Should I play Skulls of the Shogun or Hex Gambit first?

If you want chronology, Skulls of the Shogun (2013) came out before Hex Gambit (2018). 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 Skulls of the Shogun and Hex Gambit 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.

Does Skulls of the Shogun run on Steam Deck?

Yes — Skulls of the Shogun is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Hex Gambit doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.

Skulls of the Shogun vs Hex Gambit

Skulls of the Shogun and Hex Gambit 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. Skulls of the Shogun (2013) is 5 years older than Hex Gambit (2018). Skulls of the Shogun scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Hex Gambit (70% 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 Skulls of the Shogun

Choose Skulls of the Shogun if you want the Steam Leaderboards, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Skulls of the Shogun launched in 2013.

Choose Hex Gambit

Choose Hex Gambit if you want the Steam Turn Notifications, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Hex Gambit launched in 2018.

Both Skulls of the Shogun and Hex Gambit sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player 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.

Skulls of the Shogun vs Hex Gambit — Steam metadata comparison
	Skulls of the Shogun	Hex Gambit
Released	2013	2018
Genres	Strategy, Indie	Strategy, Indie
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Unrated
Price	9.99 USD	Price unknown
Steam reviews	89.5% positive (220 reviews)	70% positive (10 reviews)
Multiplayer	Multi-player	Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op
Developers	17-BIT	One Man Left Studios

Side by side

Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
Skulls of the Shogun (2013) is 5 years older than Hex Gambit (2018).
Skulls of the Shogun scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Hex Gambit (70% positive).
Hex Gambit has co-op; Skulls of the Shogun does not.
Skulls of the Shogun is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hex Gambit has no Deck rating yet.