Martian Chess - Chess that's OUT OF THIS WORLD!
- Reuben Levine
- Jan 26
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 3
Martian chess, a board game in a wonderfully small box from Looney Labs and made by Andy Looney himself, is one of the many games in the critically acclaimed Looney Pyramids Series. The game is an abstract chess-like game with three different kinds of pieces. It’s straightforward and easy to learn and comes with one major twist. The pieces are all the exact same colour; there is no way to differentiate which pieces belong to who aside from a fantastic bold black line drawn through the middle of the four-by-eight board.
The three different kinds of pieces are represented by their size, and they are worth varying amounts of points. The winner is the person with the most points at the end, which is determined when one player runs out of pieces. The crux of this game is the fact that a piece is controlled by who’s half of the board it currently resides on.
The Good
This game is irrefutably a mental reset for anyone who has a relative knowledge of how chess works. Control of a piece fluctuates throughout the game, constantly forcing new players to question every move that they make. I found, “Ah, but that’s not how this game works,” to be a beautiful recurring statement, regardless of who is playing. This game is seriously an expectation shifter that will mess with your pre-conceptions of what a board game is.
It is in this subversion of every expectation that you could possibly have that the beauty of the game is found. The scarily simple rules make the transition from strategy-less guesser to advanced tactician relatively easy. The learning curve is a major part of the fun of this game as you laugh hard at yourself or your opponent for forgetting the quintessential rule - when a piece crosses the line, it ceases to be yours.
As with every game we will review, I’ve had the opportunity to play this game a multitude of times against a variety of opponents. I would argue that, before learning the nuance of the game, it feels much like low-rated chess, where both players are aware of the rules but still mostly guessing as to what to do. I believe the magic of this game comes from two players who have grappled with the rules a few times. Much like higher-rated chess, the process of beautifully outthinking your opponent is incredibly satisfying. The fact that there are only three types of pieces and a grand total of nine per side makes the game much more simple than chess. This means that you don’t have to be Magnus Carlsen in order to feel like you know what you're doing at a higher level.
It would be silly to say that anything other than the unique unit control mechanic is the standout feature. Without a doubt this feature, as well as the ability to have rapidly changing battlefields, really sets the game apart. I’ve always believed that a simple game is a good game, and does this ever hit that mark. The combination of new ideas and simple tactics makes for a whirring machine of excitement that will send your brain into flurries to figure out fantastic combinations. It is an irrefutable source of engagement, tactics, and thought-provoking fun.
The Bad
As with almost every game, with the good comes the bad. Such a simple game comes with a few implicit faults as well as boons. Unfortunately, as with any game that is limited in its rules, there are only so many layers of complexity that can exist. Once you understand the mechanics and have played your first few games, the novelty of the thought-provoking mechanics begins to wear off. However, The faults of this game are at no fault of its design. It is an unfortunate fact for games that use gimmicks that, eventually, the originality will wear off.
Of course, this raises the important question: Does Martian Chess rely on gimmicks? The simple answer is yes; the more complex answer is kind of. On the one hand, a vast majority of the fun you are going to have playing this game comes from learning the mechanics and watching them mess with you and your opponent. On the other hand, the game undergoes a serious shift after the gimmick is dispelled. It transitions from a unique exploration of a game to a tactical slog, not dissimilar from the titular game of chess.
While playing with expectations is always a fun mind-bender, it can be frustrating. Setting up a series of tactical moves that all play off of one another and thinking you are the greatest, only to be swiftly disproved by a miscalculation that involves ignoring the main mechanic of this game. As a veteran of board games or even a beginner, a dramatically new approach to games may not be what you're looking for and can easily be more difficult than it actually is, just because you have to get your head around it.
The Other Stuff
I am a massive fan of the packaging of this game. It’s everything that a board game should be when it’s put into a box. There is no wasted space, and it’s perfectly pocket-sized. The piece-de-resistance is the component. Eighteen dark red triangles are satisfying playing pieces and surprisingly easy to grab. If only to nitpick, the three folds on the board can sometimes cause it to stick up into the air, which isn’t too much of an issue.
Martian Chess is a wonderfully accessible game with the rules being beyond straightforward. Due to the depth of tactics that can be discovered, I would make the argument that this game is well-suited for most people. If you are a tactical mastermind, this may stop being for you after a while, but I’m certain you’ll have a great time to begin with. If you like abstract games or a good game with some light tactics, this is going to be the one for you.
Final Thoughts
So the question that you came here for: Is it worth playing? I would say, yes, yes, it is. If not just for the opportunity to mess with your game knowledge, this soon-to-be classic will definitely hold you for a while. While I wouldn’t go as far as to put this on my “you must play this game before you die” list, it’d absolutely go on the one right next to it as a fantastic entry into some of the best abstract games ever made.
If you spot this game in a game store near you, or even while scrolling on Amazon, I'd implore you to give it a shot. By now you should know if this is the game for you but, as with most Looney Labs games, your going to get a stellar simple game in a great sized box. For those who end up liking it, fantastic news, there is a whole slew of games in this series (that we will review at some point) for you to enjoy. If that isn't enough, the game explains all of the systems that it comes with to encourage you to play and create all on your own.
Martian Chess by Looney Labs gets a silver rating. Want to get it?
Did you play this game? If you have any thoughts we'd love to hear them!
Reuben Levine
Nice review. I like the indepth analysis. Do the pieces have differing movement features as well as different point values? Thanks for providing a link, that was helpful...