Chess-Based Wordle Developer Secures Funding from a16z Speedrun, Mark Pincus, and Eric Wu

Echo Chunk, an innovative company in the gaming sector, has successfully garnered $1.4 million during its pre-seed funding round. This financial boost comes courtesy of notable investors including a16z Speedrun (an early-stage accelerator by Andreessen Horowitz), Zynga’s founder Mark Pincus, South Park Commons (SPC), Eric Wu (founder and CEO of Opendoor), and Stef Corazza, who leads Generative AI initiatives at Roblox. Echo Chunk is the creator behind the Wordle-inspired chess puzzle, Echo Chess.

Echo Chunk’s founder and CEO, Sami Ramly, shared with TechCrunch that securing this investment aims to empower the community to craft an increased number of puzzles using AI technology. Though the company’s current focus lies on enhancing Echo Chess, they have an eye towards rolling out new gaming titles down the line.

Andreessen Horowitz’s partner, Josh Lu, expressed admiration for Echo Chunk’s innovative approach to chess. He highlighted the role of AI in enriching game creation and the active involvement of the community in generating new content.

“We are fully convinced that AI can amplify the creativity of game developers. The Echo Chess team is a prime example, having innovatively applied AI to revitalize their daily game’s format. This achievement was realized with remarkable speed and a compact team, alongside the cultivation of a dedicated player base engaged in daily new content. Such an endeavor would have been exceedingly challenging not long ago,” Lu remarked.

Echo Chess: The Game

The pandemic era saw the rise of the word-puzzle game Wordle, later acquired by The New York Times. Echo Chess aspires to broaden chess’s appeal with its innovative daily puzzles.

Players aim to capture all pieces on the board in Echo Chess, contrasting with traditional opponent-based play. The game introduces three modes: daily classic, daily epic, and the time-sensitive blitz mode. In blitz mode, players seek to capture as many pieces as possible to secure additional time for subsequent challenges.

Though not disclosing specific user metrics, Ramly, who previously spearheaded product development at VR startup Wevr, mentioned the game’s popularity among streamers and content creators.

Launching the Startup

According to Ramly, a lifelong strategy game aficionado, the advances in AI presented an untapped opportunity to reimagine chess. This new direction aimed at minimizing the learning curve for players.

“I envisioned AI not just enhancing game design but as a tool allowing for rapid iteration over strategy and puzzle elements. This vision laid the groundwork for Echo Chess and the establishment of Echo Chunk,” he explained.

Leveraging AI

Currently, Echo Chunk employs AI across three facets. Primarily, it enhances the blitz mode by dynamically generating new boards.

Furthermore, the company explores AI’s potential in multiplayer and new game modes, along with other gaming innovations. Echo Chunk is also enabling users to design new boards and puzzles via its Echo Maker platform, currently in alpha testing with selected community members.

Ramly emphasized that the company does not exploit user data for AI training but instead utilizes game states combined with supervised and deep learning techniques. He is optimistic about AI’s role as a creative companion for both users and game developers.

Looking Forward

With a core team of four, Echo Chunk is on the lookout for new talent with expertise in gaming and technology.

Currently, the focus is not on monetization; Echo Chunk intends to keep its web-based version accessible without charge. Ramly assures that should monetization strategies be implemented, they will prioritize maintaining an enjoyable gaming experience.

Echo Chess’s approach to integrating AI in puzzle creation has garnered positive feedback from industry veterans like Zynga’s Pincus and Roblox’s Corazza, both of whom foresee a great future in AI-assisted game design.