Chess is an old, old game and has been ready for a makeover for quite a while. Auto Chess is a new way of looking at chess that is much more visual, action packed, easy and fun. It, however, is not so easy that you are sure to win every time you play the game. There are a multitude of strategies that can be used to defeat an opponent.

Auto Chess is played on an 8x8 grid but that is where the similarity to chess ends. This is a multiplayer game that is played by a total of eight. All players are placed on a leaderboard based on the number of matches they win. Every match has two phases. The first is a preparation phase where players get to select a character from a random list and place them on the grid. The match starts as the preparation phase ends and the characters on both ends fight each other automatically. One doesn’t have to move characters on the board. The strategy lies in picking them and placing them while understanding their strengths and weaknesses.

There are more than 50 characters to choose from. With their unique strengths and weaknesses, each of these characters belongs to a class and a race. There are more than 10 races and classes. Picking the right combination gives class-based benefits for the entire team. This is where the strategy lies.

After every match, players get coins, which can be used to buy more characters. With every match that you lose, you lose health and the last player standing is the winner. If you win, you level up and can place more characters on the board. It all sounds a bit complex but you can get the hang of it pretty soon.

The graphics and artwork in the game are excellent; you feel like you are playing a console game. The style is a bit like Pixar and DOTA and everything is super polished. Every character has unique animations for their special powers. The game UI, unlike in similar games, is extremely simple to understand and navigate through.

Since this is a free game, it does have places where you can pay and get stuff. However, all payments are for cosmetic items only such as chess boards, animations, costumes or gatcha currency. The game follows the now standard seasons approach like Fortnight, where you get rewards for completing certain objectives in a given time interval. You can pay real money to get the master pack that will give you additional rewards.

VERDICT: Auto Chess is my new way of passing time. It is easy to pick up and play. One con for the game is that is lasts a long time — often about 20 minutes — and that makes it difficult to finish a game in one sitting. There is also much to be desired in terms of connection stability and matchmaking time. However, if you are looking for a unique, action-packed chess experience, Auto Chess is the game for you. I’d rate it nine out of 10.