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First of all, I need to admit that I hate chess. I've always felt limited in only being able to move one piece at a time. My favorite boardgames generally involve moving mounds of pieces and throwing ungodly amounts of dice (Victory in the Pacific is a favorite). I might also have some problems with chess because I'm no good at it. That being said, I have been intrigued by Steve Jackson Game's Knightmare Chess for quite some time. Several years ago I picked up some cards as a giveaway at GenCon. They were nicely...extraordinarily illustrated, and I wondered what kind of game would come with these wonderful cards. Years later I was able to weasel both of these games from Steve Jackson Games at a convention in return for a review on rpg.net. This review is criminally late so I do not know if they got value for their investment, but I certainly was able to play with an extraordinary game!

The game is basically explained on a nice legal sized sheet of paper, which is virtually the same for either Knightmare Chess or Knightmare Chess 2. Players can take turns putting decks together to play the game from, or they can draw from a common deck. Each card has a point value, which can enable some quick handicapping between more or less experienced players. Just give the new player some more powerful cards, and there you have it. The cards can be played in addition to a regular move, or they can replace an ordinary move. Sometimes the card text explaining what is supposed to be happening can lead to some head scratching, but mostly the cards a well-explained and the game flows smoothly.

The name of the game fits very well, because over the course of play things can become very dreamlike and unsettled. Rather than being a game where everything can seem to run to a foreordained conclusion due to a mistake on the opening move, this game is very unpredictable and fluid. This game rewards flexibility, quick thinking, and to some degree luck. You need to be able to use what is in the board and what is in your hand, rather than saying to yourself, "If I draw this card from the deck, then I can do this." The players do have to have some basic chess knowledge over and above how the pieces move. Castling, and En Passant are both concepts (that I had a hard time grasping initially) which are mentioned, but not explained for newcomers.

I love this game, and these cards. They are well-done, and very evocatively illustrated. In fact, I feel that these cards could be put to very good use in a role-playing game, with such titles as Assassin, Doppleganger, Dungeon, Hand of Faith, Meddling. Both of these sets are good deals, and the neither set requires the other. Its just that they are so much fun together. I feel that if you can only get one set, then get the first one, but by all means save your money and purchase both of them. This game is criminally underpriced for the illustrations alone. I give both of these games "A"s.

By the way, Steve Jackson Games has some of the best online game support in the industry. There is an extensive section of his site devoted to these games, and there is some good stuff there. You can find errata, variations, an email list, etc. The game is extraordinary, and so is the support.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)