Choose Chess'Extra
Choose Chess'Extra if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Chess'Extra launched in 2020.
Chess'Extra vs Old Salt
Chess'Extra and Old Salt both land in Strategy, Indie 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Chess'Extra (2020) is 5 years older than Old Salt (2025). Chess'Extra is free; Old Salt is paid (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 Old Salt
Choose Old Salt if you want the LAN PvP, Adjustable Text Size, and Color Alternatives side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Old Salt launched in 2025.
Both Chess'Extra and Old Salt sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online 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
 Chess'Extra |  Old Salt | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Casual | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.8% positive (76 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | JFxGames | Kneeshaw Developments, Never Board Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Chess'Extra (2020) is 5 years older than Old Salt (2025).
- Chess'Extra is free; Old Salt is paid (14.99 USD).
Chess'Extra vs Old Salt — FAQ
- Should I play Chess'Extra or Old Salt first?
- If you want chronology, Chess'Extra (2020) came out before Old Salt (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 Chess'Extra and Old Salt similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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.
- Is Chess'Extra free?
- Yes — Chess'Extra is a free-to-play Steam title. Old Salt is paid (14.99 USD).