Should I play Tabletop Simulator or Immersion Chess first?

If you want chronology, Tabletop Simulator (2015) came out before Immersion Chess (2017). 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 Tabletop Simulator and Immersion Chess similar?

They overlap on Strategy, 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.

Is Immersion Chess free?

Yes — Immersion Chess is a free-to-play Steam title. Tabletop Simulator is paid (19.99 USD).

Tabletop Simulator vs Immersion Chess

Tabletop Simulator and Immersion Chess both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Casual on Steam. Tabletop Simulator (2015) is 2 years older than Immersion Chess (2017). Tabletop Simulator scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Immersion Chess (55.6% 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 Tabletop Simulator

Choose Tabletop Simulator if you want an Indie, Simulation, and RPG game with Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 31,086 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Immersion Chess

Choose Immersion Chess if you want a Sports and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Immersion Chess launched in 2017.

Both Tabletop Simulator and Immersion Chess sit in Strategy and Casual 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.

Tabletop Simulator vs Immersion Chess — Steam metadata comparison
	Tabletop Simulator	Immersion Chess
Released	2015	2017
Genres	Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG, Casual	Sports, Strategy, Free To Play, Casual
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Unsupported	Unrated
Price	19.99 USD	Free to play
Steam reviews	96% positive (31,086 reviews)	55.6% positive (81 reviews)
Multiplayer	Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op	Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer
Developers	Berserk Games	Immersion

Side by side

Both share Strategy, Casual on Steam.
Tabletop Simulator (2015) is 2 years older than Immersion Chess (2017).
Tabletop Simulator scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Immersion Chess (55.6% positive).
Immersion Chess is free; Tabletop Simulator is paid (19.99 USD).
Tabletop Simulator has co-op; Immersion Chess does not.
Tabletop Simulator is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Immersion Chess has no Deck rating yet.