Shinogi Chess Club 2: Resistance, a blend of visual novel and 3D exploration from developer and publisher RobProductions, will officially launch on November 16th, 2023. The news came via a brand-new gameplay teaser, which showcases various settings and the titular twist on chess.

In Shinogi Chess Club 2: Resistance, you’ll play through a visual novel experience with the addition of third person exploration. You’ll need to investigate the world of Yoshino High School as the protagonist searches for her mother. You will also need to complete a series of unique chess duels, though you can adjust the difficulty.

Shinogi Chess Club 2: Resistance will be available on PC via Steam. There’s currently no word on support for other platforms. You can watch today’s release date trailer on the RobProductions YouTube channel:

Though I wasn’t actually aware of its predecessor from last year, Shinogi Chess Club 2 quite resembles it, and mainly seems interested in continuing the same story with a few quality of life improvements.

However, RobProductions has gone largely overlooked, despite making a series of different indies. Their Shinogi series bears many familiar tropes of the genre, but the offbeat attitude and the novelty of its in-game chess variant captured my attention.

The music is also undoubtedly a highlight, and the sequel’s official Steam page mentions that the full original soundtrack will become available. Even in today’s brief teaser, it has a haunting quality that immediately stands out, reinforcing the mystery and supernatural elements.

The rules of Shinogi Chess are interesting, and the 3D exploration will be more accessible to those who typically avoid visual novels.

It was also bold of the devs to double down on the first game without a massive audience yet, reassuring future fans that Shinogi is a worthwhile investment. Shinogi Chess Club 2 feels like a lost PlayStation 2 oddity with potential.

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