Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
A black king with a shotgun fights white chess pieces.
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate, often shortened to *Shotgun King*, is a turn-based tactics roguelike released in 2022. It was developed by the French studio Punkcake Délicieux and published by Headbang Club for Windows. The player controls a black king chess piece, a tyrant whose workers have abandoned him for the more popular white king. To win them back, the black king carries and fires a pump shotgun against the opposing pieces. Over the course of the game, the player draws randomly selected cards that can upgrade the shotgun or grant special abilities.
The game launched on Steam on May 12, 2022. Ports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S arrived on August 24, 2023.
In *Shotgun King*, the player commands only the black king, armed with a pump shotgun. Each turn, the player decides whether to attack white pieces or move, after which all white pieces move at once. The objective of each stage is to destroy the white king; additional white pieces appear over time. The main mode, called "Throne Mode," contains twelve stages. At the end of each stage, the player picks one of three card pairs: one card grants a benefit (such as an upgraded shotgun), while the other gives the enemy an advantage (like an extra queen). Completing Throne Mode unlocks additional modes, including harder versions of Throne Mode, "Endless Mode" (which removes the twelve-stage limit), and "Chase Mode," where swarms of enemy pieces pursue the player.
The game received generally positive reviews. On Metacritic, the Nintendo Switch version scored 82 out of 100 based on four reviews, and the PlayStation 5 version scored 75 out of 100 based on five reviews. Physical editions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, initially planned for early 2024, were delayed and eventually released on April 25, 2025, by Red Art Games.
- Developer
- Punkcake Délicieux
- Publisher
- Headbang Club
- Initial release date
- May 12, 2022
- Platforms at initial release
- Microsoft Windows
- Console release date
- August 24, 2023
- Console platforms
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Metacritic score (nintendo switch)
- 82/100 based on 4 critic reviews
- Metacritic score (playstation 5)
- 75/100 based on 5 critic reviews
Lore & Background
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate puts the player in the role of a tyrant black king chess piece whose workers have left him for the nicer white king. To reclaim his pieces, the king carries and uses a shotgun against the white pieces. As the game progresses, the player receives randomly-selected cards that allow upgrades to the shotgun or grant special abilities. The game was released on Steam on May 12, 2022, and ported to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 24, 2023. Physical releases for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 were initially set for early 2024 but were delayed and eventually released on April 25, 2025 by Red Art Games.
Reader's Guide
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate is a roguelike turn-based tactics game where the player controls a single black king chess piece armed with a pump shotgun. Each turn, the player chooses to attack white pieces or move before all white pieces move at once. The goal of each stage is to destroy the white king, with extra white pieces added over time. The main mode, 'Throne Mode', consists of twelve stages. At the end of each stage, the player chooses from three pairs of cards: one grants the player an advantage (e.g., an upgraded shotgun) and the other grants the enemy an advantage (e.g., an additional queen). Additional modes unlocked after Throne Mode include harder versions of Throne Mode, 'Endless Mode' (removing the twelve-stage limit), and 'Chase Mode' where hordes of enemy pieces swarm the player. The game received generally positive reviews from critics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate?
It is a turn-based tactics roguelike that puts you in the shoes of a black king chess piece armed with a pump shotgun. Released in May 2022, the game blends chess-style grid combat with a card-drawing progression system.
What is the story premise of Shotgun King?
You play as a black king who has been abandoned by his own workers, all of whom defected to the more popular white king. Driven by resentment, he storms the board with a shotgun to reclaim his lost loyalty.
Who developed and published Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate?
The game was created by the French studio Punkcake Délicieux and published by Headbang Club. It originally launched on Steam for Windows before expanding to consoles in August 2023.
How does the card system work in Shotgun King?
During runs, you draw randomly selected cards that either buff your shotgun or unlock special abilities. This roguelike layer means each playthrough builds a different loadout and tactical approach.
On which platforms can I play Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate?
The title is available on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The console ports arrived on August 24, 2023, roughly a year after the initial PC release.
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