# Chess Arcana — Fantasy chess with hero skills

> Fantasy chess with hero skills (iPhone/iPad app by YI LIU.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-arcana/id6785567686 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [YI LIU](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777746488)
- Category: Games, Board, Strategy
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 26 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish
- Released: 2026-07-07
- Data updated: 2026-08-21
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-arcana/id6785567686/reviews.md

## What is Chess Arcana?

Chess Arcana brings real chess to life with a fantasy twist. Play full FIDE-rule chess — checkmate, castling, en passant and promotion — against players worldwide through Game Center, then turn the tide with your champion's signature skill.

CHOOSE YOUR CHAMPION
Six heroes, six playstyles. Freeze the clock as the Chronomancer, leap like a Phantom Knight, shield an ally as the Aegis Queen, and more. Skills are tactical tools layered on top of real chess — never pay-to-win.

REAL CHESS, REAL CLOCKS
• Full standard rules: checkmate, stalemate, castling, en passant, underpromotion
• Blitz (3+2), Rapid (10 min) and Wild (8 min) time controls
• Live online matchmaking and friend invites via Game Center

COLLECT & COMPETE
• Unlock Phantom Knight free by finishing your first match
• Collector heroes sold separately, or save with the All Heroes Bundle
• Climb the rating ladder and track your record
• Full localization in ten languages

No stat boosts. No ads. Just chess, sharpened.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aegis Queen | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ember Bishop | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tempest Rook | $2.99 | one-time |
| Star Oracle | $3.99 | one-time |
| All Heroes Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |



## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6 — 2026-08-19

NEW SOUNDTRACK
• Real recorded music for the lobby and the board, drawn fresh each time you open the game

SHARPER ULTIMATES
• Phantom Jump now strikes where it lands, taking the piece on that square
• Cyclone sweeps every enemy around your rook, and crushes any with nowhere to go

A KINDER LADDER
• Your rating has a floor — a losing streak can't strand you
• Losses cost less the lower you go, so climbing back is quicker
• See your record split by Blitz, Rapid and Wild

LEADERBOARDS
• Tap More for the full top 100
• Real Game Center ranks, with your row pinned when you're outside the top

FIXES
• Colours are drawn at random, so you no longer open every game
• Fixed the shop not opening from the home screen
• Fixed a black screen when sharing a result
• An ultimate can no longer capture the king

### 1.5 — 2026-08-13

• Leaderboards now show your current rating, so your rank rises and falls with every match
• Fixed a black screen the first time you shared a match result

### 1.4 — 2026-08-11

Leaderboards, fixed and front and center:
• The ladder now appears right inside Arena — no extra taps
• Weekly, monthly and all-time boards in one place
• Fixed: scores earned before Game Center signed in are no longer lost

Also in this update:
• Fixed a rare bug where an ultimate could capture the king
• Phantom Knight now unlocks after playing 3 matches, win or lose
• Tidied up the home screen and match-result sharing

### 1.3 — 2026-07-29

Quality-of-life update:
• Skill button now dims when your ultimate can't be cast
• Share match results as a screenshot
• Resign anytime — leaving a match now counts as a loss
• Hero quest: win 3 matches to unlock Phantom Knight
• Set a custom name, or use your Game Center name
• Weekly leaderboard now resets every Monday

### 1.2 — 2026-07-25

All-new hero ultimates — each on a clear charge meter:
• Time Stop: play a move, then move again
• Phantom Jump: teleport your knight anywhere
• Divine Judgment & Inferno Burn: destroy enemy pieces
• Cyclone: blast adjacent enemies back
• Fate Twist: swap places with an enemy piece

Also new:
• Smarter computer opponents that scale with your rating
• Weekly, monthly and all-time Game Center leaderboards
• Faster matchmaking and a cleaner home screen

## More apps by YI LIU

- [Speak850: Basic English](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak850-basic-english/id6781350311)
- [Brain Recovery: Stroke Rehab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brain-recovery-stroke-rehab/id6783369392)
- [Estora](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/estora/id6791233756)
- [Antipode: Dig the Earth](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/antipode-dig-the-earth/id6794570049)

All apps by YI LIU: https://appshunter.io/developer/6777746488

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-21.*