indiegame.fan
Rulehouse header art

Rulehouse

Think you know chess? Forget some of that. Rule House is a pawn chess adventure where every stage rewrites the game. Travel the globe and beyond, master an ever-changing board where new pieces, twisted variants, and cunning opponents keep you guessing from first move to last.

Steam Page
Developer
Publisher
Release
Coming Soon
Steam Reviews
No reviews yet

Does this feel indie?

Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.
No votes yet
Vote on More Games
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Search Google: Who developed Rulehouse?Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Search Google: Who published Rulehouse?Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Search Google: Is Rulehouse self-published or published by Dalichrome?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is Rulehouse and Dalichrome funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Rulehouse and Dalichrome?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Search Google: What is the release status of Rulehouse?Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

Media

10 items

About the Game

Think you know chess? Forget some of that. Rule House is a pawn chess adventure where every stage rewrites the game. Travel the globe and beyond, master an ever-changing board where new pieces, twisted variants, and cunning opponents keep you guessing from first move to last.

A World Without Kings

Global chaos has claimed many things, including the world's supply of kings and queens. But the humble pawn? Plentiful. From this crisis, pawn chess is born. A scrappy new game with one objective: get your pawn across the board. The goal doesn't change, but the pieces, the boards, and the house rules do. You are Ryan Chessman, and you're going to become the first-ever world champion.

Every Stage Changes the Game

Rule House starts simple: a 4x4 board, basic pawns, and a fast-talking New Yorker named Big J who just wants you to get one pawn across. Easy enough. But every stage adds something you didn't see coming. A Parisian hustler teaches you En Passant. A monkey in the Amazon introduces poison pawns. In Australia, everything is upside down, including the pieces! By the time you're on the moon dodging a ticking clock, you'll barely recognize the game you started with.

Each new location brings a new opponent, a new board, and a new twist that forces you to rethink your entire strategy. Levels are handcrafted puzzles disguised as chess matches, simple to understand, devious to solve.

Key Features

  • Pawn Chess Anyone Can Learn: No chess knowledge required. Start with pawns on a tiny board and learn naturally as the game expands. Be ready when it gets deviously complex.

  • Stages That Reinvent the Board: Every level introduces new mechanics. From poison pawns, to inverted pieces, even ticking clocks keep you on edge. No two stages play the same way.

  • A Globe-Trotting Adventure: Travel from New York to Paris to Antarctica to the moon, each location with its own board, opponent, and surprises.

  • Characters With Personality: A cast of quirky, funny, fully-voiced opponents who taunt, teach, and trash-talk their way through every match.

  • Handcrafted Pixel Art: All made for this game exclusively, using the Dawn Breaker 32 palette it gives off a consistent and classy retro vibe.

  • Original Soundtrack: Every location comes with its own original track to set the mood. From the streets of NY to a biblically accurate angel in the sky.

  • Escalating Challenge: What starts as a chill puzzle evolves into brain-bending strategy. You will lose. You will learn. You will adapt.

Rewrite the Rules

Rule House is a game about discovering chess all over again: one pawn, one stage, one ridiculous opponent at a time. Whether you're a grandmaster or you've never touched a board, there's a seat at the table.