Crossfall Games has delivered something truly special with Stonemachia. You play as a warrior named Zefiro. He starts out as a lowly chess Pawn, trapped in a creepy, corrupted version of historical Italy called Medhelan. The world has been taken over by the “Plague of Angels” which means that instead of fighting regular monsters, you are battling massive armies of living marble statues and twisted creatures inspired by real Italian art and folklore.
Your goal is simple: master the art of the perfect parry, transform into different chess pieces and slice your way through a brutal journey to make it back to Heaven.
ℹ️ Reviewed on PC | Review code provided by PR/publisher, this review is the personal opinion of the writer.
| Developer | Crossfall Games |
| Publisher | Crossfall Games |
Things I liked!
- The Chess Mechanic is Awesome | The chess mechanic is awesome because you don’t get stuck using one boring sword for the whole game. You start as a fast but weak pawn, but you can change your shape right in the middle of a fight. You can turn into a heavy Rook to break shields, or swap to a Knight to jump high and dash around. As you explore, you will find the Bishop and the Queen, each granting powerful combat abilities. Swapping between all these different pieces mid-combo to smash enemies feels amazing.
- Stunning “Renaissance Nightmare” Atmosphere | Stonemachia is set in Medhelan, a dark fantasy world packed with Gothic architecture, heavily inspired by iconic Italian cities like Milan and Venice. Hacking through corrupted angel statues and monsters based on actual Italian folklore makes it feel as if you’re playing through a beautiful, haunting classical painting.
- A Masterclass in Satisfying Parry Combat | Stonemachia relies heavily on your shield and hitting perfect deflections. Thankfully, the devs gave players a remarkably generous parry window. It doesn’t feel punishingly tight, and because landing a parry is the only way to charge up your healing flask, the game rewards you for being aggressive and bold.
- Tons of Content and Runs Great | For a small indie game, it features a massive forty different boss fights. Even better, the game runs perfectly on PC. No annoying lag, no major glitches, and no random crashes which is rare for games launching these days.
- The Controls Feel Super Tight | In a game where timing is everything, clunky controls can ruin the fun. Thankfully, the buttons here do exactly what you want, right away. When you dodge or parry, it happens instantly. If you die, you know it was your fault, not the game being slow.
- Epic Boss Fight Music | While walking around the map can be a bit quiet, the music completely blasts off during boss fights. Massive church choirs, heavy violins, and epic drums that make every major fight feel like a massive cinematic showdown.
- Tons of Cool Hidden Secrets | If you like exploring, this game rewards you for it. There are breakable hidden walls, secret mini-bosses, and powerful gear tucked away in corners you wouldn’t normally check. It gives you a great reason to actually look around.
- Unbelievable Value | In an era of buggy, overpriced $70 games, Stonemachia launched at $19.99 and immediately earned a 96% “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam. It runs smoothly right out of the box and delivers impressively high‑quality content for the price of a takeout meal.
Mixed & disliked!
- The Camera Can Go Crazy | This is a classic issue for the genre, and Stonemachia doesn’t escape it. The camera handles fine in wide‑open fields, but the second you get backed into a tight corner or face a massive boss, it tends to zoom into walls or clip right through the scenery.
- A Confusing, Hidden Tutorial | Right from the start, Stonemachia throws you into the deep end with absolutely no direction, making the first hour incredibly frustrating. The wildest part is that tutorials actually exist, but the game hides them deep inside the pause menu instead of showing them on your screen. You literally have to stop playing and dig through text guides just to figure out how the basic mechanics work.
- How long did I play the review before publishing? 18 Hours
- How long to beat the story? 14 Hours
- How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 26/30
- How long to get 100%? | 18 Hours+
- You’ll love this game if you like these | Lies of P, Enotria: The Last Song and Thymesia.
Score: 90/100
Honestly, Stonemachia easily earns its massive 90 out of 100 because it’s a masterpiece that a tiny team of just nine people somehow made look and play better than most multi‑million‑dollar games. The only reasons it isn’t a perfect 100 are a few small annoyances, like a camera that gets a bit wonky in tight corners and some clunky menus, but those completely melt away the second you start playing. For an indie game, you’re getting incredible value with forty unique boss fights and a genius chess‑shapeshifting combat system that feels smooth and satisfying. It’s rare to find a game this polished, original, and fun nowadays, so if you love a good challenge, do yourself a favour and grab this immediately. It’s worth every penny.
Hello, I’m Almog, also known as Chochklah. Gaming has always been both my passion and my hobby, something that’s been with me for as long as I can remember. Over the years I’ve watched the gaming world grow and transform, and it continues to inspire me every day , Indie gaming holds a special place in my heart, and I truly enjoy discovering and playing those unique games that bring something different to the table
