A developer named Samiramly transformed a chess-inspired doodle into Echo Chess, a single-player puzzle game. Players capture pieces to become them, turning the board into a maze of obstacles. The core loop is deceptively simple: clear all pieces, but every capture changes your abilities, making brute-force solutions impossible.

The game emerged from a desire to make chess more accessible in a solo format. Early playtesting with a physical board revealed a surprising hook: players of all skill levels felt a rush at solving each level. This feedback prompted a shift from manual board updates to a minimalist web app, removing tutorials and downloads for pure puzzle-solving.

Balancing the difficulty proved challenging. The developer aimed for the classic 'easy to learn, hard to master' curve but warns that modern attention spans make strategy games a tough sell. Future iterations might let players skip levels or introduce new mechanics gradually. The project showcases a deep dive into game design, questioning how to sustain engagement in a niche genre.