Chess you already know, rules you don't. Pieces have HP and gear. Shop between fights, stack gambits, roll the dice if you're feeling stupid. Lose the trial, lose the run.
Zeitnot is a roguelike on a chessboard. Pieces have health, attack, and a slot for a hat, a gun, or a shield. Taking a piece is a fight. If it still has HP, it stays on the square.
The shop opens. Buy pieces, gear, gambits, and scrolls. Set your formation, then walk into the next trial. Win and the run goes on. Lose your last life and it ends.
Gear sits on one piece, not the whole army
Gambits stay on for the run: extra damage, gold, a shot off to the side
Scrolls are one use. Freeze a patch of the board, swap two pieces, or stretch the board
The shop also has packs, dice, and a coin flip
No starting army wins every run. A pawn with a hook can matter more than the queen you brought in.
Play alone, or sit down with a friend.