# Not Chess — A puzzling chess-like game.

> A chess-inspired puzzle game with unique mechanics and strategic challenges. (iPhone/iPad app by Tepes Ovidiu.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/not-chess/id1535659343 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Tepes Ovidiu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1225592787)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Casual, Puzzle
- Price: $1.99
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 265 App Store ratings · 93 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 43 MB
- Released: 2020-12-08
- Data updated: 2026-08-18
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/not-chess/id1535659343/reviews.md

## What is Not Chess?

Wait, if this game is NOT chess, then what is it? It's a mind blowing puzzle game with some simple chess rules and a few special ingredients to make it fun and challenging for everyone! 
 
•How to play?
You start with one single piece. Across the board, there are a few chess pieces strategically placed. When you take a chess piece, you become that piece and inherit its abilities. The level is complete when you collect the coin.
 
•Who is this for?
It doesn’t matter if you have no idea how to play chess or if you are a chess grandmaster. This game is for everyone. The tutorial covers all the required information in a fun, interactive way.
 
•Challenging?
While this game is not chess, some levels will have a higher difficulty, requiring careful planning and strategy, making this a great way to put your brain muscle to work.
 
•Features:
- 3 Difficulty levels: easy, medium and hard; with limited moves and limited time to complete the levels.
- Zen color palettes and relaxing soundtrack
- Game Center.
- No ads, no in-app purchases; buy it once and enjoy it forever.
- Haptic Feedback.
- Optimized for all devices;
- Simple controls, suitable for any age.
- Play Offline, no internet connection required to play
- No violence, stress-free; play at your own pace.
 
•Developer notes:
Thank you for playing “not chess”. I put a lot of love and effort into making this game. Don’t forget to review the game and share it with your friends. Use #notchess on social media!

## Key features

- Piece inheritance mechanics
- Coin collection objective
- 3 difficulty levels
- Zen color palettes
- Relaxing soundtrack
- Offline play
- Haptic feedback

## What do users think of Not Chess?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Enjoyable puzzles
- 🚀 Unique twist on chess
- 💡 Helpful for learning chess basics
- 🎨 Pleasant visuals and animations

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of difficulty progression
- 🕹️ Clunky navigation between levels
- 🎨 Difficulty distinguishing pieces on some levels

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Levels freezing or becoming unsolvable
- Inconsistent difficulty across levels
- Pieces not functioning correctly in some puzzles

**Most requested features**

- More levels and increased difficulty
- Option to customize colors and accessibility settings
- Auto-advance to next level after completion
- User-generated puzzles or challenges
- Scoring system and achievements

## Recent user reviews (10 of 93)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/not-chess/id1535659343/reviews.md

### 3/5 — guides

*2026-05-14, version 1.5*

i have show guides selected but the guides keep turning off every time i move to a level or even during the game

### 5/5 — Terrific

*2026-05-06, version 1.5*

Wonderful zen like game. Puzzles are great!

### 5/5 — Chess fan

*2025-05-17, version 1.5*

I just casually play chess but this is a new and interesting type of puzzle that reinforces the basics and forces you to think out of the box. Love it!

### 5/5 — Super fun

*2025-04-20, version 1.5*

Enjoyable puzzles, totally worth trying this one out!

### 5/5 — Accessibility suggestions

*2025-04-20, version 1.5*

-Access settings without exiting game 
-Settings for 30fps 60fps 120fps
-Bigger "next level" and "reset" button, if bottom right will be great
-User generated puzzles?

### 4/5 — Cool Idea

*2025-04-17*

Way too easy if you know some chess rules. Community made Levels would be great

**Developer response:** Thank you for your review and for the suggestion! I’ll consider adding this feature in an upcoming update 🙌

### 4/5 — Love it

*2024-10-20*

Was a bit hesitant at first cause i’m not good at chess but i enjoy it a lot! Just can be a bit glitchy, after hitting button to go to next level it just sits there for 15-30 seconds, and sometimes the highlighted squares of where you can go aren’t there, but if you refresh it fixes it. Other then those i really like this game :)

### 2/5 — Great idea, not executed well

*2023-03-06, version 1.41*

It’s fine, but I was constantly waiting for it to get more difficult. I literally finished the game to make sure I could accurately report that it doesn’t get hard enough to play to the end.

### 4/5 — Good looking but no challenge

*2023-01-05*

4 stars if free, 3 otherwise.
Great idea, pretty, but no challenge and the fun vanishes quickly. Some very hard levels are easier than medium ones. Looks like it was finished in a hurry. More attention on level design would have been beneficial.

### 1/5 — lvl 87 unsolvable

*2022-10-26, version 1.41*

I hope I am wrong. Or this incomplete game can only be rated 1 star.

## Frequently asked questions about Not Chess

### What is Not Chess?

Not Chess is a puzzle game that incorporates simplified chess rules. Players start with a single piece and must collect other chess pieces on the board to inherit their abilities. The goal is to collect the coin to complete the level.

### How do you play Not Chess?

You begin with one piece and move across the board. When you capture a chess piece, you transform into that piece and gain its unique abilities. The level is won by collecting the coin, which is strategically placed on the board.

### Is Not Chess free to play?

No, Not Chess is a paid application. It offers a 'buy it once and enjoy it forever' model, meaning there are no ads or in-app purchases after the initial purchase.

### What devices is Not Chess compatible with?

The game is optimized for all devices, ensuring a smooth experience across various smartphones and tablets. It also supports offline play, meaning no internet connection is required to enjoy the game.

### Who is Not Chess for?

This game is designed for everyone, whether you're a chess grandmaster or have never played before. It features a tutorial to explain all necessary mechanics and offers a stress-free, play-at-your-own-pace experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5 — 2024-06-20

Good news, everyone. Not Chess got updated and upgraded. Here's what's new:
•Level flow: now you can smoothly progress from level to level without extra actions.
•Level Pack and New game mode: Sequence mode: discover a new way to play Not Chess
•Hide/Show guides: Up for a challenge? Try hiding the guides in the Settings for extra difficulty.

### 1.41 — 2021-03-26

Thanks for playing Not Chess! This update brings chess pun iMessage stickers :)

### 1.4 — 2021-01-07

Critical bug fix. Thanks for playing Not Chess!

### 1.3 — 2021-01-07

Fixed level 90! Thanks for playing Not Chess.

### 1.2 — 2021-01-05

- Added 25 new levels with an increased difficulty level.
- Reduced the time for the game over / complete level transitions.
- User interface optimizations

Thanks for playing Not Chess!

## Apps similar to Not Chess

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Chess.com - Play and Learn](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549) | 4.8 (807,166) | Free | Games |
| [Chess Royale](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250) | 4.5 (19,854) | Free | Games |
| [Chess ∙](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856) | 4.5 (204,953) | Free | Games |
| [Chess King - Learn to Play](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239) | 4.8 (2,481) | Free | Games |
| [Chess Universe - Play Online](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-universe-play-online/id1487204900) | 4.7 (5,989) | Free | Games |
| [Chess - Learn, Play & Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-play-and-trainer/id378161776) | 4.6 (1,523) | Free | Games |

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All apps by Tepes Ovidiu: https://appshunter.io/developer/1225592787

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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 2026-08-18.*