Chivalware Preview: The Grid-Based Roguelite That Feels Like Mega Man Battle Network
We got hands-on with the Chivalware preview, and this grid-based roguelite channels Mega Man Battle Network in all the right ways. Here’s what casual players and retro fans need to know.
Chivalware preview events don't usually make me grin like an idiot within the first ten minutes. This one did.
Last month, DualShockers contributor Maddie Fisher got hands-on time with a game that is about to yank a neglected genre back into the spotlight. The game is Chivalware, published by The Arcade Crew and built by Regal Pigeon, a solo developer in Hong Kong. And if you ever lost weekends to Mega Man Battle Network, you need to hear this.
Mega Man Battle Network Fans, Your Game Is Here
The developer flat-out names Mega Man Battle Network as the key inspiration. Fisher, a self-described huge fan of that series, felt right at home. You control a Disk Knight on a quest to save a digital world. You do it on a grid. You match tiles to equip and power up weapons. Enemies swarm you in waves.
And you can move anywhere. Even into enemy turf.
That freedom is the secret sauce. Many grid-based games box you in. Small grids. Tight lanes. You feel constricted. Chivalware says no thanks to all of that. It hands you the entire grid and dares you to experiment.
Why the Grid Feels Different Here
The game does not rush you. Fisher points out that Chivalware lets you acclimate at your own speed. You learn the systems on your terms. Then the leash comes off. The pace ramps. Enemies get aggressive. The grid stops being a puzzle board and becomes a dance floor.
Fisher describes the encounters as rhythmic, almost hypnotic. That is not marketing fluff. It is what happens when movement is sharp, natural, and tuned by someone who clearly cares about feel.
Chaos That Makes Sense
Here is where this Chivalware preview reveals its best card. Enemies are often color-coded. Weapons of the same color bounce right off them. So you cannot just spam attacks. You scramble. You scan the tile-matching system for the right weapon while enemies close in. It is chaotic, fast, and strangely satisfying.
Surviving means using everything. Every tool. Every inch of the grid. Every split-second decision.
What Happens Between Fights
Chivalware is a roguelite. That means what you see on the next grid is never quite what you expect. The path sits at the top of the screen. Clear one grid, shuffle to the next. Simple. But the next stop could be anything.
A wave of enemies. A weird shop. An off-beat NPC with an upgrade or a chip.
That madcap randomness keeps things dangerous. Fisher says enemies stack up in higher numbers with each grid. You are never sure what is coming. If the full game sustains this pace, it will work out extremely well.
It's surprisingly easy to get into a precise flow state, and when you do, Chivalware becomes the kind of game that you just have to keep playing.
That line from Fisher is not hyperbole. It is the core promise of this Chivalware preview. Flow state is the holy grail for action games. Chivalware hits it.
The Roguelite Hook That Actually Works
Roguelites are everywhere now. Most blur together. Chivalware stands apart because its core loop is built on a genre that has been ignored for far too long. Grid-based action with tile-matching weapon management. Fisher calls it a genre waiting for a brave Disk Knight to rescue it.
She might be right.
What You Actually Do Moment to Moment
Let me break it down plain. You control a Disk Knight on a grid. You match tiles to equip and power up weapons. Enemies attack in waves. You move freely across the entire grid, including enemy territory. Color-coded foes force strategic weapon swaps. Between grids, roguelite randomness kicks in with shops, NPCs, and upgrades.
Two things stood out during the preview. First, movement feels fabulous. It trusts you.
What This Chivalware Preview Means For You
Chivalware is in active development for PC. It will be playable on Steam Deck. Fisher spent a few hours with the preview build and came away convinced it is a game worth watching.
Here is what you should keep on your radar:
- Grid-based action roguelite with Mega Man Battle Network DNA
- Tile-matching weapon system that demands strategy, not just reflexes
- Color-coded enemies that force constant adaptation
- Roguelite structure with shops, NPCs, and upgrades between fights
- Built by a solo developer, published by The Arcade Crew
- Coming to PC with Steam Deck support
There is no release date yet. No price. Just a rock-solid first impression from someone who played the thing. Fisher's preview on DualShockers paints a picture of a game that understands pace, respects player intelligence, and revives a style of combat that deserves more love.
One Solo Dev, One Clear Vision
Regal Pigeon is a solo creator based in Hong Kong. That matters. Solo devs take risks publishers avoid. They chase specific, beloved niches. Mega Man Battle Network fans have been starving for something that scratches that itch. Chivalware looks built to feed them.
But this Chivalware preview suggests appeal beyond the nostalgia crowd. The flow state. The grid freedom. The roguelite unpredictability. Those things work regardless of whether you know what a Battle Network is.
Keep your eyes on this one. The Disk Knight is coming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chivalware?
Chivalware is a grid-based action roguelite inspired by Mega Man Battle Network, where you control a Disk Knight on a quest to save a digital world. The gameplay involves matching tiles to equip and power up weapons, moving freely across the entire grid, and facing waves of color-coded enemies that force strategic weapon swaps. It is published by The Arcade Crew and built by solo developer Regal Pigeon.
Why does Chivalware's grid feel different from other grid-based games?
The article states that many grid-based games box you in with small grids and tight lanes, making you feel constricted. Chivalware hands you the entire grid and dares you to experiment, allowing movement anywhere including into enemy turf, which gives a sense of freedom and makes encounters feel rhythmic and almost hypnotic.
How does the color-coded enemy system affect combat?
Enemies are often color-coded, and weapons of the same color bounce right off them, so you cannot just spam attacks. You must scramble and scan the tile-matching system for the right weapon while enemies close in, creating chaotic, fast, and strangely satisfying gameplay that demands constant adaptation.
When will Chivalware be released and on what platforms?
The article states that Chivalware is in active development for PC and will be playable on Steam Deck. There is no release date yet and no price; the information comes from a preview build played by Maddie Fisher.
Who developed Chivalware and who published it?
Chivalware was built by Regal Pigeon, a solo developer based in Hong Kong, and is published by The Arcade Crew. The article emphasizes that solo devs take risks publishers avoid and that Regal Pigeon chased the specific niche of Mega Man Battle Network fans.
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