Play Super Tsume Shougi 1000 (Japan) Online

Super Tsume Shougi 1000 (Japan) is one of those SNES games that doesn’t look like much at first glance—until you realize it’s basically a thousand little chess puzzles designed to melt your brain in the best way possible. No full matches here, just tight, brutal scenarios where you’ve got to checkmate the opponent in a set number of moves. It’s shougi (Japanese chess) stripped down to its purest, most punishing form.

The first few puzzles ease you in, but don’t get comfortable—some of these solutions are downright sneaky. I remember staring at the board for way too long before realizing I had to sacrifice a piece in the dumbest-looking way possible. The lack of flashy graphics doesn’t matter when you’re too busy muttering at the screen over a single misplaced move.

If you’re into shougi, this is like finding a dusty old training manual full of devious tricks. If you’re new? Well, expect a steep but weirdly satisfying climb. Either way, it’s the kind of game that makes you feel like a genius when you finally crack a tough one.