Pawn’d Chess press kit

Controller-first chess for Steam Deck

Pick up your Steam Deck or grab a controller and get straight to the board. Pawn’d Chess is a chess trainer with human-like CPU opponents powered by Maia. Choose a challenge that feels right, with difficulty settings from 600 to 2600 Elo.

The practice tools are built in. Load a position from FEN, set up your own board, or take back a move and try a different line in Practice Mode.

More players should be able to enjoy chess. Adjust text size, contrast, and board colors, turn on narration, or play with a controller, keyboard, mouse, or touch.

Available now on Steam. Built and tested on Steam Deck.

At a glance

Game

Pawn’d Chess

Developer and publisher

Normal Man Labs

Team

One-person studio: Jay “Tentacles”

Based in

Utah, USA

Availability

Released November 4, 2026 on Steam

Price

$6.00 USD (see Steam for regional pricing and current discounts)

Platforms

Windows, macOS (Apple silicon only), and SteamOS + Linux (native Linux build)

Steam Deck

Built and tested on Steam Deck; Valve’s compatibility rating is pending

Languages

English

Steam features

Full controller support, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Remote Play Together, Family Sharing

Official website

normalmanlabs.com/pawnd/

Steam page

store.steampowered.com/app/5102640/Pawnd_Chess/

Controller play and Steam Deck

More ways to play

Track your local rating in ranked games or play a friend on the same device with local hotseat. Copy or share positions as FEN, and save your favorites to revisit later.

Controls, accessibility, and Steam Deck

Play with an Xbox or PlayStation controller through Steam Input, or use keyboard, mouse, or touch on their own. Text size, board colors, piece styles, and contrast are all adjustable, with monochrome visuals and a light or dark interface.

Menus are narrated, and the game is listed on Steam as playable without vision. There are no quick-time events and no clock in Practice Mode, so players can take as long as they need and save anytime.

Read the controller, Steam Deck, and accessibility details.

Review keys

Free Steam keys are available for press, reviewers, streamers, and creators of any size. Email support@normalmanlabs.com with your outlet or channel, and Jay, the developer, will send one personally.

Trailer

Download trailer (MP4, 1080p, 13.8 MB) · Trailer details · Watch on YouTube

Press assets

Free to use when covering the game. Please credit Normal Man Labs and do not alter or stretch the logo.

Download the press kit (.zip, 6.0 MB)

Quick downloads: Key art · Logo · Controller GIF · Steam Deck image

The zip also includes key art without the logo, Steam capsules, a wide banner, the pawn icon, more screenshots, the controller loop as MP4, and a fact sheet.

Boilerplate

Pawn’d Chess: Pawn’d Chess is a controller-first chess trainer from Normal Man Labs, built and tested on Steam Deck. Play against human-like Maia opponents, load positions and try new lines in Practice Mode, and make the board easier to use with adjustable text, contrast, and narration. Available now on Steam.

Normal Man Labs: Normal Man Labs is a one-person independent studio in Utah, USA, founded in 2026 by Jay “Tentacles”. It makes games, mobile apps, and web tools, and its work includes Pawn’d Chess on Steam. Learn more at normalmanlabs.com.