Anichess (official site), the chess game where both players cast spells, has a Halloween island called Blunderhollow. It plays nothing like a normal match. You follow a route across a map with four stops and a boss at the end, and you collect loot along the way. Every resident is waiting with a board that has already been rigged against you. The island is open until 24 November.
The fights are still chess: five-minute games, spells on both sides, and Kingslay to win. Each resident’s card shows their rigged starting position before you sit down. Your own spells are how you win anyway, and every win pays out candy that buys the residents’ faces and boards in the shop.
How a run works
- Four stops per run: three residents, then the master of the house
- Beginner and Intermediate are open from the start
- Each difficulty has its own boss, and the ladder ends at Master
New players sign in, pick a name and a face, and the island is the first thing they play. A tour runs on the way to the first fight. Below are the four stops on Beginner.
Patches, the scarecrow
The first stop has rows of grinning pumpkins, a cauldron at the edge and a scarecrow called Patches trampling through them. When you sit down, your bishops have turned into crows (both are now knights) and your f and g pawns have fallen out of the board. He says he’ll stand his ground, so his card suggests Slip and lets you add it to your three spells before the match. Patches plays Parkour Mech, Shift and Juke.
Hush, the wreck
A wreck glows in the shallows, and its crew never left. Hush is what remains of it. The first thing you’ll notice at the board is that your knight on g8 is missing. The card says Hush will push you to the edge of the board and recommends Shot in The Dark once you reach Level 6. Hush plays Slip, Juke and Pengu Dive.
Dr. Volt, the lab
The glass dome hums, and something on the table is still warm. Dr. Volt’s card says every spell was tested on the doctor first. Your knights were next: the one on b8 is now a bishop and the one on g8 is a rook. Imposter works well here, and the card lets you add it. Dr. Volt plays Queen Time, Pounce And Purr and Shift.
Earl, the boss
Earl is the boss of Beginner, and the screen goes red when you reach him. He has already eaten your f, g and h pawns, which leaves your king with no cover. That’s why he can tell you he died in a worse position than this and mean it. Slip works against him. He plays Shot in The Dark, Transcendence and Slip. Beating him clears the run and counts your treats.
Candy, chocolate and the shop
- Win a battle: 2 candies, plus 1 more if you win on your first try
- Beat the boss: 2 candies and a chocolate
- A perfect run pays a chocolate, and your first clear of the day pays a chocolate and 200 XP
- Four first-try wins on Beginner add up to 12 candies and 3 chocolates
- Treats carry over between runs until the event ends on 24 November
The shop sells the island back to you. Earl’s avatar costs 10 candies and 4 chocolates, so a perfect first Beginner clear leaves you one chocolate short of his face and one run away from it.
- Beat a resident and its avatar goes on sale: Hush for 8 candies, Dr. Volt for 15, Earl for 10 candies and 4 chocolates
- Clear a location and its board set unlocks in the shop: Jack O'Lantern Kingdom for 15 candies, Frankenstein for 25 candies and 4 chocolates, Vampire Castle for 30 candies and 8 chocolates
- There are 17 avatars and 6 sets in total, and each set has its own line (“The count always plays black.”)
- Clear a run on Master and The Mummy is yours
Harder difficulties
On Intermediate the bots spot simple tactics and punish loose pieces. Every clear on Intermediate or higher pays one extra chocolate. The developers have also hinted that a raffle is on the way.
