Choose Dark Chess
Choose Dark Chess if you want an Indie experience. Dark Chess launched in 2023.
Dark Chess vs ChessCraft
Dark Chess and ChessCraft both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. ChessCraft (2021) is 2 years older than Dark Chess (2023). ChessCraft scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Dark Chess (76.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose ChessCraft
Choose ChessCraft if you want a Casual game with Online PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 54% cheaper on the Steam Store. ChessCraft launched in 2021.
Both Dark Chess and ChessCraft sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Dark Chess |  ChessCraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 12.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.4% positive (72 reviews) | 94.8% positive (58 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Tall Troll Games | Stuart Spence |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- ChessCraft (2021) is 2 years older than Dark Chess (2023).
- ChessCraft scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Dark Chess (76.4% positive).
- ChessCraft is currently ~54% cheaper on Steam than Dark Chess (5.99 USD vs. 12.99 USD).
- Dark Chess is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; ChessCraft has no Deck rating yet.
Dark Chess vs ChessCraft — FAQ
- Should I play Dark Chess or ChessCraft first?
- If you want chronology, ChessCraft (2021) came out before Dark Chess (2023). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Dark Chess and ChessCraft similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Dark Chess run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dark Chess is rated Deck Playable by Valve. ChessCraft doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.