Choose Board Defenders
Choose Board Defenders if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Board Defenders launched in 2016.
Board Defenders vs Dice chess
Board Defenders and Dice chess 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. Board Defenders (2016) is 10 years older than Dice chess (2026). Dice chess is free; Board Defenders is paid (4.99 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 Dice chess
Choose Dice chess if you want a Free To Play game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Dice chess launched in 2026.
Both Board Defenders and Dice chess sit in Strategy, Indie, and 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
 Board Defenders |  Dice chess | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Ludus Studio | Actual indie game |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Board Defenders (2016) is 10 years older than Dice chess (2026).
- Dice chess is free; Board Defenders is paid (4.99 USD).
Board Defenders vs Dice chess — FAQ
- Should I play Board Defenders or Dice chess first?
- If you want chronology, Board Defenders (2016) came out before Dice chess (2026). 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 Board Defenders and Dice chess 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.
- Does Board Defenders have multiplayer like Dice chess?
- No. Dice chess supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Board Defenders is listed as single-player only.
- Is Dice chess free?
- Yes — Dice chess is a free-to-play Steam title. Board Defenders is paid (4.99 USD).