Mini Chess vs Grid Control
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!
Grid Control
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A 4x4 Tic Tac Toe game with a twist: you can't move in the same row or column as the previous move made by the opponent. Features: - Single Player: Face against a skilled artificial intelligence across 8 difficulty levels. One must learn to master Control of the Grid in order to defeat all 8 levels and the difficulty automatically adjusts based on your win/lose results. - Local Multiplayer: Challenge an in-person friend by playing a friendly match on the same device. - Online Multiplayer: Face an opponent that could be anywhere else in the world and see who has better control of the grid. Matches are based on a first-come first-serve basis at this point.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Grid Control at none against Mini Chess's 1. Grid Control also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Mini Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 19 months). On price and device support 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. Grid Control asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mini Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Grid Control every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mini Chess | Grid Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (345 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 345 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 19 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OutOfTheBit Ltd | Cory Harasha |
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
Grid Control
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Mini Chess
- Remove Ads$1.99
Grid Control
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mini Chess free?
Is Grid Control free?
Do Mini Chess or Grid Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mini Chess or Grid Control?
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