VRShogiMates

Ahoy, fellow strategists! I'm the developer behind VRShogiMates, and I must say, out of all the games I've developed, this one is my favorite (and, well, the only one so far). Good news! VRShogiMates is available on both Steam and the Quest Store. If you've already purchased it here, just leave a…

basic but awesome!

Overall, definitely worth it if you like any (or all) of the chess-like board games. It isn't the most polished game I've played, and it's missing a computer to play against. BUT, it literally lets me play a game of chess in real time with my brother who lives across the country. For the Hunter x Hunter fans out there, I can play actual Gungi !! (a next level multi tiered chess/shogi strategy game) with my friend. Correspondence mode (async playing) is also super sweet, since sometimes I don't have the time to sit down for a full game. Instead, I can send one move every day or two and play a game with friends over the course of a month. The controls aren't super intuitive, but there is a great instruction panel, so it's worth reading it. Also, there is a bunch of content for people to learn about the various games, so that's sweet. The more I've played around with the different games, the more cool little things I discover. While the appearance might not "Wow" you at first, the actual functionality of the game and possibilities it opens for chess, shogi, gungi, and the others (yes, there's more lol) is awesome and makes getting this app worth it IMHO.

8 found this helpful

Great for shogi and chess enthusiasts

The game is fun and works great on my Quest 2. I love the authentic Japanese setting and the way the board and the pieces look and sound. The game provides a calming experience when analyzing a position, while it also offers excitement as the only way to challenge an opponent to a shogi game in VR.

6 found this helpful

Tricky controls, but a great experience

Got the Quest version, played with a friend, then messaged the dev on discord and got a free Steam key. This game throws you into a VR dojo with a bunch of classic board games—Shogi, Chess, Xiangqi, even Gungi (which I hadn’t heard of before and now fear slightly). It’s all beautifully done, but the controls take a bit of getting used to. Pro tip: the YouTube tutorial helps a lot. Gungi is wild. It feels like Chess and Shogi had a brilliant but slightly unhinged child. If you’re into strategy games and don’t mind a learning curve, this is a solid pick—especially considering it’s made by one guy. Respect. Recommended. Just be ready to spend the first few matches losing to your own hands.

5 found this helpful

Great for learning Chess, Shogi, Xiangqi

We’ve been using VRShogiMates in our school strategy games CCA to introduce students to Chess, Xiangqi, and Shogi, and it has worked very well. Many of our learners already play games like chess or Xiangqi, but Shogi and some other strategy games can feel a bit complicated at first. (especially Chu Shogi) The VR environment makes the board much easier to understand and keeps learners engaged, even if they are completely new to the game. The controls can take a little time to learn for first-time VR users, but once students get used to them, the experience becomes smooth. Overall, it’s a great way to explore strategic board games in an interactive environment. Highly recommended for schools, clubs, and beginners who want to learn the game.

4 found this helpful

Interesting idea, could use more polish

I tried VRShogiMates because I enjoy strategy games like chess and Xiangqi and was curious about Shogi. The VR setting actually makes it easier to see the board and understand what’s going on, which helps when learning a game that can feel quite complicated at first. That said, the app doesn’t feel perfectly polished yet. The controls take a bit of time to get used to, and there isn’t much of a tutorial to guide new players through the basics. If you already know a little about Shogi it’s easier to jump in, but complete beginners might need to look things up elsewhere first. You also need another player to play against Still, the core idea is good and it’s nice to see a traditional board game explored in VR. I’m hoping future updates add a proper tutorial and refine some of the controls, because the concept definitely has potential.

2 found this helpful