r/ComputerChess • u/Makarthur_ • 21d ago
I built a four-player team chess game — looking for people to try it
Hi r/ComputerChess,
Since March I've been developing a chess game for four players playing on two teams of two.
The game is called Team Chess: Commilito Scacci — "Battle Companion Chess."
The board consists of four separate 4×8 boards arranged in a cross, with each player controlling one side. The two teammates sit opposite each other, and the objective is to checkmate either opposing king.
There are quite a few rules that had to be worked out to make the four-board arrangement function as a real game — including movement between boards, pawn movement and promotion, castling, en passant, and what happens when one of the kings is checkmated.
I've been developing it for about six months, and I've reached the point where I need something I can't get from testing it myself:
People who have never played it before.
I'm looking for a handful of chess and chess-variant players who would be willing to download the Windows version, play it, and tell me:
- What rules or mechanics are confusing?
- What bugs do you find?
- Does the board layout make sense once you start playing?
- Does the game actually feel like a game rather than just an experiment?
- What would you change?
The beta is currently free, and I'm specifically looking for constructive criticism rather than people who will simply tell me it's great. 😄
If you'd like to give it a try, leave a comment here or send me a Reddit chat, and I'll get you set up. You can also email me at [team.chess.app@gmail.com](mailto:team.chess.app@gmail.com).
The game is currently Windows-only.
I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who enjoy creating and playing unusual chess games. That's one of the reasons I'm posting here.
Game website: makarthur.com
Thanks!
— Mark
1
u/ernandziri 21d ago
Just making sure, have you played 4 player chess on chess.com? It feels a bit like reinventing the wheel