Only 27% of Steam demo players have beaten the first boss. Done. It's ridiculously tough, but that's part of the charm - Chivalware's blend of roguelike strategy and fast-paced Match-3 combat, drawing comparisons to both Mega Man Battle Network and Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, has a certain addictive quality that will keep you coming back for more, even if its simplicity is a notable drawback.
Quick Facts — Chivalware
| Developer | Regal Pigeon |
|---|---|
| Platform(s) | PC |
| Release Date | by the end of 2026 |
| Genre | Roguelike, Match-3 |
Chivalware's got Titan Matching Combat. It's on an 8X4 grid. You fight. The grid is split. It's for you and the enemy. You connect squares. It's real-time. You get a burst. The game gets crazy. It's a good feel. We've seen this before. The builds get complex. The battles get wild. It's exhilarating, for sure. The Match-3 part is simple. You'll want more. The grid needs variation. It's the real feel that's missing. They've started something cool with Chivalware. You'll play it for hours. The potential is there, with you, in the game.
Hopes Soared, Then Fizzled
They've got experience. Regal Pigeon made Neophyte, a 2D top-down bullet hell roguelike, which you could get for just $3 in Early Access. It's worth mentioning that Neophyte had some key technical issues, and the studio faced financial struggles, we've seen this before. The real feel of Neophyte was lost due to these problems, with fans review-bombing it, which is a shame, it had potential, for a small game, it was honest about what you got.
"While Neophyte sold much better than I ever could have imagined for my first commercial game, it unfortunately wasn’t enough to sustain long-term support and the way it was coded made adding new content time-consuming and prone to crashes and bugs."
Regal Pigeon
It's the real feel that matters. You'll notice a key difference. Chivalware has a more manageable scope, with deeper gameplay mechanics in the mix from the start, which is worth mentioning, especially for a Match-3 Roguelike with a Mega Man twist.
Chivalware's Roguelike Revival: 3 Things It Nails
Beyond the combat, Chivalware embraces standard roguelike elements with:
- power-up selections
- room choices
- shop upgrades
You'll find depth in Chivalware. It's a game with the real feel. They've done a great job with the variation in weapons and perks, which is worth mentioning. For fans of roguelikes, the crossover with Mega Man is key. We've seen 20 hours of play and it's still fun. The Match-3 interactions are a bit of a letdown, though. It's missing a certain something - you'll get that with the perks, not the puzzles.
Chivalware's $30 Indie Gambit
Chivalware is still a ways off, with a release planned for late 2026. It's the real feel that matters. You'll see the community gets upset. The way Neophyte went down is worth mentioning. They've got a year to get it right. For Regal Pigeon, honesty is key. If they can add more depth to the Match-3 system, that's a big win. We've seen it before, a game with a Mega Man twist can be huge. Chivalware could be a top roguelike, it just needs some tweaks, like a crossover of fresh ideas with the existing system, to make it happen, and that would be a key move for the studio.
The Bad Gamer Take
Regal Pigeon will refine Chivalware's Match-3 combat because the studio has learned from the technical issues and financial struggles of their previous game, Neophyte. This refinement will likely lead to a more polished and engaging experience, making Chivalware a standout title in the roguelike genre. WATCH for Regal Pigeon to address the simplicity of the grid system and add more variation to keep players invested.
It's fun. You'll enjoy it if you're a Mega Man fan. Chivalware's demo is a good start, we've got something here. The gameplay needs work, it's not quite there yet, we've got a few months to go, hopefully they'll use that time to make it more engaging, especially with the Match-3 stuff, that's the key to making this game really pop.
