Merge Maestro
Combine 100's of unique emoji based tokens in this roguelike merge-builder! Find ever more creative combinations of Tokens and Powers to fuse unique strategies and beat this ever more challenging twist on rogue-likes, puzzlers and arcadey games!
Sync your Steam wishlist to find the lowest game prices instantly. No login required, just paste your Steam profile URL!
⚡ Try Wishlist Radar!
Sync your Steam wishlist to find the lowest game prices instantly. No login required!
⚡ Try Wishlist Radar!
Close
Gambonanza on Steam
Quick menu
Gambonanza is a tactical roguelike that sets chess pieces on a tiny board. Forget traditional chess and embrace the chaos of breaking the balance! Spend your money on rule-bending upgrades, board tiles and pieces. Experiment with illegal combinations and face off against iconic bosses!
Gambonanza is a roguelike deckbuilder, chess and turn-based strategy game
developed by Blukulélé
and published by Stray Fawn Publishing and Sidekick Publishing.
Released on May 01st 2026 is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Steam Deck and Steam Machine
in 11 languages: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Turkish.
It has received 1,628 reviews of which 1,205 were positive and 423 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.1 out of 10. 😊
The game is currently priced at 14.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 10.08€ on G2A.
The Steam community has classified Gambonanza into these genres:
Roguelike Deckbuilder
Chess
Turn-Based Strategy
Replay Value
Arcade
Singleplayer
Board Game
Strategy
Pixel Graphics
Roguelike
Deckbuilding
Roguelite
Difficult
2D
Casual
Tactical
Turn-Based
Retro
Choices Matter
Simulation
Here is the detailed breakdown of supported languages for Gambonanza:
| UI | Subtitle | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| German | |||
| French | |||
| Korean | |||
| Spanish - Spain | |||
| Simplified Chinese | |||
| Russian | |||
| Japanese | |||
| Polish | |||
| Turkish | |||
| Portuguese - Brazil |
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Gambonanza through various videos and screenshots.
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS: Microsoft® Windows® 10
- Processor: Intel Core i3-3240 (2 * 3400); AMD FX-4300 (4 * 3800)
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 560 Ti (1024 VRAM); Radeon HD 7750 (1024 VRAM)
- DirectX: Version 10
- Storage: 450 MB available space
MacOS
- OS: macOS 10.11 (El Capitan)
- Processor: Intel Core i5 2.6 GHz 64 bits Processor
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL compatible graphics card with at least 512MB of video memory
- Storage: 450 MB available space
- Additional Notes: Run on both Apple M1 and Intel Core M
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and CentOS 7
- Processor: x64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support.
- Memory: 2 MB RAM
- Graphics: Integrated graphics should be enough
- Storage: 450 MB available space
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
After 14 hours and completing the game's 2nd-hardest difficulty, I'm giving this a mild recommend. It's a simple package, similar to Balatro's vibes with the music and graphics, with a chess-inspired puzzle game as its core gameplay loop. The gameplay is straightforward enough to anyone who knows how chess pieces move and can recognize basic patterns (discovered attacks, forks, etc.). The AI operates very quickly and usually prioritizes captures, followed by attacks, but there's enough variance that you can't always guarantee it. One of the early tips that helped me get ahead was learning that an enemy queen will capture a pawn even if it means sacrificing itself immediately after. However, the variance in runs stems from gambits, the equivalent of jokers. You can have up to 5 at any given time, and unlike Balatro, there isn't any way to modify them like the holographic or negative versions. I think this is where the game mostly falters, because only 50% of the gambits ever feel viable and only 50% of those are likely to suit your run. Way too many rely on 1/3 or 1/4 chance to trigger, and others are extremely niche and can't be built around when they disappear on higher difficulty settings. Provided the developer is still working on the game, I hope this is something that changes in there near future. The gambit system has so much potential but feels underutilized in its current state, especially in higher difficulties where the challenge seems to be more down to getting RNG to roll your way than the increasingly-complex tactics and problem solving that chess is best suited for. One of the reason Balatro's difficulty curve works so well is because your can strategize around it. Even in gold stake, jokers aren't always rental or temporary, and you can still build a long term run as you go. The progressive jokers that get stronger the more you run are absent from this game, so it feels like the only viable strategy is clone as many queens as possible via phantom->gold. I've had fun with it during this time but don't feel much drive to complete the hardest difficulty and achievements while the difficulty is structured this way.
Yes, but not at full price. This *really* wants to be a Balatro-like but for chess, but the ingredients don't work. Chess is not poker. It is not, in any way, a game of chance. Every move on the board is strategic, and even a pawn's placement can decide the outcome of a game. Poker, in contrast, is largely chance, with room for skilled play in certain areas. Balatro was able to make poker compelling by adding in new variables which broaden the potential for skilled play. Discards, jokers, upgrading cards and stacking the deck - all of these allow a player to manipulate the odds in their favour, allowing for strategy to occur. Once you understand the options available, that opens up a huge range of potential approaches. In contrast, Gambonanza's introduction of random elements takes strategy *out* of chess. It does so in a number of ways - randomising pieces, adding in gambits and tiles, perma-loss for each piece on the board. Where these elements do create new strategic ways to approach the game, they do so largely by chance (if a viable combination comes up in the shop) and combine to feel more like a brute force thing than strategic brilliance. Where they don't come together, which is quite frequent, the only way to win some rounds is by waiting for the AI to mess up and leave a piece hanging. This doesn't always happen and sometimes you simply can't win. There is still fun to be had here, but this is a game with much less depth than the one it is adapting. I would expect to maybe get 15-20 hours out of it, unless there are later game ways of stacking all strategies that I haven't come across. What is good here is how sleek it is, how silly it can be and the way absurd combinations *can* come together to give you a power trip. The devs have clearly put a lot of work into it, that shows. The problem was at concept.
Gambonanza is a very good game. Here's what Gambonanza is, in ranked order: (1) a synergy builder (2) chaotic (3) a chess game/puzzle If you get mad because it's not chess, you're forgetting that it's a chaotic synergy builder! If you get mad about the chaos, you're forgetting that it's a synergy builder! If you're mad because it's a synergy builder, well, you didn't check the reviews before you bought this but great news Steam is good about refunds. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some synergies to build. Also a message to the developer: I will insta-buy DLC and already look forward to new board and piece designs.
Similar games
View all
Another Farm Roguelike: Rebirth
Discover the ultimate farming roguelike experience! Build, craft, and grow your farm to pay off the increasing rent. No slow-paced walking or social distractions—just click! Reclaim the joy of strategic farming in diverse maps and let your cursor guide you to success. Play your way, rent won’t wait!
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
Chess, but you replace your entire army with a royal shotgun. A unique strategy roguelike based on the timeless checkboard classic.
Passant: A Chess Roguelike
Passant is a chess roguelike that changes all the rules. Progress through challenging rounds while collecting powerful pieces and game-changing items to seize victory.
Dice A Million
Have you ever tried to roll 1,000,000 on a set of dice? No? Build the right bag of die, and you might just pull it off.
Insider Trading
Insider Trading is a roguelike deckbuilder where you bend the market to your will. Synergize perks, manipulate stock prices, and trade wisely or risk pricing yourself out.
RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike
A coin-pushing dopamine machine. RACCOIN is a roguelike deckbuilder where you combine special coins with powerful items to trigger wildly satisfying combos. Stack shiny towers, spin the lucky wheel, and shake the machine until all the coins drop.
Kinny and the Cosmic Cauldron
Cook or be cooked! In this cosmic deck-building roguelike, ingredients crash, merge, and react in chaotic ways. As the witch chef of Stewpendous Spoons, craft the perfect stew, master strategic combos, and satisfy bizarre patrons, before you end up in the cauldron yourself!
Dicefolk
Wield magical dice and build a team of powerful Chimeras to stop a mysterious evil in this tactical roguelite adventure. As a Chimera Summoner, recruit and create your perfect team of mythical beasts and command them to victory using unique dice mechanics.
Dicevaders
Dicevaders is a dice-based roguelike deckbuilder about leading the ultimate alien invasion. Set in the StarVaders universe, draft and manipulate the dice row, build an unstoppable army, and unleash adrenaline pumping combos through powerful synergies and strategic play.
Black Jacket
Gamble your way out of hell in this blackjack-inspired rogue-lite deckbuilder. Play powerful card combos or cheat to outwit your opponents and earn your freedom. Win their Soul coins! Bribe the ferryman! And uncover the story of those who stand in your way.
Yao-Guai Hunter
Yao-Guai Hunter is a Wuxia roguelike deck-building game. In a world where Yao-Guai roam free, player battles with various evil beings, collecting cards and learn inner skills. Encountering various adventures in the martial world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gambonanza is currently priced at 14.99€ on Steam.
No, Gambonanza is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 14.99€ on Steam.
Yes, Gambonanza received 1,205 positive votes out of a total of 1,628 achieving a rating of 7.14.
😊
Gambonanza was developed by Blukulélé and published by Stray Fawn Publishing and Sidekick Publishing.
Yes, Gambonanza is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Yes, Gambonanza is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Yes, Gambonanza is playable and fully supported on Linux.
Yes, Gambonanza is playable and fully supported on Steam Deck.
Yes, Gambonanza is playable and fully supported on Steam Machine.
No, Gambonanza does not support VR.
Gambonanza is a single-player game.
No, Gambonanza does not currently offer any DLC.
No, Gambonanza does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
No, Gambonanza does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Gambonanza is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Gambonanza.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 05 October 2026 13:16 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 02 November 2026 12:26 UTC |
| Steam price | 03 November 2026 20:27 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 18 October 2026 07:56 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Gambonanza, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Gambonanza
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Gambonanza concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Gambonanza compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
32
Developer
Blukulélé
Publisher
Stray Fawn Publishing,
Sidekick Publishing
Release
01 May 2026
Platforms
Clicking and buying through these links helps us earn a commission to maintain our services.