Choose Chip's Challenge 1
Choose Chip's Challenge 1 if you want an Adventure and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Chip's Challenge 1 launched in 2015.
Chip's Challenge 1 vs Smart Gecko
Chip's Challenge 1 and Smart Gecko both land in Action, Strategy 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 Action, Strategy on Steam. Chip's Challenge 1 (2015) is 4 years older than Smart Gecko (2019). Chip's Challenge 1 is free; Smart Gecko is paid (3.99 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 Smart Gecko
Choose Smart Gecko if you want an Indie and Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Smart Gecko launched in 2019.
Both Chip's Challenge 1 and Smart Gecko sit in Action and Strategy 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
 Chip's Challenge 1 |  Smart Gecko | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Free To Play | Action, Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.7% positive (818 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Niffler Ltd. | Nayvos Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy on Steam.
- Chip's Challenge 1 (2015) is 4 years older than Smart Gecko (2019).
- Chip's Challenge 1 is free; Smart Gecko is paid (3.99 USD).
- Chip's Challenge 1 is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Smart Gecko has no Deck rating yet.
Chip's Challenge 1 vs Smart Gecko — FAQ
- Should I play Chip's Challenge 1 or Smart Gecko first?
- If you want chronology, Chip's Challenge 1 (2015) came out before Smart Gecko (2019). 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 Chip's Challenge 1 and Smart Gecko similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy 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 Chip's Challenge 1 free?
- Yes — Chip's Challenge 1 is a free-to-play Steam title. Smart Gecko is paid (3.99 USD).