Lichess similar games & best alternatives

Lichess - lichess_1.avif
Lichess - lichess_2.avif
Lichess - lichess_3.avif
Lichess - lichess_4.avif
Lichess - lichess_5.avif
Lichess - lichess_6.avif

Lichess

Web browser, Android • 2010

Should you play it?

What works

  • Completely free and open-source
  • Ad-free, minimalist interface
  • Powerful analysis and learning tools
  • Strong community and social features
  • Supports all skill levels from beginner to grandmaster

Things to keep in mind

  • Requires self-motivation for learning
  • Less guided experience for absolute beginners
  • Occasional cheating concerns in matchmaking
  • Limited mobile app polish compared to competitors
  • No narrative or fantasy elements

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Cricket 19

  • Chess.com

  • Qwilight

  • Intralism

  • Haxball

  • DDNet

Less social

Games that feels like Lichess but with less teamwork and cooperation

  • Just Xiangqi

  • Block Blast!

  • Hanafuda Legends

  • Geometry Dash

  • Quaver

  • Dustforce DX

More fantastical

Games that feels like Lichess but with more imaginative fiction

  • Hot Lava

  • Dota Underlords

  • Bloons TD 6

  • I wanna be the Creator

  • ShootMania Storm

  • Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition

Less survival-focused

Games that feels like Lichess but with less survival pressure

  • SurfsUp

  • Wordscapes

  • GeoGuessr

  • Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game

  • Mash Box

  • Super Video Golf

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Lichess: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Status, Fellowship, Cooperation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Fantasy, Story.

Last update: 05/08/2026