Choose Chess
Choose Chess if you want a Casual experience. Chess launched in 2017.
Chess vs Chess Cubed
Chess 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. Chess (2017) is 1 year older than Chess Cubed (2018). Chess Cubed is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Chess (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 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 experience. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Chess Cubed launched in 2018.
Both Chess and Chess Cubed sit in Sports, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online 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
 Chess |  Chess Cubed | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 0% positive (22 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | baKno Games | Default Software LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Chess (2017) is 1 year older than Chess Cubed (2018).
- Chess Cubed is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Chess (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
Chess vs Chess Cubed — FAQ
- Should I play Chess or Chess Cubed first?
- If you want chronology, Chess (2017) 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 Chess 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.