Chess Ultra

fun

just join games to sit there pointless

Маған атмосфера қатты ұнайды

The best chess simulator on steam. Runs smoothly, lots of puzzles, pvp, online tournaments, friend games and it looks awesome. Recommended! Great game!

good chess

Just go to Chess.com

This chess game has a lot of challenges, mate in moves, and even old games in history you can try to complete. All in all one of the best chess games I have ever played.

It's chess.

This has so many options to choose from. Load times when you just want to play back to back are incredibly frustrating.

As we know chess.com is better & more than enough but here is an idea for devs :

- Add Arabs/Muslims (Ottomans/Umayyads/Abbasids) army vs Crusaders for example as a DLC , I saw a real life chess like that and it's AWESOME !

Those cool stuff will make your game special compare to Chess.com

This chess game has not only good graphics but, Teaches you the basic and complex moves you'd need to know to play the game. it also teaches historical maneuers on the chess board, Though I not particularly good at playing chess I would still happily suggest this chess game to any beginners that want to learn how to play chess.

Good game. Really good when shloshed n off da za

Simply Love It.

Garbage, don't waste your time. If you want to play chess then chess.com has everything you need and it's free.

Excellent !!

useful for tactical mind

It's a so-so digital adaptation of the best strategy game in human history. So, overall, pretty good.

Easy to Challenging Yet Fun

I don't understand why this game isn't compatible with MacOS. It's chess... it should be the easiest game in the entire world to port over to macOS. Makes zero sense. The game itself is fine, but this inconsideration by the developers and publisher are enough to make me give a negative review. It's such an easy thing, considering how simple the game is.

This is an amazing game in VR for anyone who likes chess. The pieces don't move exactly as in real life, but this is much better than playing on a flat screen.

Chess Ultra is a visually stunning and thoughtfully crafted chess game that appeals to both newcomers and seasoned players. Developed by Ripstone, it takes the traditional chess experience and elevates it with gorgeous visuals, robust features, and an atmosphere that immerses you in the game's strategic depths.

Visuals and Atmosphere
One of Chess Ultra's standout features is its jaw-dropping visuals. The game offers meticulously detailed chess boards and pieces, ranging from classic wooden designs to intricate fantasy sets. The environments are equally mesmerizing, with options like a grand library, a smoky tavern, or even an eerie gothic hall featuring Death as your opponent. The attention to detail in lighting, textures, and reflections gives the game a polished and luxurious feel.

Gameplay and Features
Chess Ultra caters to all skill levels. For beginners, the game includes tutorials, puzzles, and hints to help improve your skills. Advanced players can enjoy challenging AI opponents, with difficulty settings scaling all the way up to Grandmaster level. There’s also compatibility with ELO ratings to match your skill level accurately.

For those who enjoy competitive play, Chess Ultra supports online multiplayer with cross-platform matchmaking. You can also participate in tournaments or engage in asynchronous matches, allowing you to make moves at your own pace. The inclusion of VR support adds another layer of immersion, making it feel like you’re sitting across the board from a real opponent.

Strengths
Graphics: The visuals are unparalleled in the chess game genre.
Accessibility: The variety of tutorials and hints make it beginner-friendly.
Challenge: Strong AI and online play provide endless replayability.
Customization: The ability to choose different boards, pieces, and environments keeps the experience fresh.
Weaknesses
Limited Innovation: While Chess Ultra does everything right, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s a classic chess game at its core, so players seeking a fresh twist on the formula might find it too traditional.
VR Controls: While immersive, VR controls can feel clunky at times, detracting from the otherwise seamless experience.
Final Verdict
Chess Ultra is a love letter to the game of chess, blending beauty and functionality into one impressive package. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn or a master strategizing your next move, this game offers something for everyone. While it doesn't push the boundaries of the genre, it excels in delivering a premium chess experience that’s hard to match.

Score: 8.5/10
An essential pick for chess enthusiasts and a solid introduction for newcomers.

This game is very easy to stuff up on. Right clicking confirms moves instead of deselects pieces, cant undo concurrent mouse slips against computer players. No tournaments available against computers OR random players. The AI is very clunky and throws its pieces away even at high levels. The music is VERY repetitive as there are only 4-5 short tracks. Online games are slow to connect. The only thing this game has going for it is its visual aspect. They've worked very hard to make it visually appealing, but in doing that, overlooked all of the important things that make it actually playable.

Sounded like a decent chess game. Purchased, installed, launched, and instantly regretted it. The UI is absolutely bugged at this point in Windows. There are times when trying to adjust the basic resolution that the game seriously thought I was tabbing out to the desktop. Tried several methods to improve compatibility both in the game settings and Windows. No dice. Not even sure how this game is still available.

not super impressive but it's cool. get it on sale for $4 and it's a nice 3d environment to play chess against a computer, or if you have friends that own this game. disappointed to find out the tournament feature is only for the completely dead online play. you should be able to play tournaments against the computer. there's only 4 different locations/backgrounds in the game and a limited number of piece sets but the default one is good. some cool puzzles to go through as well

Love the music and the artwork. The AI is wickedly competent! Good for chess aficionados.

First the negatives. Game doesn't work in VR for me. I wish that captured pieces would show each captured piece together with opponents captured pieces so as to see the comparison at a glance. The positives: I like the ranking system and the choices of computer opponents to play against. I like the graphics and the background music. It is a classy game and honors the timelessness of Chess.

Some Very Weird Choices

This is a chess game and I struggled with it more than the most recent FPSes to get it to run the way I want.
And I was still unsuccessful.

It's differentiation seems to be not in the chessplay (which is ok) but in the graphics which might have made the gameplay experience catastrophically bad.

The things I struggled within the first MINUTES of playing:
- The UI is generally buggy. Sometimes the continue button is disabled for no discernible reason requiring a restart
- There are some weird UI control choices (The APPLY button is a HOME icon (???))
- It's very hard to zoom/rotate the board
- The chess pieces are timed to move very slowly. This is especially true if they just have to move ONE square. Weird choice (Absolute timer for any distance moved?)
- Can't resize the window at all. It's full screen or a 1080p window
- Cancelling moves is unintuitive. You have to click on another piece. RIGHT CLICKING might result in actually making the move you want to cancel. Oy.
- The save slots for games don't work like they should. I understand that preserving the game board preserves the last configuration and upgrade/downgrade of ELO but finished games should be deleted. ELO should be a global parameter.
- The base game install is 3.8GB. As of this writing the cost/GB is 1.5 CENTS making this game cost about 6 cents for the install. NOT WORTH IT.

The only positive thing to say about the game is that the rendering is pretty.


I'm willing to support any developer who's willing to improve but these guys seem to be in it for graphical DL cashgrabs than making it a game for a players.
They've had 7 years to get it right.

No beuno. Avoid.

A very fun game of chess.

It includes a complete tutorial, different styles of boards and nice visuals. The relaxing music and the ambience of each setting completes the experience.

Makes sense as a console game but not as a PC one. Sluggish animation, bad netcode (which I never thought I'd complain about in CHESS) and it pings your phone EVERY single time your opponent moves. Just use chess dotcom.

Funny, won over my redhead

so broken i cant start my second game

Jerky video, I went into settings to try and fix - ended up with black screen unable to change anything. stay away! I took too long trying to fix it to get a refund; the "play time" seems to start when you buy it.

Love the game I keep losing tho. Really feature rich. I've not play a chess game so packed with stuff.

No Multi-Player!!!

The singular server (because it is impossible that they have more than the one), must be operated on an 80s all-in-one toaster. A complete disgusting joke.

This is an egg-timer simulator with the backdrop image of a Chess opening move.

Hypothetically, you can play the computer, I didn't bother to try.

A fantastic add for Chess.com

it is chess

very bad game, with many errors and bugs

goodluck playing lan. Garbage match making

Cons:
Connectivity: After only 17 hours of play, the game is having issues connecting to online games. My internet is running fine.

Timers support garbage opponents: There are people out there who won't start a game and just wait for you to quit. The timer won't even start until both players move. I had an opponent literally do nothing and win for it.

Pros:
Uh...the AI is okay to play against. There are some good player opponents when their servers are actually supporting online play.

*All in all, I'd say such a low quality game is not worth the price I paid for it. I'd pay maybe 25% of the $12.99 price tag at most and if I'm feeling generous. I'm sure there are better chess games out there which will give you better bang for your buck. I currently would not recommend this game at their current price. Maybe if they get their online capabilities consistently up and running, I may reconsider.

I like the different skill levels, that after the game is over you can go back in time and make a different move, nice mood and music.

I mean... chess is a fantastic game, it always has been, and Chess Ultra does it justice with its beautiful graphics. Playing it is very immersive, I love the music tracks, the backgrounds, and the atmosphere is very relaxing and elegant—something I never thought I'd be saying about a chess video game. The variety of chess sets is a nice touch, especially the beautifully rendered Isle of Lewis pieces (how I have always longed to own a set of those...)

I appreciate the inclusion of ELOs, however, I’m disappointed by the lack of detailed statistics, like post-game reports highlighting your blunders and suggesting improved moves. As a result, I don’t feel like this game offers much in terms of improving your chess skills, unlike Chess.com, which remains my favorite platform for virtual chess. In that sense, Chess Ultra just feels like a missed opportunity for me.

I'd still recommend it for seasoned chess players who don't really care about improving their game.

Fucking dogshit

teaches you the game

A solid 3D chess game that features graphics rich environments.

one of the best

This is the best chess game out there. Gorgeous and classy, lots of options, great UI. It'd be nice if there were more people playing.

Unyieldy piece of software with poor options for customization.

-You can't explicitly adjust or turn off background noise
-The camera adjustment is sporadic at best
-The difficulty is backwards(lower difficulties should not play the way they do)

Pros: Chess can be fun

Cons:

Graphics are muddled and blurry. This software looks like it has FSR turned on set to max!
There few options for venues and chess pieces.
There is no live guidance option......lazy.
The interface is slow and laggy.

All in all, free software will get you more mileage out of chess.

This is not crossplay, I cannot play with ps5 friends

I play against the computer and get a decent game for my level which it what I want from a chess program.

As a beginner, I appreciate that AI makes blunders at low ELO-levels and gives me a chance to fight back. You'll see your ELO meter increase or decrease after each game, which adds to the feeling of progress. But what's extra cool, the AI's ELO also increases or decreases, so it will be in perfect zone to provide challenge at your level.

There are six saving slots for your games, so you can play several games with different settings. Each game can be reviewed after it's finished, and you can get its PGN record for use in other software. Talking about match settings, you can play without time, or have 5-min blitz, 45-min-long game, Fischer's 30 mins + 30 sec/move, or 24 hours/move game. The only thing that's missing is chess 960 mode unfortunately.

The game is perfectly functional and enjoyable. I have to recommend it to all chess lovers.

its good just watch out for the stalemate ender even if you're about to win after checks

I had to convince a friend I was using an AI to help me win after I beat him several times.... I will never win a chess game again, hard to conceal the infinite IQ, I'm running out of patience.