Choose Relik
Choose Relik if you want a Free To Play and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Relik launched in 2017.
Relik vs Lazy Chess
Relik and Lazy Chess both land in 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Relik (2017) is 4 years older than Lazy Chess (2021). Relik scores higher on Steam reviews (76% positive) than Lazy Chess (60% 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 Lazy Chess
Choose Lazy Chess if you want a Casual game with Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Lazy Chess launched in 2021.
Both Relik and Lazy Chess sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, 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
 Relik |  Lazy Chess | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Early Access | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76% positive (104 reviews) | 60% positive (10 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Iron 27 | Christopher Cinq-Mars Jarvis |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Relik (2017) is 4 years older than Lazy Chess (2021).
- Relik scores higher on Steam reviews (76% positive) than Lazy Chess (60% positive).
- Relik is free; Lazy Chess is paid (2.99 USD).
- Relik is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Lazy Chess has no Deck rating yet.
Relik vs Lazy Chess — FAQ
- Should I play Relik or Lazy Chess first?
- If you want chronology, Relik (2017) came out before Lazy Chess (2021). 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 Relik and Lazy Chess similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Is Relik free?
- Yes — Relik is a free-to-play Steam title. Lazy Chess is paid (2.99 USD).
- Does Relik run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Relik is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Lazy Chess doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.