Zen Chess: Mate in Three (2019)

Developer: Minimol Games
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Genres: Casual, Strategy
Rating: 3.9 of 5, 74 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 1.9 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this

How it feels

A calm, minimalist chess puzzle experience where solving checkmates feels meditative and serene.

minimalistrelaxingfocusedpeacefulatmosphericcontemplativepuzzlequiet

What players say

Players say the puzzles are decent for chess fans, but the game only accepts one specific sequence of moves and resets the board if you try another winning line. Some report bugs where a correct move is not recognized. It is a short experience, about an hour, with 100 puzzles, and many note it feels like a mobile app ported to Steam with a clunky interface.

Screenshots

More games like this

More by Minimol Games

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.