Choose Simply Chess
Choose Simply Chess if you want a Free To Play game with Steam Leaderboards. Simply Chess launched in 2015.
Simply Chess vs Chess Ultra
Simply Chess and Chess Ultra both land in Strategy, Indie, 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, Indie, Casual on Steam. Simply Chess (2015) is 2 years older than Chess Ultra (2017). Simply Chess scores higher on Steam reviews (83.3% positive) than Chess Ultra (73.7% 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 Chess Ultra
Choose Chess Ultra if you want an Action, Sports, and Adventure game with Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,040 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Simply Chess and Chess Ultra sit in Strategy, Indie, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player and Steam Turn Notifications, 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
 Simply Chess |  Chess Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Sports, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | Price unknown | 12.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.3% positive (48 reviews) | 73.7% positive (1,040 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | BlueLine Games | Ripstone |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Simply Chess (2015) is 2 years older than Chess Ultra (2017).
- Simply Chess scores higher on Steam reviews (83.3% positive) than Chess Ultra (73.7% positive).
- Chess Ultra is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Simply Chess has no Deck rating yet.
Simply Chess vs Chess Ultra — FAQ
- Should I play Simply Chess or Chess Ultra first?
- If you want chronology, Simply Chess (2015) came out before Chess Ultra (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 Simply Chess and Chess Ultra similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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.