimates from the current build, to be confirmed on real low-end hardware before launch.
Contact
For review copies, interviews, or a specific asset — get in touch through either channel below and we will come back to you.
Streaming and video coverage are welcome and need no permission — see the terms for the details.