Choose Chess Brain
Choose Chess Brain if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. Chess Brain launched in 2020.
Chess Brain vs Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale
Chess Brain and Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale both land in Indie, Casual 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. Chess Brain (2020) is 3 years older than Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale (2023). Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Chess Brain (86.9% 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 Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale
Choose Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale launched in 2023.
Both Chess Brain and Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale sit in Indie and Casual 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
 Chess Brain |  Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.9% positive (61 reviews) | 100% positive (22 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Caio Flavio | Racoon & Sheep |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Chess Brain (2020) is 3 years older than Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale (2023).
- Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Chess Brain (86.9% positive).
- Chess Brain is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale (0.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Chess Brain is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale has no Deck rating yet.
Chess Brain vs Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale — FAQ
- Should I play Chess Brain or Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale first?
- If you want chronology, Chess Brain (2020) came out before Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale (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 Chess Brain and Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Casual 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 Chess Brain run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Chess Brain is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Nova: Cloudwalker's Tale doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.