- 1.5.3 Patch - 17 September 2026
Pressing Pause or Info while hovering a Piece or a Gambit make the info description appear in front of pause and info menu. Fix navigation on SteamDeck and with controller in Strains menu. Typo on Screen Shake settings in English. Optimize the Gambit collection tab, to make navigation smoother. The "Enemy Modifiers" tab is now just the word for enemies. - EN: Enemy Modifiers -> Enemies - FR: Modificateurs adverses -> Adversaires - ES: Modificadores de enemigo -> Enemigos - PT-BR: Modificadores de inimigos -> Inimigos - PL: Modyfikatory przeciwników -> Przeciwnicy - RU: Модификации врагов -> Враги - TR: Düşman Güçlendirmeleri -> Düşmanlar - DE: Gegner-modifikatoren -> Gegner German: "Herausforderung" renamed to "Tücke" everywhere, Herausforderung was too long for the tab, so the whole term was renamed for consistency: - Tab: Heraus-forderungen -> Tücken - Strain screen header: Heraus-for…
- [SMALL PATCH] 1.5.2b - 11 September 2026
Fixed an issue causing the cursor to be invisible on some Linux setups.
- Patch 1.5.1 - 4 September 2026
- The Barter trade's Gambit do reset on the shop after a Graveyard now. - Key of Life's Gambit do reset after a stalemate now. - Stalemate Do reset the Graveyard now. - Fix resolution issue on some Linux devices with Letterboxing (black bar on top and bottom of the screen).
- Update 1.5.0 is live + Gambo Goes Gamescom AND we are Steamdeck Verified! - 21 August 2026
What's new with Update 1.5.0? Small update for you all today! Here's what's new: UI revamp to make text easier to read (mainly affects Steam Deck)Better feedback when an enemy power is about to trigger, to make them more obviousAchievement bug fixesAnd Gambonanza is now officially Steamdeck Verified!Meet us at gamescom in Cologne!Last but now least - We can't wait to meet everyone of you who travels to gamescom in cologne this year! Make sure to stop by the Indie Arena Booth in Hall 10.2 at booth F010 E019 to play Gambonanza!Thank you all again for your ongoing support and looking forward to hopefully meeting some of you in cologne next week
- Patch 1.4.0f - 10 August 2026
Fix: Fixed an issue where the Graveyard could become stuck when quickly hiding it after buying the last available piece, or after pressing NEXT and immediately hiding it.
- Patch 1.4.0e - 7 August 2026
Fixes: Fixed an issue where the Enhanced AI setting could sometimes become inaccessible. Fixed an issue where the cursor could occasionally disappear. Improvements: Improved controller navigation in the Settings menu. Added a custom Gambo cursor.
- Gambonanza 1.4.0 is out now! - 5 August 2026
🧠 NEW Feature: Enhanced AI Mode(Main Menu Settings → Extras)Addresses community feedback regarding unpredictable or erratic enemy behavior! For players seeking a traditional, chess-oriented experience, you can now toggle on Enhanced AI.What changes when enabled:Smarter Tactical Play: Enemies play conventional, deliberate chess, making fewer disadvantageous trades and avoiding obvious blunders.Hazard Awareness: The AI actively avoids crumble tiles whenever possible, and Crumble Mode triggers later in the match.Pure Strategy: Disables the ELITE modifier for a tighter, strictly logical game ⚠️ Note: Enhanced AI alters the intended roguelike balance of the base game, so achievements and extra rewards are disabled while it's turned on. 🪦 NEW Feature: The GraveyardEver lost a run because a key piece got snapped off early? The Graveyard system gives you a second chance to keep your crazy syn…
- 1.3.0e - 10 July 2026
Fixed an issue affecting the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese localizations where some characters could incorrectly appear from another language, making certain texts difficult to read. Sorry for the inconvenience! 🙏🙏🙏
- Gambonanza – v1.3.0 Update is live! - 25 June 2026
Aloha everyone! 🍍My intention with 1.3.0 is to give players more ways to express themselves. That’s really the core idea behind this update: making Gambo more expressive and more accessible, while giving players more room to experiment and create wild synergies!Here is what you can expect from it:Gameplay fixesTutorial RevampLOOOOTS of balancingTypos and Localization fixingMinor improvements thanks to your feedbacks💥 FIX\ Tal the Cursed power do not prevent to earn the No tiles achievement\ Pressing very very very quickly the hit button on the piece wheel won’t hide the UI anymore\ 9 King achievement will only trigger with 9 kings on board and not 9+\ Makibishi’s Gambit won’t be considered used if a non-knight piece capture\ Mercenary’s Gambit was protecting king’s every turn under certain condition\ Princess description has been updated in every languages\ Copycat Gambit could be stu…
- Gambonanza – v1.2.0 Update is live! - 1 June 2026
Aloha everyone! 🍍This patch mainly focuses on bug fixing, localization improvements, balance adjustments and a first batch of quality of life features based on your feedback!Highlights of this update:Added the “ADJACENT” keyword to several Gambits to avoid confusion and improve readabilityBuffed several KNIGHT + PAWN synergies to make the archetype more viable and explosiveBuffed Blessed Tile related Gambits, as those strategies were heavily underusedNerfed Lich’s Gambit, which was overperforming a bit too hard while still trying to preserve its fun factorAdded Board Customization with 21 different boards (17 unlockable) to personalize your runs ♟️✨Thank you all so much for the bug reports, feedback, crazy builds and support ❤️💇♀️ CUSTOMIZATIONAdded Board CustomizationYou can now choose between 21 different boards (17 unlockable) to customize the look and vibe of your runs ♟️✨🌏 LOCA…
- Gambonanza - v1.1.0 Update is here! - 8 May 2026
Aloha everyone! 🍍 A fresh new update is here with a big batch of fixes, polish, and improvements across the board 🧡 A lot of these changes come directly from your reports and feedback, thank you again for helping make Gambonanza better with every update!🌍 Localization\ Limited Space Strains typo corrected The Stock has 5 rooms instead of 8. ⇒The Stock has 4 rooms instead of 7.\ Jockey’s Gambit name typo fixed Jokey's Gambit ⇒ Jockey's Gambit\ Fire Watch’s Gambit description typo fixed At the start of a game, earn +$3 for each of your ROOKS with no pieces next TO them.\ Prayer’s Gambit description clarified and corrected WAITING has a 1/3 chance to grant the most possessed piece in your Stock. ⇒ WAITING has a 1/3 chance to grant the piece you have the most of in your Stock.🎨 Visual Fixes\ Copycat no longer appears smaller than intended sometimes\ Copycat unlock description corrected\…
- Gambonanza masterfully combines Balatro and chess and it's out now - 1 May 2026
Gambonanza is chess but also not really. It fuses in Balatro-inspired game mechanics with a small board to create intense fast runs. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/05/gambonanza-masterfully-combines-balatro-and-chess-and-its-out-now/
- ♟️ Checkmate! GAMBONANZA is OUT NOW! - 1 May 2026
Aloha! everyone! 🍍The wait is finally over. We are incredibly excited to announce that Gambonanza has officially made its global debut on Steam and mobile TODAY! After seeing over 170,000 of you dive into the demo, we can’t wait for you to experience the full Roguelike-Chess madness and tell us what you think! As this is a special day, we also have some special surprises prepared for you.✨ Launch Week Special ✨To celebrate this big milestone moment with you, Gambonanza is available with a 35% Launch Discount for the next two weeks! We also partnered up with some beloved games like Dungeon Clawler or Die In The Dungeon for awesome bundle deals. Make sure to check them out! 📽️ Behind the Scenes with Blukulélé Want to know how the small chess board first came to life? Our solo developer, Blukulélé, shares the inspirations, history, and development process behind the game in a series of n…
- The excellent fusion of Balatro and chess in Gambonanza releases May 1 - 6 March 2026
Gambonanza is easily one of the top games demos I played during Steam Next Fest, and now we know it's going to release on May 1st. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/03/the-excellent-fusion-of-balatro-and-chess-in-gambonanza-releases-may-1/
- Gambonanza releases on May 1st! - 28 February 2026
Aloha! 🍍We've got big news to share! Gambonanza releases on May 1st! 🎉🎉🎉That's in just 2 months - Mark it on your calendar!And check out our brand-new trailer:How to support Gambonanza: Steam Reviews and WishlistsIf you are enjoying the demo, please consider leaving an honest Steam review on the demo page.And please do not forget to wishlist Gambonanza if you haven't already!Reviews and Wishlists genuinely help us more than you might think. Visibility, reach, algorithm magic. It makes a huge difference for a small team like ours. Last Chance: Win 1 of 100 Gambonanza Steam KeysIf you have not participated yet, you only have time until MONDAY.And we do not have that many participants yet.Your chance to win is not small!How to join: Beat the demo to get your personal codeJoin the Gambonanza DiscordSubmit your code and your email in the Google Form linked on DiscordThe deadline to join…
- Gambonanza is the best Balatro-like version of chess yet and you have to try the demo - 27 February 2026
If you love strategy games and roguelikes, Gambonanza fuses together the worlds of Balatro and chess like no other and it won me over completely. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/02/gambonanza-is-the-best-balatro-like-version-of-chess-yet-and-you-have-to-try-the-demo/
- Demo out NOW! Join the challenge! More mobile news - 19 February 2026
Aloha! 🍍We wanted to give you a pleasant surprise right before the weekend, and here it is! No need to wait until the Steam Next Fest starts:The free demo version of Gambonanza is available for everyone to play. Starting... now!Play the demoOur glorious demo for Gambonanza will be playable all throughout Steam Next Fest! We want to offer as many of you as possible a sample of what’s to come! 🍳The demo allows you to play with 5 bosses, 1 difficulty mode, and 120 Gambits. If you previously joined one of the limited Steam playtests (very cool), you can expect 20 more Gambits, 1 more boss (Tàl the Cursed), and way fewer bugs than before! (but still many)For context, the full version will offer you EVEN MORE bosses, Gambits, CRAZY difficulty modes, secrets, and EPIC challenges! All previously unseen in neither demo nor playtest.Win the full version of GambonanzaTo make things a bit more in…
- Playtest feedback! Thank you so much! - 3 February 2026
Aloha everyone! First of all, I just want to say a huge thank you for all the feedback you’ve been sharing on Gambonanza.It’s honestly amazing, and it helps a lot more than you might think. You’re really opening my eyes on many things, so I wanted to give you some context on what I’ve learned thanks to you 👀1️⃣ “Considered as” isn’t clear enoughSeveral Gambits like Pope, Anarchist, or Mini-Rook currently say things like: “Your PAWNS are now considered as ROOKS.”The original intention was to let Pawns trigger Rook Gambits, opening new combo chains and gameplay possibilities.However, through your feedback, it became clear that this wording can easily be interpreted as movement changes (Pawns moving like Rooks, or Rooks moving like Pawns), which is… totally understandable. That one’s on me 😅So I’m reworking this:👉 “CONSIDERED AS” will now be a proper keyword, 👉 with a dedicated popup e…
- New Playtest, Upcoming Demo, Mobile Announcement! - 26 January 2026
Aloha, dear fans! 💙This is the day so many of you were waiting for! A new public playtest is now open for you to enter!But wait! There is more! Read all about the fresh, exciting gambonews below! 👇️New PlaytestTo participate, you simply need to go to the Steam page for Gambonanza and click "Join the Playtest". After that, "Gambonanza Playtest" should be available in your Steam library!You will be able to freely enjoy, test, poke around, and share your thoughts on this updated version of the fun-sized playtest build of Gambonanza until February 2nd, 5:00 PM CEST (which is 11:00 AM EST or 8:00 AM PST).And we really hope that you will talk about what you liked about the game in the Steam discussion forum section 📝, or even join us on Discord.A detailed feedback form will be waiting for the players in-game, but if you want to review it already, you can access it right here.Steam Next Fes…
- We need YOU for the localization playtest! - 3 December 2025
Aloha! 🌼How are you doing, fellow gambonanzers? The season is cold and increasingly dark here in the Northern Hemisphere and so our message will be short and direct today!We are currently working on adding multiple localizations 💬 to the game and we need testers for every language from the following list:Brazilian PortugueseEnglishFrenchGermanJapaneseKoreanPolishRussianSimplified ChineseSpanishTurkishIf you would like to help us out please use the button below to learn more and apply! 👇️Submission form(click here above this line 👆️)If you don't have any experience with testing or translations, don't worry! Everyone has a chance to be included!The participants that get in will be rewarded 🎁 with:a Steam key for the full version of the game,a special role in the Gambonanza Discord community,and a mention in the game's credits section.So what are you waiting for? Eternal glory awaits!…
