Mini Chess vs Dark Chess Tournament
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mini Chess
Enjoy a simplified, faster version of chess on your mobile device. Play against AI or a friend on a smaller board with fewer pieces. Ideal for beginners and quick matches.
- Simplified 6x6 chessboard
- Fewer pieces (no knights/bishops)
- Play against 3 AI levels
- Local multiplayer mode
- Quick matches
- Beginner-friendly
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The traditional game of chess made easier and quicker, perfect for iPhone and iPad. Download it now for free and start play in just 1 tap! Mini Chess is a modern simplified version of classic chess, perfect for playing on your phone and tablet, on your own, with 3 level of Artificial Intelligence, or with a friend on the same device (multiplayer). Play on a smaller chessboard (6x6), with less pieces (no knights and bishops) and have fun on more speedy matches than classic chess. Play straight away, with friends, online or solo, and every match takes just minutes. Mini Chess is also perfect for kids to start play the all-time-favourite classic board game. Kids and beginners will find it so easy to learn and to enjoy in just 1 tap and experts will love the new challenge of playing in a different setting. Thanks for playing!
Dark Chess Tournament
Experience a tactical chess variant with a "Fog of War" feature that conceals opposing pieces. Compete in live multiplayer matches and tournaments with the chance to win real prizes. Enjoy fast-paced gameplay and a rewarding loyalty program.
- Fog of War chess variant
- Live player vs player multiplayer
- Win prizes in tournaments
- Skillz eSports platform integration
- Loyalty program rewards
- Fast-paced gameplay
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Dark Chess Tournament is a game of chess with "Fog of War" feature, a chess variant with incomplete information. "Fog of War" conceals opposing armies. Enemy units become visible in proximity of one square around friendly units or within a striking move. Only the first unit under direct threat is shown. This adds a great amount of unpredictability and a scouting aspect to the game. Makes it exceptionally tactical. The goal of the game is not to checkmate the king, but to capture it. Failing to move the king out of check or moving him into check are legal moves. It can result in a capture and loss of the game. • Fast play, no time to get bored • Live player versus player multiplayer with winner takes all • Extra score for surviving the game and time bonus in async mode • Player with the most points wins • Compete against players of similar skill • Play in tournaments with actual rewards • Access the amazing loyalty program that rewards you for playing! Win Big Challenge people around the world with Skillz, a competition platform complete with leaderboards, trophies, physical or virtual prizes, and an amazing loyalty program that rewards you just for playing! Skillz: eSports for Everyone. Tournaments are available around the world but are not enabled in the following states: AZ, AR, CT, DE, LA, MT, SC, SD, and TN. Even if you don't live in a prize-enabled region, you can still play for fun with our virtual currency! If you have any questions about the Skillz system or cash tournaments please contact: support@skillz.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dark Chess Tournament at none against Mini Chess's 1. Dark Chess Tournament also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Mini Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (345 vs 45). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Mini Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Dark Chess Tournament asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mini Chess against 4.7 for Dark Chess Tournament. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mini Chess has 345 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Mini Chess's written reviews are positive against 88% of Dark Chess Tournament's.
Mini Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Dark Chess Tournament every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Mini Chess | Dark Chess Tournament |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (345 ratings) | 4.7 (45 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 345 — better | 45 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 227 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | OutOfTheBit Ltd | Tall Troll Games Ou |
Customer experience
Mini Chess
Dark Chess Tournament
Bugs and requests
Mini Chess
Reported bugs
5 issues- Checkmate declared incorrectly with viable moves available
- Queen positioned on wrong color
- AI allows illegal moves to prevent player from winning
- Stalemate not handled correctly
- Perpetual check rules unfairly favor opponent
Requested features
10 requests- Add Knights and Bishops to piece options
- Alternative piece combinations (2 Rooks + 2 Bishops)
- Randomized starting positions
- Landscape mode for iPad
- Random color assignment (white/black alternation)
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- Ability to play full traditional chess
- Create custom board feature
- Extremely hard difficulty level
- Physical board version
- Draw by repetition after 3 moves
Dark Chess Tournament
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Mini Chess
- Remove Ads$1.99
Dark Chess Tournament
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mini Chess free?
Is Dark Chess Tournament free?
Which has better reviews, Mini Chess or Dark Chess Tournament?
Do Mini Chess or Dark Chess Tournament have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mini Chess or Dark Chess Tournament?
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