Choose Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition
Choose Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition if you want a Sports, Strategy, and Indie game with Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition launched in 2016.
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition vs Zen Chess: Mate in One
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and Zen Chess: Mate in One both land in 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 are Casual games on Steam. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) is 2 years older than Zen Chess: Mate in One (2018). Zen Chess: Mate in One scores higher on Steam reviews (88.7% positive) than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (73.5% 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 Zen Chess: Mate in One
Choose Zen Chess: Mate in One if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.7% positive across 212 reviews.
Both Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and Zen Chess: Mate in One sit in Casual on Steam, 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
 Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition |  Zen Chess: Mate in One | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 6.39 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.5% positive (102 reviews) | 88.7% positive (212 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ripstone | Minimol Games |
Side by side
- Both are Casual games on Steam.
- Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) is 2 years older than Zen Chess: Mate in One (2018).
- Zen Chess: Mate in One scores higher on Steam reviews (88.7% positive) than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (73.5% positive).
- Zen Chess: Mate in One is currently ~85% cheaper on Steam than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (0.99 USD vs. 6.39 USD).
- Steam Deck: Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is Deck Playable, Zen Chess: Mate in One is Deck Verified.
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition vs Zen Chess: Mate in One — FAQ
- Which is better, Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition or Zen Chess: Mate in One?
- On Steam reviews Zen Chess: Mate in One scores higher (88.7% positive) than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (73.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Zen Chess: Mate in One is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition or Zen Chess: Mate in One first?
- If you want chronology, Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) came out before Zen Chess: Mate in One (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 Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and Zen Chess: Mate in One similar?
- They overlap on 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 Zen Chess: Mate in One have multiplayer like Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition?
- No. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), while Zen Chess: Mate in One is listed as single-player only.