The Ouroboros King

With a name like The Ouroboros King, it is fair to say that Oriol Cosp’s title caught a lot of attention when it released in February 2023. Despite not really getting the fanfare that many roguelike turn-based strategy games get, there is a lot to love within this small but significantly satisfying game.

In The Ouroboros King, you take on a chess-like experience that forces you to adapt, grow, and improve your skill set. Each match takes place on a chess board of sorts, and you need to build up an army that can overcome the enemies you face. As you progress, you get new relics, artifacts, and items to help you defeat the antagonist faction, the Covenant.

How does The Ouroboros King hold up when you play it, though? Does the reality match what is an impressive idea?

Chess with a creative twist

Chess is one of the most popular games of all-time, and it is fair to say that The Ouroboros King plays a lot like chess. However, you do not always start the board with the same pieces. You build up an army, you bring relics that can add additional powers and buffs, and you use items in-battle that can give you the tactical advantage.

This is chess, yes, but given most runs take around 45 minutes you can finish a run of The Ouroboros King in less time than a decent game of chess. Given you only move piece in a single turn, you need to get good at building a strategy to overcome the enemies that you come up against. If you are defeated you can go back and start again – though the map, enemies, and rewards will all be reset.

So, there is a lot of challenge and replayability within The Ouroboros King. It manages to capture the kind of replay value of something like Slay The Spire whilst combining it with the ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ nature of chess itself.

A gratifying experience that needs more attention (8.5/10)

The Ouroboros King is a tremendously fun game. The plot isn’t exactly incredible, but it does not need to be. There is more than enough here to make you want to keep coming back for more. And unlike playing real chess, you don’t to learn the litany of opening moves and tactics that people use when playing the famous board game.

Pros

• Highly enjoyable gameplay loop that is very easy to get to grips with
• Easy to learn gameplay style with a decent enough learning curve to keep you around
• Lack of gatekeeping means The Ouroboros King can be enjoyed in full from day one
• Excellent attention to detail in the rewards and the benefits you get from each victory

Cons

• Lacks a bit of visual polish – though this is more beneficial than a requirement
• AI can be a bit simplistic to play against, especially in some of the more boss rounds

The Ouroboros King is a chess game that combines the rules of classical chess with the strategic aspects of an RPG. Now the black and white field turns into the most real location for a full-fledged battle of wits, can you win both chess and war?

Pros of the game:

• Tactical features and peculiar rules of the game allow you to move away from the canons of chess and move to real battles
• Multiple game play options make the game endless