What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word chess? Probably a black and white checkered board, where exquisitely-carved rooks, bishops, knights, queens and pawns are lined up and ready for battle. Some well-versed players could also mention words like Sicilian Defense, the Queen’s Gambit or the English Opening. Perhaps, imagination has brought you to the chess tables of Washington Square Park, or maybe to a certain wizarding school where plucky young wizards are faced with a life-size chessboard ruled by the iron fist of the White Queen.
If the last one sounds familiar, then you might want to take a look at today’s game. Featuring a ravenous rabbit, an evil (evil?) wizard and more puzzles that you can shake your wand at, let’s dive into the ultimate chess adventure. Readers of The Bridle Paths, allow me to introduce Carrotour.
CARROTOUR: WELCOME TO LEAPER MAYHEM
Leappa might be a student at a his local wizard school, but magic doesn’t seem to be his strong suit—not when compared to his love of carrots! After failing his basic magic class for the third time, lapine student extraordinare Leappa wanders into a carrot patch… and wakes up locked in a dungeon! And what’s worse, is that he is now… a horse? Indeed you are, so get on with the program!
Unlike orthodox chess, Carrotour is entirely based on leaper mechanics. ‘Leapers’ move over a fixed distance, and can jump over any piece between their departure and destination squares. Aside from the regular Knight, other variants of the game feature a multitude of unique figures, known as fairy chess pieces, such as Camels, Elephants and Giraffes. With each stage of the game, Leappa takes the form of a different leaper animal, sporting its unique movement patterns. He will need to master them all, if he wants to leave the dungeon and regain his rabbit form!
Each level introduces new traps, enemies and power ups for Leappa. And carrots, of course!
Carrotour © lì tŕ, Eastern, Arian
LEAP, JUMP, (BOSS) FIGHT
Carrotour entered my radar during the latest Steam Next Fest, where I had a chance to play the demo alongside The Legend of Khiimori and Hobby Horse: First Ride. I freely admit that I’ve never been a huge chess prodigy, so the though of embarking on a game that I knew wasn’t made for me was somewhat daunting. However, I found myself hooked within a few minute. Starting from a familiar premise, Carrotour creates a neat collection of puzzles that will undoubtedly scratch the itch of players looking for a challenge. And the best part is, all puzzles are completely optional. Yes, you heard that right! Simply jump to the next level and try, try again.
A special mention goes to the Boss Battles. Towards the end of every stage, you will meet one of the wizard’s servants. You must defeat them to venture further inside the dungeon—although that is easier said than done. The arenas put you under fire from every conceivable angle, making every mistake a costly deduction from your energy bar. With so much going on, a neat little trick that can help you out is to highlight the landing squares; a welcomed feature, especially for less experienced players (like myself!).
And finally, who can resist this frankly adorable art style?
You’re lucky you’re cute, Leappa.
Carrotour © lì tŕ, Eastern, Arian
LEAPING TO CONCLUSIONS
Chess is perhaps the most widely recognizeable board game in the world, as well as one of the oldest. Its roots go back all the way to VII century India, where it was known as chaturanga. Once a beloved past-time for the ruling class, its popularity exploded in recent years, with experts citing Netflix’s smash-hit The Queen’s Gambit as a major contributing factor. While getting an exact estimate is no easy task, the International Federation of Chess (FIDE) accounts for around 600.000 ranked players, with the overall total possibly reaching more than a billion and a half. But of course, modern chess is not exclusively played in public parks or tournament halls anymore. Chess.com, the largest dedicated online platform in the word, broke through 100 million users in 2022. In 2017, that number was around 20 millions.
As for the gaming space, aspiring Grandmasters could get their hands on a virtual chessboard as early as 1979, with Video Chess. In 1988, Interplay Entertainment released Battle Chess, a 2.5D game feauturing 35 different battle animations between the different pieces. The title became a critical and commercial success, receiving praise for its animations and special effects, providing a succesful blueprint for several clones, many of whom are available on Steam.
No horse for the Knights, but these models spark joy nonetheless.
Battle Chess © Interplay Entertainment
As I mentioned before, I’m not a chess player. However, the polish and creativity are undeniable, making Carrotour an absolutely solid experience. Will it be a must for all horse lovers just because it has a talking horse-rabbit in it? Probably not, and that’s alright. But if you are searching for an opportunity to spice up your leaper game with a bit of cozy, Indiana Jones-like madness, I strongly recommend that you don’t skip this!
Carrotour is available for purchase on Steam, at a 10% discount until the 5th of December. You can find links to the game’s socials, including Discord, on the official website.
