The makers of a smart Rubik's Cube-like puzzle have upped the ante with their game technology with a special-edition Harry Potter-themed chess board, complete with character pieces. But can AI help you learn how to play? You might be surprised (well, I was, at least).
I've never played chess, nor have I watched or read any Harry Potter material, so you could say this was somewhat ambitious of me to put my hand up for a review. That said, I have been curious about one of these things for a long time – chess, that is – and intrigued by whether a smart board that can help you play could help me understand the game. Because I am ready for "chess player" to be a new personality trait.
In an age where traditional board games and puzzles have been largely superseded by screens, I admire Particula's efforts in showing us we don't have to choose one or the other. The company has made a name for itself merging smart technology with old-school entertainment, and this might be its most elaborate offering yet.
The first thing you will notice when unboxing this is how considered it is: The pieces are secured in their molds but can be then transferred to two drawstring bags for storage. But you might want to keep the box anyway, since the board doesn't fold away and it is some really special packaging that seems too good to toss out to save a few inches.
Before gameplay can get underway, you'll need to charge the board via USB-C cable – instructions say to give it two hours – and download the GoChess app, which provides the smart connectivity. This gave me ample time to go down a rabbit hole of what chess has to do with a famous kid wizard – until I realized I didn't need this information and should conserve my brain power for trying to learn this game. When it comes to strategy games, I peaked with Connect 4.
The board itself in this Lite version measures 19 in x 19 in (48 cm x 48 cm), and doesn't fold, however it's remarkably thin so can be slid away for storage quite easily. The surface has a satisfying matte finish with the textured white and black squares large and clear. Beneath each square, however, is a circular LED light that can either guide users on their moves or instruct you to move a remote opponent's piece – in my case, an AI rival. This is actually a really handy feature for not just learning the game but improving your play.
The pieces – with themed characters filling the roles of the traditional king, queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn – are well crafted and detailed, with a good weight to them and a felt stopper at the base that connects nicely to the board. The sensors are good too, picking up movement and relaying that to the app.
The system has 32 levels of difficulty to play with, which is pretty self explanatory. If you're an extreme novice like me, expect to get confused and probably frustrated at first – even on the easiest level – but trial and error with each piece actually helps the rules of chess click. The app will also map out moves on the screen, matching the physical board – which was very handy as I got quite lost at first. You can, of course, turn off the LED lights and guidance if playing old-school with someone in person, but online interactivity that offers real-time gameplay is great for solo enthusiasts.
Can I say I'm a good chess player now? Definitely not. Nor do I care any more about Harry Potter than I did before this review. However, I am encouraged to stick with it and am starting to feel that this might actually be more fun than laborious, and not nearly as much effort as I thought it might be – something that has always stopped me from trying to learn.
We've covered the release of GoChess from Particula before, but for the Harry Potter edition you can grab the full-size Lite board for US$429.95 or the smaller Mini (13.1 in x 13.1 in/33.3 cm x 33.3cm) for $379.95.
Product page: Particula
