Zen Chess: Mate in One

Released Apr 2018

Zen Chess: Mate in One is a minimalist chess puzzle game. Solve mate-in-one problems in a beautifully designed chess board.

87% positive · 461 reviews

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Where to buy

Steam Updated 12 Oct 2026 $0.99

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Evaluation

Zen Chess: Mate in One launched on April 10, 2018 as a self-contained puzzle game offering 300 curated chess mate-in-one puzzles. The store description presents it as a complete, fixed-content experience with no mention of additional content, updates, or expansions planned for this specific title. There are no DLC listings, no roadmap announcements, and no developer posts referencing future updates for this game. The developer's news posts are entirely focused on other titles in their catalog — new game launches, sequels, and unrelated projects — with the most recent post (October 24, 2025) announcing a brand-new game, Puzzle Gallery, rather than any content for Zen Chess: Mate in One. The game shipped as a finished product and has remained unchanged since its release.

Evidence

Store description presents a fixed set of 300 puzzles with no mention of future updates, DLC, or additional content for this title

description · Apr 10, 2018 source development ending

high

Developer announced a new game in the Zen Chess series (Champion's Moves), a separate release rather than an update to Mate in One, confirming the studio moves forward with new titles rather than updating existing ones

news post · Oct 3, 2019 source development ending

medium

Media

Details

Developer

Minimol Games

Publisher

Minimol Games

Achievements

Platform

Windows, macOS

Controller

—

Steam Deck

Verified

Players

Single-player

Chess Minimalist Relaxing Puzzle Education Tabletop Strategy Casual Mouse Only Logic Abstract Colorful Family Friendly Atmospheric 2D

About this game

Zen Chess: Mate in One is a minimalist chess puzzle game.

Designed for chess lovers of all levels (even if you just learned how to move the pieces);
Solve 300 puzzles carefully selected by a Chess Grandmaster (TOP 200 in the world);
Enjoy a minimalist, beautifully designed chess board and pieces;
Original soundtrack, specially composed to help you keep your focus and concentration;
Everything in the game was made with a lot of love and craftsmanship.

Can you find the one move that will solve each puzzle? Give it a try and show yourself you are a true chess master.