IMHO.

Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess vs Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age

Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess and Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age 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. Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess (2021) is 2 years older than Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age (2023). Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess is free; Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age is paid (2.99 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 Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess

Choose Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess if you want a Free To Play game with Steam Turn Notifications and Online PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess launched in 2021.

Choose Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age

Choose Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age launched in 2023.

Both Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess and Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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

Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess vs Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age — Steam metadata comparison
Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess — Steam game coverTafl Champions: Ancient ChessVikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age — Steam game coverVikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age
Released20212023
GenresStrategy, Free To PlayStrategy
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
PriceFree to play2.99 USD
Steam reviews8 reviews1 reviews
MultiplayerMulti-player, Cross-Platform MultiplayerMulti-player
DevelopersGritstone GamesAcroGames

Side by side

Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess vs Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age — FAQ

Should I play Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess or Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age first?
If you want chronology, Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess (2021) came out before Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age (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 Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess and Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age 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.
Is Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess free?
Yes — Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess is a free-to-play Steam title. Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age is paid (2.99 USD).
Does Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess vs Vikings Hnefatafl: Kings of the Dark Age · imho.run