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Posted in: Games, Indie Games, Video Games | Tagged: Below the Crown, Misfits Attic, Shochiku
Below The Crown Launches Free Demo With Release Date
Below The Crown has a free demo out now for you to try the game on Steam, as the Early Access version will be released this November
Article Summary
- Below the Crown demo now available free on Steam, letting players try out this chess-inspired roguelike.
- Early Access launches in November, blending dungeon crawling, chess tactics, and roguelike elements.
- Play as a king, build a party of unique pieces, and survive dynamic, ever-changing dungeon levels.
- Features community challenges, custom boards, replays, and mysterious psychological story elements.
Indie game developer Misfits Attic and publisher Shochiku released a new demo this week for Below the Crown, as we now know the game's Early Access release date as well. If you haven't seen the game yet, this is a mix of dungeon crawler and roguelike mechanics with the iconic game of chess, as you do everything as the king to survive. The game's free demo has a couple of hours of content spread across a few levels, so you get a sense of how the game is played, which is free on Steam right now. Meanwhile, the Early Access release will take place on November 10, 2025. Enjoy the latest gameplay video from the devs here before trying out the demo.
Below the Crown
Below the Crown takes the language of chess and makes it accessible for newcomers and compelling for experts. Already familiar with classic chess maneuvers like Forks and Pins? This pleases the Emperor. If not, indulge in Below the Crown's fast and exciting chess-like experience, with explosions! Forget memorized openings, drawn-out endgames, and stalemates. Start with one piece, a badass wizard, instead of 16 – and bid the tedium of analysis paralysis adieu.
Assemble a party of Rooks, Archers, and maybe even a Mimic or two, then journey into the dark depths below the crown. Make smart plays to capture enemies and survive an ever-changing dungeon. Imbue the party with abilities like Vision for placement flexibility or Shadow Protection, granting a shield while on a dark tile. Acquire spell cards and skills to ramp up throughout a run, collecting gold to sate the Emperor, but also finding mysterious runes along the way…
When random psychological evaluations appear after the screen glitches out, there's no need to worry. Just answer to the best of your ability to uncover what's really going on behind the scenes of this seemingly retro adventure game…Engage with the community by competing in asynchronous challenges, creating and sharing custom boards, watching other players' replays to see HOW they got that score, and posting glorious victories to be admired and envied by all.
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