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MateMorphosis is a new pixel art chess puzzle title from developer WiseMonkeES and publisher EastAsiaSoft. It’s out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, priced at $4.99. We’ve played through the first 20 puzzles, of which there are 60, and are pleased to say MateMorphosis is a brilliant puzzler with some neat ideas that adapt the classic chess gameplay. The way to beat each puzzle is to capture the king after taking the queen down; however, you have a limited number of moves, and with each piece you take, you transform into it.
This simple but effective gameplay mechanic really creates some devilishly tricky puzzles that require you to double-think your moves, leading to many failed attempts. Luckily, if you run out of moves, MateMorphosis will reset back to the beginning of the puzzle so no time is wasted. Add into this that some pieces add extra turns to your supply, and you’ll be pulling your hair out in all the best ways a great puzzler does.
It’s not just the amount of moves, or taking the pieces out in the right order that needs to be considered in MateMorphosis; the chess board itself can change from puzzle to puzzle. Most play out on a traditional square board, but others take on an altogether different shape and add an extra layer as to where the pieces can move to. Not only does the board change, but some tiles also collapse underneath you, meaning you have to plan exactly when to move to it.
For what is a simple premise, MateMorphosis squeezes every ounce of puzzling potential for you, and we found ourselves stuck several times. The difficulty really ramps up after the first ten levels, and we had to do a lot of trial-and-error runs to work out the best way to maximise our turns left with getting the queen and mating the king. The best part is how you transform into each piece you take down; it really does mean you have to think several moves ahead to have any chance of success.
The presentation in MateMorphosis is quite retro, with simple, yet delightful pixel art and a clear display of where you are up to. In the background, an almost medieval tune plays that doesn’t get in the way of your thinking, and if anything, actually relaxes you more to get your head straight. The menus and other aspects are functional, but fine at this price point. Our only issue was how the game would appear to get stuck, and we’d need to wait for it to catch back up, but this didn’t really spoil anything given the turn-based nature of the game.
Overall, MateMorphosis is a simple game that hides lots of depth. There is plenty of challenge with the difficulty ramping up the further you get. It looks good, if a little basic in places, but we wouldn’t expect anything more from a budget title such as this. The controls and gameplay are straightforward, and there is enough longevity here to make this last a weekend. Certainly recommended for those who like chess and want to try something a little different, or those who like a good challenge that will require a lot of brain power.
