# The Samurai Wars vs Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Samurai Wars at 53% against Chess's 0%. The Samurai Wars also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (63 vs 5). Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Samurai Wars sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Chess sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Samurai Wars holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Samurai Wars has 63 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of The Samurai Wars's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess's.

The Samurai Wars ships an update fortnightly, Chess every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Samurai Wars | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-samurai-wars/id1076867716/reviews)** | [3.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-samurai-warlords/id6749170257/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **63** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **52.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 266 MB | 733 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Keita Nagafuchi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1076867715) | [The Katana Connection Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829068763) |

## What reviewers say

### The Samurai Wars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-samurai-wars/id1076867716)

Engage in tactical warfare with historical samurai portraits. Command troops, utilize unique skills, and employ diplomacy, ninja tactics, and political maneuvering to conquer Japan. Collect over 400 samurais and 200 treasures.

**Highlights:** Tactical troop command, Unique samurai skills, Diplomatic activities, Ninja operations, Political maneuvering, Town development, Collectable warlords and treasures

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stone 100 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Available Samurai +1 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Scenario pack - Sekigahara | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove ADs | $6.99 | one-time |
| Stone 1000 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Stone 5000 | $39.99 | one-time |
| Stone 12000 | $89.99 | one-time |


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-samurai-warlords/id6749170257)

Experience a unique blend of classic chess strategy with intense samurai warfare. Engage in online multiplayer battles, solve challenging puzzles, and climb seasonal ladders with animated samurai pieces. Train offline against AI or learn new tactics with interactive lessons.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer chess, Samurai-themed animated pieces, 1,000+ chess puzzles, Seasonal ladders and tournaments, Offline AI training, Interactive chess lessons, Blitz and bullet modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Warden Tier Access | $4.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Warden | $4.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Rank | $4.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Champion to Warlord | $4.99 | one-time |
| Champion Tier Access | $14.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Champion | $14.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Warden to Warlord | $14.99 | one-time |
| Warlord Tier Access | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Samurai Wars free?

The Samurai Wars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess free?

Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Samurai Wars or Chess?

The Samurai Wars is rated higher. The Samurai Wars averages 4.1 out of 5 from 63 ratings, while Chess averages 3.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do The Samurai Wars or Chess have ads?

The Samurai Wars shows ads; Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Samurai Wars or Chess?

The Samurai Wars ships an update fortnightly, and Chess every 10 days. Most recently, The Samurai Wars was updated on November 2, 2026 and Chess on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*