Choose Drifting Cloud
Choose Drifting Cloud if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. Drifting Cloud launched in 2018.
Drifting Cloud vs Checkmate Showdown
Drifting Cloud and Checkmate Showdown both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Drifting Cloud (2018) is 5 years older than Checkmate Showdown (2023). Drifting Cloud is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Checkmate Showdown (1.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Checkmate Showdown
Choose Checkmate Showdown if you want a Strategy game with Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Checkmate Showdown launched in 2023.
Both Drifting Cloud and Checkmate Showdown sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Drifting Cloud |  Checkmate Showdown | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 4 reviews | 80.3% positive (157 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | ROWAN FUTURE | BadRez Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Drifting Cloud (2018) is 5 years older than Checkmate Showdown (2023).
- Drifting Cloud is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Checkmate Showdown (1.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Checkmate Showdown is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Drifting Cloud has no Deck rating yet.
Drifting Cloud vs Checkmate Showdown — FAQ
- Should I play Drifting Cloud or Checkmate Showdown first?
- If you want chronology, Drifting Cloud (2018) came out before Checkmate Showdown (2023). 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 Drifting Cloud and Checkmate Showdown similar?
- They overlap on Action 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.