Choose Chinese Chess
Choose Chinese Chess if you want an Early Access game with Steam Leaderboards and Online PvP. Chinese Chess launched in 2017.
Chinese Chess vs The Chess Variants Club
Chinese Chess and The Chess Variants Club both land in Strategy, Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Chinese Chess (2017) is 3 years older than The Chess Variants Club (2020). The Chess Variants Club scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Chinese Chess (75% 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 The Chess Variants Club
Choose The Chess Variants Club if you want a Sports and Casual game with PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Chess Variants Club launched in 2020.
Both Chinese Chess and The Chess Variants Club sit in Strategy, Indie, and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Chinese Chess |  The Chess Variants Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75% positive (12 reviews) | 95.7% positive (23 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Wang Wenxi | Minimol Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Chinese Chess (2017) is 3 years older than The Chess Variants Club (2020).
- The Chess Variants Club scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Chinese Chess (75% positive).
- The Chess Variants Club is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Chinese Chess (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Chinese Chess vs The Chess Variants Club — FAQ
- Should I play Chinese Chess or The Chess Variants Club first?
- If you want chronology, Chinese Chess (2017) came out before The Chess Variants Club (2020). 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 Chinese Chess and The Chess Variants Club similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Simulation 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.