# ToriShogi > Digital Tori Shogi variant with interactive tutorial and offline play. (iPhone/iPad app by Tomohiko Kanai.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/torishogi/id6790421256 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Tomohiko Kanai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812368591) - Category: Games, Education, Board, Strategy - Price: Free - Rating: 4.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 7 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-07-15 - Data updated: 2026-08-23 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/torishogi/id6790421256/reviews.md ## What is ToriShogi? ■ What is Tori Shogi? Tori Shogi ("bird shogi") is a Japanese chess variant born in the Edo period, traditionally attributed to Ōhashi Sōei, the ninth hereditary shogi Meijin. It is played on a compact 7×7 board with 16 pieces per side — and every piece is named after a bird. Guard your Phoenix, attack with a flock of Swallows, and promote your Falcon into the mighty Eagle. Unusually for an old shogi variant, captured pieces return to your hand and can be dropped back into play, just like in modern shogi. A small board with surprisingly deep tactics. New to the game? The app is built to teach you as you play. Choose Japanese or English at first launch — you can switch any time. ■ Learn as you play - Illustrated guide to all nine pieces: names, movements and promotions - Press and hold any piece during a game to see how it moves - The Swallow rules (the "three Swallows" and drop-mate prohibitions) and the mirrored left/right Quails, all explained ■ Game modes - Two Players: take turns on one iPhone or iPad - vs Computer: Beginner, Easy and Normal levels — a perfect sparring partner while you learn ■ Complete rules, faithfully implemented - Mandatory promotion: Falcon → Eagle, Swallow → Goose - Piece drops, the "three Swallows" rule, the swallow-drop-mate prohibition - Check and checkmate detection, repetition draws ■ Game records - Finished games are saved automatically; save mid-game any time - Replay your games move by move ■ Perfect for… - Shogi and chess players curious about variants - Quick but thoughtful games on a small board - Fans of Japanese tradition, birds and beautiful woodcraft - Playing with kids as a gateway into shogi Everything runs on your device — play offline, on a plane, anywhere. No ads, no in-app purchases, completely free. Enjoy the elegant bird chess of Edo Japan. ## Key features - Interactive piece guide - Learn-as-you-play tutorial - Two-player mode - AI opponent with multiple levels - Automatic game saving and replay - Offline play ## Recent user reviews (1 of 1) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/torishogi/id6790421256/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Almost accessible to the blind and visually impaired! *2026-07-15* I liked Reverie Journey so much that I started looking at other apps this developer has. I came across this Japanese chess variant and decided to download it and try it out. As mentioned before, I'm a totally blind iPhone user, so I use Voiceover to help me navigate the screen. Your ToriShogi game is ALMOST fully accessible with Voiceover. Learning the piece movements and learning the rules are fully accessible with Voiceover, but the gameplay itself is not. When I drag my finger across the 7x7 board, Voiceover should tell me the chess coordinate, and whether it is empty or has a piece on it; for instance, Voiceover should say, "A1, left quail, G1, right quail, B1, empty," etc. Right now, it's not doing that; it's just telling me the bird names in Japanese and not giving me any chess coordinates. If you could please fix it to where Voiceover speaks the chess coordinates of each square, and whether each square has a piece on it or is empty, I'd GREATLY appreciate it. It would be another chess variant I could add to my phone that would be fully accessible with Voiceover. So right now, it gets four stars. I will update my review once I see the game has been made more fully accessible to Voiceover users. **Developer response:** Thank you so much for this thoughtful review — it made our day. You were right: the board wasn't speaking coordinates. Version 1.1 fixes this. With VoiceOver, every square now announces its coordinate, piece and state exactly as you suggested ("A1, Black Left Quail", "B1, empty", "A4, empty, possible move"), pieces in hand are labeled, and your opponent's moves are spoken aloud ("Computer: Swallow to C5. Check."). We'd love to hear how it works for you. Thank you for helping make Tori Shogi accessible to everyone. ## Frequently asked questions about ToriShogi ### What is Tori Shogi? Tori Shogi, also known as 'bird shogi', is a Japanese chess variant played on a 7x7 board with 16 pieces per side, each named after a bird. It features unique gameplay mechanics like captured pieces returning to hand for re-drops. ### Does ToriShogi have ads? No, ToriShogi is completely free and does not contain any advertisements. You can enjoy the game without interruptions. ### Can I play ToriShogi offline? Yes, ToriShogi is designed to run entirely on your device, allowing you to play offline anywhere, including on a plane. ### How does ToriShogi teach new players? The app includes an illustrated guide to all nine pieces, explaining their names, movements, and promotions. You can also press and hold any piece during a game to see its possible moves. ### What game modes are available in ToriShogi? ToriShogi offers a 'Two Players' mode for local multiplayer on a single device and a 'vs Computer' mode with Beginner, Easy, and Normal difficulty levels. ### What are the specific rules of ToriShogi implemented in the app? The app faithfully implements rules such as mandatory promotion (Falcon to Eagle, Swallow to Goose), piece drops, the 'three Swallows' rule, the swallow-drop-mate prohibition, check and checkmate detection, and repetition draws. ### Can I save and review my games in ToriShogi? Yes, finished games are automatically saved, and you can save mid-game at any time. The app also allows you to replay your games move by move. ### What devices is ToriShogi available on? ToriShogi is available on iPhone and iPad devices, supporting a 4+ age rating. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 1.1 — 2026-07-18 Full VoiceOver support! - Every board square now announces its coordinate, piece and state (e.g. "A1, Black Left Quail") - Pieces in hand and all buttons are properly labeled - Your opponent's moves are spoken aloud ("Computer: Swallow to C5. Check.") Blind and low-vision players can now enjoy complete games. Thank you to the reviewer who requested this! ### 1.0 — 2026-07-15 No release notes. ## More apps by Tomohiko Kanai - [コスパる](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6745465814) - [ライフスライス](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6745732938) - [Code de Code](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-de-code/id6746745754) - [色日記](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6746977947) - [余命時計](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6747052388) - [継続ストップウォッチ](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6747702061) All apps by Tomohiko Kanai: https://appshunter.io/developer/1812368591 --- *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 2026-08-23.*