IMHO.

The Chess Variants Club vs Master of Chess

The Chess Variants Club and Master of Chess both land in Sports, Simulation 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 share Sports, Simulation on Steam. The Chess Variants Club (2020) is 5 years older than Master of Chess (2025). The Chess Variants Club scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Master of Chess (83.3% 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 The Chess Variants Club

Choose The Chess Variants Club if you want a Strategy, Indie, and Casual game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Chess Variants Club launched in 2020.

Choose Master of Chess

Choose Master of Chess if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Master of Chess launched in 2025.

Both The Chess Variants Club and Master of Chess sit in Sports and Simulation on Steam, 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 Master of Chess — Steam metadata comparison
The Chess Variants Club — Steam game coverThe Chess Variants ClubMaster of Chess — Steam game coverMaster of Chess
Released20202025
GenresSports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, CasualSports, Simulation
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows, macOS
Steam DeckUnratedDeck Playable
Price4.99 USD19.99 USD
Steam reviews95.7% positive (23 reviews)83.3% positive (162 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-playerSingle-player only
DevelopersMinimol GamesBRANE

Side by side

The Chess Variants Club vs Master of Chess — FAQ

Should I play The Chess Variants Club or Master of Chess first?
If you want chronology, The Chess Variants Club (2020) came out before Master of Chess (2025). 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 Master of Chess similar?
They overlap on Sports, Simulation 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 Master of Chess have multiplayer like The Chess Variants Club?
No. The Chess Variants Club supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Master of Chess is listed as single-player only.
The Chess Variants Club vs Master of Chess (2026) · imho.run