World Tours Chess: meet Jasper, the cat who never says no to one more game
The newest World Tours game is chess, and its travel companion is Jasper, a chocolate-brown cat with a folding chessboard. Here is what we can share so far.
World Tours is our series of mobile puzzle and board games, and every game in it has its own travelling cat. Chess is the newest addition, and its companion is Jasper, the Playful Strategist. World Tours Chess is in development now and is coming to Android and iOS.
Meet Jasper
Jasper is a plush chocolate-brown cat with a caramel muzzle and chest, hazel-gold eyes, a royal-blue scarf, a gold knight charm and a navy travel satchel. His folding chessboard goes everywhere he goes.
He is thoughtful, playful and quietly competitive. Jasper finds new friends over games in parks and cafés, enjoys a clever move from either side of the board, and likes helping beginners discover their own ideas rather than telling them what to play.
- Little quirk: he says "one more game" just as everyone is packing up.
- Catchphrase: "Every move is a new adventure!"
Where World Tours Chess fits in the series
Every World Tours game pairs a classic puzzle or board game with a trip around the world and a cat to share it with. The series so far:
| Game | Cat | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Word Search | Miso, the Explorer | Out now on Google Play |
| Sudoku | Rosie, the Curious Puzzle Cat | Coming soon |
| Mahjong | Mochi, the Mindful Collector | Coming soon |
| TriPeaks Solitaire | Pip, the Daring Trailblazer | Coming soon |
| Jigsaw | Cleo, the Creative Storyteller | Coming soon |
| Chess | Jasper, the Playful Strategist | Coming soon |
You can meet all six on our Meet the cats section of the home page.
What we are aiming for
Chess can feel serious, and a lot of chess apps are built for people who already play well. Jasper's game is meant to be a friendly place to play, whether you learned the moves last week or have played for years. That matches Jasper himself: he likes a good game, he likes a clever idea from his opponent just as much as his own, and he would rather help a beginner see a plan than beat them quickly.
We will share the details of the modes, levels and travel map closer to launch. If you play Word Search World Tours, you already know the feel we are going for: calm, clear and a little bit of a holiday.
Five tips if you are new to chess
Jasper's favourite advice for anyone starting out:
- Control the centre. Move a pawn or two towards the middle of the board early on. Pieces in the centre have more squares to go to.
- Bring out your knights and bishops. Get them off the back row in the first few moves instead of moving the same piece again and again.
- Castle early. Castling tucks your king into a corner behind its pawns and brings a rook into the game.
- Check what your opponent can take. Before every move, look at which of your pieces are attacked and which are unprotected.
- Play one more game. You get better at chess by playing, and by looking back at the moves that went wrong.
How to hear about the launch
We will post the launch here on the blog and on the home page. In the meantime, you can play our free chess-adjacent strategy game, Backgammon Online, in your browser, or travel the world with Miso in Word Search World Tours.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Tours Chess coming out?
World Tours Chess is in development and coming soon to Android and iOS. We will announce the date on this blog and on our home page.
Who is Jasper?
Jasper is the travel companion in World Tours Chess: a chocolate-brown cat with a royal-blue scarf, a gold knight charm and a folding chessboard he takes everywhere. His catchphrase is "Every move is a new adventure!"
Will World Tours Chess be free?
Like the rest of the World Tours series, it will be free to download.
Is World Tours Chess for beginners?
Yes. It is being made for players of every level, including people who are just learning how the pieces move.
