Choose Chess
Choose Chess if you want the Steam Leaderboards, Playable without Timed Input, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. Chess launched in 2024.
Chess vs Gomoku
Chess and Gomoku 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. Chess (2024) is 1 year older than Gomoku (2025). Gomoku is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Chess (3.99 USD vs. 7.99 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 Gomoku
Choose Gomoku if it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Gomoku launched in 2025.
Both Chess and Gomoku sit in Strategy and Casual 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
 Chess |  Gomoku | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Casual | Strategy, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.8% positive (33 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Popoko VM Games | Popoko VM Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Casual on Steam.
- Chess (2024) is 1 year older than Gomoku (2025).
- Gomoku is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Chess (3.99 USD vs. 7.99 USD).
- Chess is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Gomoku has no Deck rating yet.
Chess vs Gomoku — FAQ
- Should I play Chess or Gomoku first?
- If you want chronology, Chess (2024) came out before Gomoku (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 and Gomoku 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.
- Does Chess run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Chess is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Gomoku doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.