SAN MATEO, Calif. – Nov. 10, 2025 – Below the Crown, a love letter to chess, roguelikes, and dungeon crawlers from developer Misfits Attic (responsible for the 20+ award-winning strategy game Duskers), dives into a retro-inspired realm (hiding something beneath the surface) on PC via Steam Early Access today.
Challenge the glitchy roguelite dungeons below the crown as a badass Wizard armed with spells and strategies to outwit enemies. Recruit a party of classic and fresh game pieces, including Knights, Bishops, Mimics, and Mad Queens. Survive the run, earn riches, and appease the Emperor with piles of gold. Oh, and between rounds, undergo fun psychological questioning that may or may not impact runs. Don’t worry about that, everything is fine.
Master a new take on the classic game board. Maneuver into prime positions to defeat the dungeon’s inhabitants, or rely on superior spells and flashy explosions to reach the next chamber. Earn new skills and spell cards to unlock different strategies, then collect and assign challenge-modifying runes to up the stakes. More pain, more gain. Suffer towards success.
Compete with other Wizards in the community with global daily challenges. Show off well-earned victories and learn new strategies by viewing others’ runs. Don’t forget to answer those routine psychological evaluations – it’s in your best interest.
Discover an engaging experience for chess masters or rookies alike, as Below the Crown honors the beloved traditional elements of the tabletop monolith, now with a magical twist. The accomplished industry veterans behind Below the Crown hail from the studios that produced the Diablo and Call of Duty series, as well as some of DreamWorks’ most iconic films, including How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek 2, and Bee Movie.
“Below the Crown wouldn’t be what it is today without the incredible minds on the Misfits Attic team,” said Tim Keenan, Founder, Misfits Attic. “Our diverse experiences on films and games have enabled us to give Below the Crown its own distinct, mysterious identity. We hope chess enthusiasts and beginners alike enjoy digging into this dynamic world of strategy, magic, and retro vibes in Early Access!”
Below the Crown is now available on Windows PC via Steam Early Access. For more information, make your next moves to Bluesky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to follow the development team, join fellow wizards on Discord and Reddit, and search #BelowTheCrown on social media.
About Misfits Attic
Misfits Attic is an independent game studio based in San Mateo, CA. It strives to create big, small games with attitude and immersive experiences infused with the team’s dark sense of humor. Its founding members have over 50 years of experience in the film, game, and design industries. The studio is best known for the award-winning RTS Duskers, as well as the critically acclaimed action-puzzler A Virus Named TOM. The team is currently developing a love letter to chess, roguelikes, and dungeon crawlers, Below the Crown, planned to release on PC via Steam early access in Q4 2025.
For more information, visit the official website.
