Stonemachia drops you into Medhelan, a cursed land overrun by the Plague of Angels, and hands you the role of Zefiro, a warrior fighting to reclaim a path back to Heaven. Developed and published by Crossfall Games, this third-person, dark action-adventure launched on PC on May 26, 2026, blending soulslike difficulty with a chess-inspired combat system that sets it apart from every other game in the genre. If you've bounced off soulslikes before or just want to hit the ground running, this guide covers what you need to know.
What kind of game is Stonemachia?
Stonemachia sits firmly in the action games category, but the chess mechanic is the hook that makes it distinct. Rather than a straightforward stamina-and-dodge loop, the game layers strategic, chess-derived power into combat. Think of it less as "Dark Souls with a chess skin" and more as a system where positional thinking and piece-based abilities genuinely change how fights play out.
The world of Medhelan is built around a dark, theological atmosphere. The Plague of Angels isn't just a narrative backdrop; it shapes enemy design, level structure, and the stakes of every encounter. You are always moving toward one goal: returning Zefiro to Heaven.
Zefiro faces the Plague of Angels
How does the chess combat system work?
The chess-based power system in Stonemachia is the mechanic that demands the most attention from new players. Each chess piece represents a different mode of engaging enemies, and understanding which piece to deploy in which situation is the difference between a clean kill and a frustrating death loop.
After testing various approaches against early-game enemies, the positional logic becomes clear quickly: the game rewards players who think two steps ahead, not just those who react fastest.
Spend time in early areas experimenting with each chess piece's behavior before committing to a preferred style. The game's difficulty scales around the assumption that you understand your toolkit.
Chess piece ability select screen
Core mechanics every new player should understand
Soulslike fundamentals still apply
Stonemachia carries the genre's standard expectations. Deaths are punishing, resource management matters, and learning enemy patterns is non-negotiable. If you've played any soulslike before, the muscle memory transfers. If you haven't, expect a steep first hour.
- Stamina management governs every action, so overcommitting to an attack string will leave you exposed.
- Positioning is doubly important here because the chess system rewards spatial awareness beyond what most soulslikes require.
- Enemy telegraphs are the primary language of the game. Read them before you swing.
The Plague of Angels as an enemy faction
The angelic enemies in Medhelan aren't just reskinned fantasy monsters. Their design ties directly into the game's theological narrative, and their attack patterns tend to be more deliberate and patterned than chaotic. That predictability is both a challenge and an opportunity: once you decode a pattern, you can exploit it consistently.
Don't assume that angelic enemies are slower because they're methodical. Several of the early Plague enemies have punishing burst windows that follow long wind-ups.
Medhelan's cursed environment
Stonemachia at a glance
What platforms is Stonemachia available on?
At launch, Stonemachia is a PC exclusive. No console versions have been announced as of May 2026. If you're planning to pick it up, the only option right now is through PC storefronts.
Crossfall Games is both the developer and publisher on this title, meaning it's a fully independent release with no major publisher backing. That context matters for patch cadence and post-launch support expectations.
Tips for surviving your first hours in Medhelan
- Don't rush the opening area. The first zone in Medhelan functions as a soft tutorial for the chess system. Every enemy there teaches you something about how piece abilities interact with standard attacks.
- Learn the dodge timing early. Soulslike iframes are your best friend, and Stonemachia's angelic enemies punish players who rely on blocking over evasion.
- Explore before progressing. The world of Medhelan rewards thorough exploration. Resources and ability upgrades are rarely handed to you on the critical path.
- Treat each death as data. The game is designed around iteration. A death that teaches you an enemy's third-phase attack is progress.
Is Stonemachia worth playing for soulslike veterans?
The chess combat system is the answer to that question. Soulslike veterans will find the foundational mechanics familiar, but the chess layer adds a strategic dimension that most games in the genre skip entirely. Whether that hook lands depends on how much you enjoy thinking about positioning and piece deployment mid-fight rather than relying purely on reflexes and pattern recognition.
For players who've exhausted the genre's major releases, Stonemachia offers something genuinely different from an independent studio that clearly has a specific vision for what it wants the game to be.
For more strategies and deeper dives into every system in the game, the Stonemachia strategy guides collection covers additional mechanics as the community discovers them.