The season of roguelikes is still going, and as someone who’s always looking for the next adventure of this genre, I’m glad I got the opportunity to play Chivalware. Lately, we’ve seen roguelikes attempt more daring things, from some focusing on stronger narratives to a few swapping cards for dice, and all of them have nailed these experiments to the point that they freshen up the formula. Well, now it’s the turn for Chivalware, which blends fast-paced action with split-second choices and an addictive tile-matching system that will become the new addiction of many gamers out there.
Roguelike Meets Strategic Tile-Matching
Chivalware comes from solo developers Regal Pigeon Games, who, alongside The Arcade Crew, have created one of the most unique roguelike experiences I’ve played this year, which is a lot to say, especially after 2026 being the year of roguelikes.
Your goal in Chivalware is to defeat a king who has gone mad and slowly climb up in his leaderboard to unlock new things for your runs. Yet, it is easier said than done because this roguelike is far from being a walk in the park.
When you begin a run, you take the role of a Disk Knight, each with some floppy disks that have different abilities. To activate your floppy skills, you need to match colored tiles, and by doing so, you’ll get to attack. For example, let’s say you want to use your yellow floppy disk. You need to step on the yellow tiles, and once you have enough energy, the weapon will activate, and you’ll use it until the energy runs out.
Things get much better once you realize you can swap floppy disks for different ones with more destructive abilities. For instance, one of the first new floppy disks I got let me attack with a huge frost hammer that dealt massive damage but required more energy to activate. In other words, I needed to match more tiles of that color to use the hammer. Yet, it was fun to mix and match some of these disks to find a good weapon capable of taking down all these pixelated foes. One of my favorites, and the one that carried me all the way until I defeated the first boss, was a dagger that applied poison and only required a few tiles.
At first, it may not seem like it, but Chivalware has many build options, and while daunting at first, especially with how fast-paced it is, you’ll soon be trading floppy disks at every turn to see if you can find a better way to eliminate the hordes of enemies.
Speaking of enemies, here’s where the true challenge comes, as all of them provide a unique combat experience. Periodically, enemies will attack you with moves that will be telegraphed in the arena. Some will shoot in a straight line at you, others in a cross-shaped move, and some will even jump before slamming the ground and sending shockwaves toward you. It is a mayhem of attacks coming from all directions that will have you moving around the stage as fast as possible while you try to match tiles to clear the level.
And if things weren’t challenging enough, some foes have protections against specific colors. Let’s say, if an enemy has a yellow shield, it will repel all attacks from that color, meaning you need to match other tiles with the hopes of bringing the foe down. And yes, bosses are just as challenging, if not more, so you’ll be spending a few runs in the same area until you manage to take down the big baddie at the end.
Lastly, Chivalware also has the staples of many roguelikes in the sense of NPCs that upgrade your floppy disk, a shop where you can purchase new items, and random routes that will always make a run feel unique. Still, what stood out for me in my short time with Chivalware was how the game rewarded me more for my skill and didn’t rely much on RNG. At times, it felt as if I was playing a dancing game of moving through the squares to get the right notes, but while trying to dodge attacks akin to a bullet hell. It was pure roguelike bliss.
A Formula for Everyone
In the end, I’m extremely happy to see another unique roguelike land on the market because I’m always looking for a new one to feed this addiction I have for the genre. And the truth is that Chivalware is one that will stand at the top of the best roguelikes this year because it has top-notch gameplay mechanics, a gorgeous art style, but most importantly, a new take on the formula that many of us love. Now, I will just be counting the days for its official release because there are still many floppy disks I want to use and a king I have to defeat.
