Chessformer — Play Free Online

Chessformer is a puzzle game that borrows the look of chess and mixes it with platform-style movement. Rather than sliding pieces across a flat board, you steer a character with the arrow keys or WASD, and the mouse comes into play when you need to aim or select something. It runs in the browser with nothing to install, and it works with taps and swipes on a phone.

A session is built around short, self-contained puzzles. You study the layout, work out a route, and then try it. A failed attempt costs you seconds rather than progress, which makes it a comfortable game to pick up for ten minutes between other things.

It sits a little apart from the rest of the Doodle Jump catalogue. Doodle Jump itself is about reflexes and endless climbing, while this one rewards slowing down and thinking a move or two ahead. If you like the platforming feel but want something calmer, it makes a good change of pace.

How to play

On a keyboard, move with the arrow keys or WASD. Use the mouse to aim and select where the game asks for it. On a phone or tablet, tap and swipe instead; there is no separate button layout to learn.

Each stage is a small problem to solve. Look over the whole screen before you move, because the layout usually hints at the intended route. Then commit to it and adjust if something does not go to plan.

Tips

• Pause for a few seconds at the start of each stage and trace the route in your head before touching a key.
• If an attempt goes wrong, note exactly where. The same stage will present the same problem, so a restart is a chance to test a different idea.
• On a laptop, keep one hand on the keys and the other near the mouse so aiming does not slow you down.
• Take a break after a stubborn stage. Solutions often look obvious when you come back.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

If you want more thinking, try Fireboy and Watergirl, which is a puzzle-platformer built around reaching the exit with two characters. Ovo 2 and OvO game lean toward precise platforming and speed instead. Helix Jump is closer to a reflex game, where timing matters more than planning.

Chessformer suits anyone who likes puzzles in short sessions, whether on a desktop keyboard or a touch screen.