Levels 1–20 · Blood
The Royal Court
Wax seals & thorned crowns
A candlelit gothic hall with arches in silhouette and a looming king. Courtiers watch from half shadow.
Rex moriturus
Chess where you build your army mid-match
Chase the King is a single-player chess variant set in an inked gothic court. Every match starts with nothing on your side of the board but your king.
Moves, captures and checks earn coins. Spend them to recruit pawns, knights, bishops, rooks and queens, but every recruitment costs a turn. Each move asks the same question: improve your position, or buy the piece that wins the fight?
Climb 100 levels of computer opposition through five settings, from a candlelit Royal Court to the Throne of Ash. Captures can drop coins, extra pieces or a rare second king. A traditional chess mode sits alongside the variant for purists.
"Every chess player knows the feeling of a slow game grinding toward a draw. Chase the King hands you a king and an empty board, then asks one question every turn: move, or spend?"
— Erik, founder, Strategic Entertainment
The match
Move, or recruit?
Standard piece movement. A coin economy on top. Reinforcements deploy on your home ranks, and you can't recruit while in check.
Pawn2 coins
Knight4 coins
Bishop4 coins
Rook6 coins
Queen10 coins
Recruitment costs as shown in the in-game Recruit panel.
100
Levels to climb
Each win moves you up one level. Lose and you drop one level, or five once you pass level 20. At higher levels the rival starts with an extra piece.
2nd ♚
Rewards from the fallen
Captures can drop coins or extra pieces. A rare drop grants a second king, an extra life for that match.
1
King left standing
Checkmate the rival while keeping at least one of your kings safe. Turtling won't win; the board is yours to fill.
The climb
Five courts, one spot color each
Every screen is drawn in hard black and white with a single spot color that marks what matters. The color shifts as you climb.
Levels 21–40 · Jaundice
The Catacombs
Ossuary arches
Bone walls, skull stacks and torchlight. The rival hides behind pillars of skulls.
Levels 41–60 · Cold steel
The Foundry
Cathedral industry
Pipes, gears, chain hoists and riveted plate. The pieces are drawn as war machines.
Levels 61–80 · Sodium
The Rain
Neon & wet stone
A noir alley with slashing rain, wet streets and informants on the fire escapes.
Levels 81–100 · Blood
The Throne of Ash
The final king
Near-total black and falling ash. The final king appears only as a crown and eyes.
In motion
Trailer & footage
Captured in engine
Screenshots
All screenshots are unedited 1920×1080 captures from the current build. Select any image to open the full-resolution PNG.
The Royal Armory
Dress the court
The Royal Armory is the in-game store for cosmetic boards, piece sets and backgrounds. Cosmetics change how the court looks, never how it plays.
Piece styles in development
Concept renders of upcoming piece sets, shown on the Royal Court board. Final in-game art may differ.
For editors
Logos & key art
Each link opens the full-size file in a new tab, where you can save it.
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Descriptions
A gothic chess variant where you start with only a king and recruit your army mid-match.
Chase the King is a single-player chess variant set in an inked gothic court. Start every match with only your king. Earn coins through moves, captures and checks, then spend them to recruit pawns, knights, bishops, rooks and queens. Every reinforcement costs a turn. Climb 100 levels across five settings. Coming to Steam in December 2026.
Strategic Entertainment is an independent games studio based in Charleston, South Carolina. It builds games and interactive experiences across games, music and media.
Press
Contact
Review keys, interviews and custom assets are available on request.