Choose Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition
Choose Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 36% cheaper on the Steam Store. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition launched in 2016.
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition vs Chess Cubed
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and Chess Cubed both land in Sports, 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 Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) is 2 years older than Chess Cubed (2018). Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is currently ~36% cheaper on Steam than Chess Cubed (6.39 USD vs. 9.99 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 Chess Cubed
Choose Chess Cubed if you want an Early Access game with Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and PvP. Chess Cubed launched in 2018.
Both Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and Chess Cubed sit in Sports, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen, 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 |  Chess Cubed | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 6.39 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.5% positive (102 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Ripstone | Default Software LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) is 2 years older than Chess Cubed (2018).
- Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is currently ~36% cheaper on Steam than Chess Cubed (6.39 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Chess Cubed has no Deck rating yet.
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition vs Chess Cubed — FAQ
- Should I play Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition or Chess Cubed first?
- If you want chronology, Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) came out before Chess Cubed (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 Chess Cubed similar?
- They overlap on Sports, 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 Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Chess Cubed doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.