Choose Chinese Chess
Choose Chinese Chess if you want an Indie and Early Access experience. Chinese Chess launched in 2017.
Chinese Chess vs Chess Kingdom
Chinese Chess and Chess Kingdom both land in Strategy, 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, Simulation on Steam. Chinese Chess (2017) is 9 years older than Chess Kingdom (2026). Chess Kingdom scores higher on Steam reviews (100% 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 Chess Kingdom
Choose Chess Kingdom if you want a Casual game with Steam Turn Notifications and PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 65% cheaper on the Steam Store. Chess Kingdom launched in 2026.
Both Chinese Chess and Chess Kingdom sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards, 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 |  Chess Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Strategy, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 3.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75% positive (12 reviews) | 100% positive (14 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Wang Wenxi | Pinch Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Chinese Chess (2017) is 9 years older than Chess Kingdom (2026).
- Chess Kingdom scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Chinese Chess (75% positive).
- Chess Kingdom is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Chinese Chess (3.49 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Chinese Chess vs Chess Kingdom — FAQ
- Should I play Chinese Chess or Chess Kingdom first?
- If you want chronology, Chinese Chess (2017) came out before Chess Kingdom (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 Chinese Chess and Chess Kingdom similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.