Choose Guards of the Gate
Choose Guards of the Gate if you want an Indie and RPG experience. Guards of the Gate launched in 2019.
Guards of the Gate vs Mana Chess
Guards of the Gate and Mana Chess both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Guards of the Gate (2019) is 3 years older than Mana Chess (2022). Mana Chess is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Guards of the Gate (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 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 Mana Chess
Choose Mana Chess if you want an Adventure and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Mana Chess launched in 2022.
Both Guards of the Gate and Mana Chess sit in Strategy on Steam, 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
 Guards of the Gate |  Mana Chess | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Strategy, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 65% positive (20 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Prince Game Studio | Good Measure Games |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Guards of the Gate (2019) is 3 years older than Mana Chess (2022).
- Mana Chess is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Guards of the Gate (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Guards of the Gate vs Mana Chess — FAQ
- Should I play Guards of the Gate or Mana Chess first?
- If you want chronology, Guards of the Gate (2019) came out before Mana Chess (2022). 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 Guards of the Gate and Mana Chess similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.