I’ve Released Mate in One, a Free Shogi Puzzle Game
I’ve made and released Mate in One! It’s a free browser game with shogi puzzles where you find checkmate in one move.
What I wanted to do with this game was let people who’ve never played shogi think, “Somehow, I solved it!” I made it hoping that could be a way for them to get even a little taste of shogi.
I’m especially hoping to introduce shogi to people outside Japan, so I made the game available in English and Japanese. You can also switch the piece labels between kanji and letters.
For newcomers, I put together a 13-puzzle beginner course covering piece movement, pieces in hand, and promotion. There are movement guides and hints, too. When you make a wrong move, the opponent’s response appears on the board, so you can see how they get out of checkmate.
I’ve also included a mode where you try to solve as many puzzles as you can in 30 seconds, along with different board, piece, and background designs.
Even if you don’t know shogi, I’d be happy if you gave it a try, starting with a small board.
I’ve also written about the game in more detail in the introduction on my shogi site.