# Hootle Xiangqi — Learn Chinese chess, all ages

> Learn Chinese chess, all ages (iPhone/iPad app by NETS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hootle-xiangqi/id6824367773 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [NETS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1222084233)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 28 MB
- Languages: American English, Chinese (Simplified, China), Thai, Vietnamese
- Released: 2026-10-23
- Data updated: 2026-11-10

## What is Hootle Xiangqi?

Hootle Xiangqi teaches xiangqi, Chinese chess, from the very first move to the famous checkmates, and then gives you robots to beat. It is gentle enough for a child of six and thorough enough for a grown-up starting from zero.

XIANGQI SCHOOL
Ten chapters, 122 short lessons and more than 300 puzzles and games, taught by Hootle the owl and the robots of the ladder. Each lesson shows one idea on a real board, lets you try it, and reads every line aloud.
1. The board and the pieces: the river, the palace, and how every piece moves
2. Capturing and defending: what pieces are worth, the cannon's screen, the blocked horse
3. Check and checkmate, and the xiangqi rule that a general with no move loses
4. Rules and notation: the facing generals, perpetual check, draws, and reading "C2=5"
5. Starting the game: the central cannon, screen horses, traps to avoid
6. Tactics: forks, pins, discovered checks, double check and the sacrifice
7. Famous checkmates: double chariots, horse and cannon, double cannons, the iron bolt and more
8. Endgames: winning with a chariot, a soldier, a horse or a cannon
9. Making a plan: open lines, horses across the river, attacking a weak palace
10. Grand review, ending with games against the strongest robots
Chapters open one after another, so you always know what to learn next.

REAL PIECES
Every piece is a wooden disc with the Chinese character of a real set, and one lesson teaches how to read them.

TEN ROBOTS TO BEAT
Climb a ladder of ten robot players, from Baby Chick, who is just learning, through Clever Fox, Professor Owl and Fire Dragon, up to Mega Brain. Play Red or Black. Every robot plays a little stronger than the one before, so each win feels earned.

SAFE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
- Free to try: the first two chapters and three robots. One purchase unlocks everything else, for good. No ads, no subscription, no accounts
- No analytics and no tracking; nothing about you or your child leaves the device
- Works without the internet (except to fetch the narrator's voice the first time)
- Lessons read aloud, and that can be turned off
- In English, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Thai, starting in the device's own language
- Friendly clay robots and gentle music

Hootle Xiangqi comes from the makers of Hootle, a set of learning games for children.

Privacy policy: https://xiangqi.hootle.app/privacy

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all of Hootle Xiangqi | $4.99 | one-time |


## Is Hootle Xiangqi safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Hootle Xiangqi.

## Is Hootle Xiangqi legit?

Hootle Xiangqi appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Hootle Xiangqi is 75 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5.0 — 2026-11-10

Checkmate puzzles, better than ever: Hootle the owl explains every checkmate (double cannon, horse and cannon, double chariot and more), badges to collect, a Continue button, clearer hints and Show me, an owl that cheers and gasps, and the puzzles' own music and sounds.

### 1.4.0 — 2026-11-09

New: Checkmate puzzles! 90 positions from real masters' games, mate in 1, 2 or 3. Black looks strong and often threatens mate: strike first! With hints, Show me, stars and a celebration for every checkmate.

### 1.3.0 — 2026-11-08

Now in Chinese, Simplified and Traditional, read by a recorded voice. Nine new lessons (no endless chasing, touch-move, trapping a piece, famous horse and cannon mates and more), a reason after every move and every Hint, and new music.

### 1.2.0 — 2026-11-06

New look: wooden pieces that lie on the board, with the Chinese characters of a real set.

### 1.1.0 — 2026-11-03

New: Two players. Play a friend on the same phone or tablet, taking turns.

## More apps by NETS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED

- [Npos](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/npos/id1592461954)
- [Măm Măm (Tiệm Bánh Ngon)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mam-mam-tiem-banh-ngon/id1619073822)
- [Wayfindy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wayfindy/id6741843675)
- [Wayfindy Business](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wayfindy-business/id6758643491)
- [Hootle: Kids Learning Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hootle-kids-learning-games/id6816593753)
- [Hootle Tycoon: Property Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hootle-tycoon-property-game/id6819254847)

All apps by NETS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED: https://appshunter.io/developer/1222084233

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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 2026-11-10.*