Let me give you some background first. For an ordinary office worker, it takes almost an hour and a half to commute back and forth every day, with a one-hour lunch break and overtime work being the norm. I used to enjoy a lot of mobile games, but later I found that I couldn't play them any more. That kind of game where you have to go online to collect food, fight guild battles, and stare at the rankings at every turn is too unfriendly to a 996 player like me. It wasn't until a friend gave me Amway "War Chess Three Kingdoms" that I finally found a war chess game that could fit into my fragmented time.
This game is really pure. It is a traditional war chess game. You move the grid, calculate the attack range, block the terrain, and arrange your positions. It reminds me of the feeling of playing "The Legend of Cao Cao" in the Three Kingdoms. There are no fancy automatic combat and sweep functions. Each level has to be played manually. Each general has his own position and skills. To be honest, I wasn't used to it at first. After all, mobile games nowadays are all about one-click hosting, but after playing it, I found this “slow pace” very healing.
Let's talk about my game time management. I will use it to play some familiar levels on the subway during the morning rush hour. I can finish a small level in about one stop, and the rhythm is just right. If you are handicapped, don't play when you are squeezing into a sardine can. Don't ask me how I know this😅 After lunch break, I will play a few slightly challenging levels, such as the escort mission where you have to keep the NPC alive. This kind of level requires using your brain and should be played when your mind is still clear. When I get home from work in the evening, if I'm still energetic, I can push through the story levels and look at the carefully designed maps and dialogues. It really feels like I was secretly playing stand-alone games in my room when I was a kid.
There is a small innovation in the gameplay that I like very much, that is, some levels will have some special victory conditions, such as not using a certain type of troops, destroying all enemy troops without being counterattacked, etc. If you are tired of fighting hard, there are other fun. Moreover, this game is free, there are no gold points, and you don't have to worry about being ridiculed and humiliated.
The project is about to go online at the end of the month recently, and I worked overtime for three days in a row. I really didn't have the energy to push new levels, so I went online to see how the generals were developed, and to think about who should be on the next level and how to position them. It was quite relaxing. If you have enough time on the weekend, make a cup of tea, sit in front of the computer and play one or two major levels carefully. The feeling of pleasure is something you cannot experience on the real commuter subway.
By the way, the developer is Bantu Network in Shanghai. I can feel that the production team really understands and loves chess, and the level design is very careful. Hundreds of levels are enough for me to play for a long time. I hope they can keep this quality and update it.
To sum up: If you are an office worker who doesn't have time to play games but likes war chess, “War Chess Three Kingdoms” is really worth a try. There's no need to catch up. If you have time, you can open it and play two games. If you don't have time, it won't be a loss. There aren't many people who can make the game so “fair” these days.