• Chessarama’s Xbox release, redefines chess and puzzles on December 5th.
• Celebrate with a giveaway of boards signed by chess legends. 
• Pre-order now and prepare to immerse yourself in the captivating world of Chessarama.

Hello Chess fans! I am Raphael Dias, Founder of the Brazilian indie studio Minimol Games.

We’re absolutely thrilled to share that Chessarama, our innovative take on chess, is making its grand debut on Xbox next week, on December 5th! At Minimol Games, we’ve combined our love for chess with a creative twist, crafting a game that’s both engaging and intellectually stimulating.

In honor of this exciting launch, we’re thrilled to announce our special giveaway in partnership with the Champions Chess Tour. We’re giving away chess boards signed by chess legends Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa, Wesley So, and Anish Giri. This unique opportunity, ending on December 16th, is our way of celebrating Chessarama’s launch and connecting with the global chess community.

Participating in the giveaway is easy. Just visit the Giveaway Link and follow the simple steps such as engaging with us on social media. It’s a great way not just to stay updated with all things Chessarama but also to stand a chance to win a piece of chess history signed by the masters themselves.

In Chessarama you will find a collection of chess-inspired puzzle and strategy games that use chess pieces and their established move sets, then reimagines their goals and themes. You can solve challenges, unlock collectibles, and compete against each other on the leaderboards.

Key Features:

• Play eight exclusive chess-inspired games available in Chessarama.
• Puzzle campaigns featuring over 100 levels plus over 100 unique challenges.
• 24 exclusive Chess Figures to unlock and collect.
• Unique art style, with beautiful dioramas.
• Daily and Weekly Challenges.
• Compete against each other on the leaderboards.
• Learn chess movements, tactics and strategies through a modern video game experience.
• Also includes “Classic Chess” for you to put your learnings into practice.

With its unique blend of entertainment and learning, Chessarama is poised to be a hit among Xbox players of all ages.

As the launch date approaches, we’re counting down the days with great anticipation. We can’t wait for you to join us in this chess adventure. Pre-order Chessarama on the Microsoft Store, check out the giveaway, and prepare to immerse yourself in the captivating world of Chessarama!

Chessarama

Minimol Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Pre-order

Chessarama is a collection of original puzzle and strategy games inspired by Chess. It reimagines chess rules and tactics using many different themes. Each game has its own set of rules, visual theme and original handcrafted challenges for you to play!

Here are all the original games you will find in Chessarama: (1) Farm Life; (2) Dragon Slayers; (3) Street Soccer; (4) Lady Ronin; (5) Last Stand; (6) Knight Supreme; (7) Pawn Mania; (8) Soccer Chess.

Take a look at some of the Chessarama games:

In Dragon Slayer, you need to push your pawn to the end of a path in order to kill the mighty dragon. But it will not be that easy! The dragon attacks the board every time the pawn moves and every undefended piece will die.

In Lady Ronin, Chess meets Sokoban. You play with a Ronin (a chess queen) and you need to eliminate the other pieces in order to get close to the Shogun and kill it. Pieces move like in chess, but push each other like in sokoban.

In Soccer Chess you will play a soccer match using chess pieces. You will need to think a few moves ahead if you want to break through the adversary’s defenses to score a goal.

This is just some examples about how Chess can be reinvented. Welcome to Chessarama!

The post Get Ready for Chessarama on Xbox with a Chance to Win a Board Signed by Four Chess Legends appeared first on Xbox Wire.

‘Tis the season to be tankful as Vinnie Jones teams up with World of Tanks Modern Armor to bring you Holiday Ops 2024!

This community-driven event starts on December 1. Get ready to hop into your favorite tanks and score themed rewards together with World of Tanks Modern Armor players across the globe or, for the first time ever, on your own. Yes, this year’s Holiday Ops event brings you double the fun and the rewards with two paths to follow. You can take on both your personal op with the Santa’s Helper Earn Challenge, as well as the community-based Holiday Op event. Each path will have its own rewards ranging from themed Cosmetics, boosters, and Consumables to the powerful Charlemagne Premium tank.

And the latest addition to Santa’s team will also be joining the celebrations to make sure that all Commanders stay on the nice list this year.

Introducing Our Holiday Ambassador!

Former soccer player and professional tough guy Vinnie Jones joins you in the game as Holiday Ops 2024’s special guest. Known for his no-nonsense roles in film classics like Snatch (2000) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Jones is essentially a human tank, a professional strongman who was practically built for the humor that we had planned for this year’s Holiday Ops experience.

“He has tough-guy charisma, and it fit great with our new concept for the Holiday Ops 2024 event,” said Alena Terekhova, Publishing Director for World of Tanks Modern Armor. “It was a blast to work with him, and he was open to sharing his thoughts and ideas.”

In the Holiday Ops 2024 trailer, Jones plays the role of the top enforcer for none other than jolly ol’ Saint Nick. For years, while Santa Claus has tended to the Nice List, Jones has paid visits to the people on the Naughty List, reminding them exactly why you better watch out.

This year, however, things are different for Vinnie. He’s found a holiday role that he thinks might suit him better, one that includes a sweet new company ride: a tank commander in World of Tanks!

Jones indeed had a blast with the concept, too (and not just because he and Santa got to take his tank out for some practice shots, as seen in the trailer). “I am a World of Tanks commander now, and it is going to be ‘Jingle-Bells’ all the way!” he said.

Terekhova echoed Jones’ enthusiasm, saying, “I think we all managed and reached our intention – the promotional video that Vinnie Jones took part in is indeed different from our previous Holiday Ops trailers.”

That much holiday cheer couldn’t be confined to the trailer, even a trailer as large as this. We had to bring Vinnie Jones into the game itself. That means that during Holiday Ops, you’ll be able to recruit Vinnie Jones as your very own tank commander!

Holiday Ops Commanders and Tank

World of Tanks Modern Armor will have both a 2D and a 3D version of the Vinnie Jones Commander, with the 2D version available as a reward in the Santa’s Helper Earn Challenge. Both will feature 250 lines of custom voiceover that Jones himself recorded for this event earlier in 2023. Ever the consummate professional, Jones applied his natural focus on production day and recorded his lines in about a half-hour.

“We worked with different development and publishing teams across Wargaming [World of Tanks PC and World of Tanks Blitz],” said Terekhova. “We had to balance between priorities and product focuses, but we all agreed that we want to have something new and outstanding this year, so we remained focused, but creative at the same time.

“I remember one of our first steps was to choose how we wanted to present Vinnie Jones: as a Santa-type character, or the kind of tough hero he plays in his movies, or even a football player, but Santa’s enforcer sounded like a perfect fit for our concept, so we proceeded with this direction.”

So while you’ll be able to hear Jones’ signature toughness in every line of dialogue, several lines in particular are spiked with holiday cheer … and those aren’t the only special details.

For the 3D Commander in particular, Terekhova says, “Vinnie’s look features a stylish suit and red coat. The suit is tailored to reflect Vinnie’s sophisticated personality while also being versatile enough to accommodate his active lifestyle. The red coat adds a touch of festivity to his overall appearance, making him stand out during the holiday event.”

And of course, every commander needs a vehicle. The tank we designed for Vinnie Jones had to have his personality, too, because if you’re going to go out tanking, you might as well go in style, you know?

This year’s Holiday Ops tank, available for purchase, is the British Tier IX Old Reliable Medium Tank, a versatile vehicle that’s as dependable as its name suggests, no matter how rough the situation gets. Old Reliable is cast in an exterior that calls to mind the timeless elegance of blackened iron and burnished wood, and also features slogans and mottos that pay tribute to Jones’ entire career and were approved by the man himself.

Vinnie Jones has his list, he’s checked it twice, and he’s ready to get to work. Join him from December 1 through January 8 and have a blast this holiday in World of Tanks Modern Armor!

World of Tanks

Wargaming.net

☆☆☆☆☆
1577

★★★★★

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

World of Tanks is a global online multiplayer free-to-play game dedicated to tank warfare in the mid-20th century. Custom built for Xbox, World of Tanks features realistic vehicles and environments, enabling players to command history’s most powerful tanks and experience combat on Xbox like never before.

Features:
• Strategic, fast-paced 15 vs 15 online action.
• Over 700 authentic tanks to choose from among 12 nations.
• Battle across a variety of environments with varying terrain and weather effects
• Built-in support for Xbox One X pushing the boundaries of graphic fidelity.
• Regular updates offer new content and frequent special events.

The post Unwrap Your New World of Tanks Holiday Ops with Vinnie Jones! appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Ten years ago, on November 22, 2013, the team at Xbox Game Studios Publishing released an all-new Killer Instinct for Xbox One and Windows PC. Since then, Killer Instinct has boasted a passionate, global community that has regularly featured at tournaments. 

Earlier this year, at Evo 2023, we announced a special update to mark Killer Instinct’s 10^th anniversary. Well, with the hard work of our partners at Iron Galaxy Studios, that update is finally here – and we’re officially calling it Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition. The Anniversary Edition includes some changes that we’re hoping will welcome players old and new! 

Firstly, a new color scheme for our logo, theme, and remastered in-game user interface. (It’s a nod to Killer Instinct Gold, which released on the Nintendo 64 in 1996!) 

Secondly, as we announced on Iron Galaxy’s developer stream last week, we’ve made significant balance updates to 19 of the 29 fighters. These updates, which range from minor bug fixes to major tuning adjustments, all came from extensive feedback from our community and pro tournament players. This rebalancing will create an entirely new meta for fighting gamers to explore – and we couldn’t be more excited to see what the players will do with it! 

Another important update is to matchmaking, which has now been fully updated to PlayFab services after initial migrations this past May. 

We’ve also made some changes to game rendering, including updating from Dx11 to Dx12 on Xbox consoles to help optimize graphics for Series X|S consoles. Xbox Series X consoles now display Killer Instinct in resolutions up to 4K at 60FPS, while Series S consoles reach up to 1440p at 60FPS. The combined updated theme and optimized graphics elevate the Killer Instinct experience players know and love for modern consoles and PCs. 

This update also streamlines the many previous editions into two versions of Killer Instinct: 

• The free to play version of Killer Instinct – now available on Steam for the first time! – includes all the previously mentioned updates. This version features one free weekly rotating Fighter and Single-Player, Local, and Ranked Modes, to ensure new players can experience all that Killer Instinct has to offer. 
• The Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition will replace all paid versions of Killer Instinct, such as the Definitive Edition… and the good news is that anyone who has bought Premium content for the previous versions of Killer Instinct (Editions, Fighters, etc.) will get upgraded to the Anniversary Edition for free! Steam users will also receive, for the first time ever, the Permanent VIP Double XP Booster, and specialty colors for Gargos, Killer Instinct’s main boss. 

For more information on what to expect from Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition, you can visit our News section on the Killer Instinct website. 

We’re looking forward to hearing feedback from the Killer Instinct community! We would love it if you tag your social media posts with #PlayKI, so we can track all your feedback. On behalf of everyone who’s ever worked on Killer Instinct, thank you for ten amazing years!

The post Celebrate 10 Years of Killer Instinct With The New Anniversary Edition appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Worldless is a game driven by its unique approach to combat and exploration – and part of that unique nature is that it makes it impossible to die at any point – but without losing a sense of challenge throughout. Let me explain how we achieved that.

The combat of Worldless is a complex merge of the classic turn-based format with a high emphasis on action systems, pattern recognition and attack variety. A system with this much diversity and complexity requires constant engagement between the player and the game mechanics, and it can be hard to get to grips with it all – but once that penny drops, and all the systems click together it can lead to some extremely satisfying results. To encourage the player to continue trying, gel with the systems, and to not give up due to consistent “deaths” or “game overs” we opted to provide the player with what we feel is a better, less expected solution.

Things start simple, allowing the player to get familiar with the basics – but later, the game demands these basics are properly executed in unison to take down the more advanced enemies. We wanted to properly reward players, and we have done this by allowing every enemy to be “absorbed”. Achieving an absorption provides players with skill points to further develop their abilities in Worldless, but we didn’t want things to be frustrating when it comes to unlocking new abilities. Therefore, even if you defeat an enemy without absorbing them by mistake, they can be instantly refought to absorb their powers in a fresh encounter. Nothing is missable in the game.

At the same time, most of the encounters offer some level of complexity on how to correctly execute them to gain a new skill, and optional and later bosses can be very challenging. Taking that into account, we wanted to avoid frustration, and so if you lose an encounter, you are simply pushed back and can re-enter the fight seamlessly. This system allowed us to go all-out designing optional content with high levels of complexity, knowing that the player will keep learning the more they try, and eventually evolve in a way where a seemingly hard enemy encounter becomes a walk in the park.

We took the same approach with the exploration of Worldless. Rather than fall into a hazard and be faced with a game over screen, we simply reset the player to their last “safe” position. At first, the platforming is as simple as a horizontal jump but slowly, as the game ramps up, we added in various hazards, dash resets, and swinging points. We felt it’d be really infuriating for the player to “fail” on a platforming segment and be greeted with a loading screen or a “game over” so, much like our combat system, we reset the player and allow them to try again almost instantly. The whole idea of having no “game over” truly allowed us to be flexible in our choices and I think that’s evident in how crazy we can get with the combat encounters.

With Worldless being built upon pattern recognition, a good variety in enemy design was necessary to keep each encounter feeling fresh and challenging and with that came needs for various combat actions and mechanics. All the actions in Worldless have a purpose or a use-case and are heavily balanced to make their correct use very significant.

Some actions deal more damage and can open enemies to a vulnerable state, and others deal high amounts of absorption damage to obtain new skill points. The latter are most useful once the enemy is put in this vulnerable state. This is accomplished by breaking a series of “blocks” represented with icons of specific types of damage. The main combat loop is to identify these “blocks”, break them by using the proper high damage actions, and then go all out using the attacks with highest absorption damage.

But then again, this is turn-based, so when your offensive window ends, it is the enemies’ chance to obstruct your progress in the fight. Taking damage will deplete the absorption bar, and enemies can attack in multiple ways, making the moment very intense and highly rewarding good reactions and pattern recognition.

To make the defensive turn as exciting as possible, there are ways to even gain buffs for your next offense – by timing your inputs perfectly, you can perform “perfect guards” that can interrupt enemy actions with counterattacks and much more. This makes the defensive turn an active one,, not just a case of trying not to get defeated.

Worldless’ combat system is a unique one. It takes some adaptation, but the game will not penalise you for failure and in fact does the contrary – it treats failure as a growing process. By allowing you to instantly retry, you’ll see the benefits of getting familiar not only with the basic mechanics, but the endless possible combinations of later game skills. The skill ceiling is very high, and when reached, it feels amazing.

Worldless is out now, playable on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

Worldless

Coatsink

☆☆☆☆☆
5

★★★★★

$19.99

$17.99

Get it now

Worldless is set in a newborn universe based on entities trapped in an eternal conflict by the polarising nature of their attractions. These interactions can result in an exchange of their polarities, but this process is very unstable, and who knows what new results can come from it…

In this 2D active, turn-based, platformer, players will explore intricate and interconnected areas full of secrets and mysteries to uncover with a plethora of abilities like dashing and wall-jumps.

Along the way you will encounter different beings that aim to stop you as you seek to find your place in this universe. Using turn-based rules, fights combine traditional combat with active time actions for a thrilling and strategic combat where your knowledge of game mechanics and skills will be put to the test.

Establish Yourself
– Uncover unimaginable possibilities – Jump and dash your way through abstract areas in pursuit of transcendence.

Grow to Survive
– Upgrade your abilities through an intricate and rewarding talent tree
– Ready yourself – Engage in active time, turn-based battles, and time your attacks and defences perfectly to shatter your enemies.

Immerse yourself
– Indulgent Melodies – Connect to the areas of Worldless on a deeper level with a haunting yet beautiful score.
– Cherish the moment – Define the world and challenge its secrets in a mysterious and enchanting narrative.

The post Worldless: Making a Game That Won’t Allow You To Die appeared first on Xbox Wire.

• Retro Shoot ’em Up meets rogue-like genre.
• Experience the synergetic perk system.
• Tips for beginner players.

Return to the arcade scene where shmups dominated, but now on your Xbox with pixel graphics on your giant TV. Stellar Interface gives you that exact experience with a modern twist, using rogue-like elements where every run is different, both in terms of perks and enemies.

Customize your Runs

At the beginning of each run, you always choose a spaceship and its weapons. Still, as the game progresses new spaceships are unlocked, as well as new bosses, weapons, perks, enemies, and even environments. Each system is randomly generated,  and besides the normal ones where you have to overcome a few waves to progress, there are also levels with bosses (yes, plural!) and traders where you can equip your spaceship loadout. 

So Many Perks…

Each time you beat a level, you can choose a new perk to install on your spaceship, with more than 100 to choose from. Besides the usual risk/reward that each perk has, most of the perks are synergetic, meaning you can have a companion drone and then collect a multiplier projectile perk, and in addition to your own shots, your companion drone’s shots will be multiplied as well.

Tips to Help you Succeed

• The Dash is your best friend, besides the slight speed boost, it also makes you invincible for a short time.
• Only a fool doesn’t pick up perks that start with “The Fool’s”.
• Some waves are infinite, you must identify the motherships to end them, they are usually stationary on the right side of the screen.
• Getting hit by an enemy spaceship is much worse than getting hit by one of its projectiles.
• The more times you visit the merchant in a run, the better weapons he has for you.
• In endless mode, you can only encounter the bosses that you have defeated in classic mode.
• After defeating the Mirror boss, you unlock Lost Mode, which unlocks more difficult enemies and double-boss battles.

Stellar Interface was the first game we ever developed and we are proud to be part of the Xbox family and hope you enjoy it!

Stellar Interface

ImaginationOverflow Studio

☆☆☆☆☆
11

★★★★★

Get it now

Fight In Ever Changing Space Battles!

Run through the universe, discover the numerous perks/consumables and their synergistic effects. Explore the randomly-generated galaxy to find merchants, unlock spacecrafts, collect StellarNetES Cartridges, checkmark your kills of the various galactic overlords.

And die. A lot!

Can you find the most outrageous perk combination to defeat the Last Overlord?

Rogue-like Elements: With a randomly generated universe and randomized perks, no journey will ever be the same! What will happen to you, in your own unique apocalyptic cataclysmic transgalactic voyage?

Synergistic Perk System: Over 100 perks and consumables! Look out for the synergistic nature of the perks that suits your playstyle!

Galactic Bounties: ​​Complete over 100 missions to participate in the StellarNET Entertainment System lottery!

Customize Your Start: Choose your spacecraft: there is one for every playstyle, as they have unique starting perks. You can personalize your arsenal from numerous weapons: cannons, missiles and lasers!

Unlock Spacecrafts, View Your Progress: Check out what have you accomplished in our in-game encyclopedia StellarNET. Unlock new spacecrafts, kill all the bosses to progress in StellarNET’s kill table. Check which perks and consumables you have used and seen, and what is your progress towards the achievements!

Explore the Universe: Some levels are more special than others: Merchants, Bosses, Spacecraft Factories. Fight through lower-difficulty levels to stock up on perks, or just streamline to the end-boss if you feel powerful enough!

Controller Support: Plug-and-play with any kind of controller!

The post Stellar Interface: the Old Shmups Meet the New appeared first on Xbox Wire.