Pawn’d Chess update

Thanks for playing the Pawn’d Chess demo

Normal Man Labs · October 26, 2026

Thanks to everyone who gave Pawn’d Chess a try during Steam Next Fest. If you missed it, you can still grab the demo on Steam.

Pawn’d Chess is built for playing chess with a controller, whether you’re on Steam Deck or at your desk. Pick a Maia opponent at your level, settle in, and play a few games.

Pawn’d Chess gameplay during Steam Deck testing, showing the board, legal moves and move history.
A look at Pawn’d Chess during Steam Deck testing.

What’s in the game?

  • Maia opponents from 600 to 2600 Elo.
  • Practice Mode with undo and redo, plus ranked games with a local rating.
  • FEN tools to load a position, try a line, and save it for later.
  • Local hotseat if you want to play someone beside you.
  • Controller support and options for board colors, contrast and piece visibility.

Recent updates have focused on controls, board visibility and menu navigation. They also added a quicker way to restart a practice game.

Give it a go

Try the demo, play through a position you’ve been stuck on, and let me know how it feels. You can share feedback in the Pawn’d Chess Discord.

If you’d like a heads-up when the full game is out, add it to your Steam wishlist. Thanks for checking it out.

Try the demo and wishlist on Steam

Watch the trailer · More about Pawn’d Chess