Choose BAO
Choose BAO if it's currently about 53% cheaper on the Steam Store. BAO launched in 2020.
BAO vs Canvas - The Board Game
BAO and Canvas - The Board Game 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. BAO (2020) is 5 years older than Canvas - The Board Game (2025). BAO is currently ~53% cheaper on Steam than Canvas - The Board Game (6.99 USD vs. 14.99 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 Canvas - The Board Game
Choose Canvas - The Board Game if you want an Indie and Casual game with Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Canvas - The Board Game launched in 2025.
Both BAO and Canvas - The Board Game sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and 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
 BAO |  Canvas - The Board Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 3 reviews | 93.3% positive (15 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | VMS Media | Mipmap Digital |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- BAO (2020) is 5 years older than Canvas - The Board Game (2025).
- BAO is currently ~53% cheaper on Steam than Canvas - The Board Game (6.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Canvas - The Board Game is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; BAO has no Deck rating yet.
BAO vs Canvas - The Board Game — FAQ
- Should I play BAO or Canvas - The Board Game first?
- If you want chronology, BAO (2020) came out before Canvas - The Board Game (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 BAO and Canvas - The Board Game 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.