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The Chess Variants Club vs Fritz 18 Steam Edition

The Chess Variants Club and Fritz 18 Steam Edition 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. The Chess Variants Club (2020) is 2 years older than Fritz 18 Steam Edition (2022). The Chess Variants Club is currently ~94% cheaper on Steam than Fritz 18 Steam Edition (4.99 USD vs. 79.99 USD). 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 The Chess Variants Club

Choose The Chess Variants Club if you want a Sports, Indie, and Simulation game with Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 94% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Chess Variants Club launched in 2020.

Choose Fritz 18 Steam Edition

Choose Fritz 18 Steam Edition if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Fritz 18 Steam Edition launched in 2022.

Both The Chess Variants Club and Fritz 18 Steam Edition sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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

The Chess Variants Club vs Fritz 18 Steam Edition — Steam metadata comparison
The Chess Variants Club — Steam game coverThe Chess Variants ClubFritz 18 Steam Edition — Steam game coverFritz 18 Steam Edition
Released20202022
GenresSports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, CasualStrategy
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckUnratedUnrated
Price4.99 USD79.99 USD
Steam reviews95.7% positive (23 reviews)8 reviews
MultiplayerMulti-playerMulti-player
DevelopersMinimol GamesChessBase GmbH

Side by side

The Chess Variants Club vs Fritz 18 Steam Edition — FAQ

Should I play The Chess Variants Club or Fritz 18 Steam Edition first?
If you want chronology, The Chess Variants Club (2020) came out before Fritz 18 Steam Edition (2022). 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 The Chess Variants Club and Fritz 18 Steam Edition 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.
The Chess Variants Club vs Fritz 18 Steam Edition · imho.run