Really Bad Chess vs ™ Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Really Bad Chess
This app reimagines chess with completely randomized pieces, offering a fresh strategic challenge. It's perfect for both seasoned players seeking a new puzzle and beginners looking to learn the fundamentals in a fun, accessible way.
- Randomized chess piece sets
- AI opponent challenges
- Ranked, Daily, and Weekly modes
- Freeplay practice mode
- Local multiplayer (with IAP)
- Alternate color palettes (with IAP)
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Really Bad Chess is just like chess, but with totally random pieces. Try 8 Knights, 4 Bishops, and 3 pawns — why not? As heard on NPR's Weekend Edition 5 out of 5 Stars "An essential puzzle experience for anyone even remotely interested in strategy games" - TouchArcade Whether you play chess daily, or quit just after learning the rules, this small twist will open the door to an entire new world of chess. ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? The free version of Really Bad Chess lets you compete vs. an AI in Ranked, Daily, or Weekly Challenges. Improve your skills using the included Freeplay mode. A single in-app purchase unlocks Versus Mode so you can compete against your friends locally! It also removes ads, displays captured pieces, and adds soothing alternate color-palettes to choose from. ------REALLY BAD PRESS "Makes chess fun even if you’re really bad" - The Verge "Feels more modern than chess has ever felt" - Applenapps "Really Bad Chess takes a really bad idea and somehow manages to make it a lot of fun." - Pocket Gamer "Really good fun" - MacLife ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER Chess is one of those games I always wished I enjoyed, but its commitment to beauty, elegance, and perfect balance always turned me away. Really Bad Chess removes these boring restrictions and flips chess on its head. As much as random pieces change the game in some ways, I was really surprised to notice how much the game remains the same, and how powerful some pieces are — you've never truly struggled against a pawn until you've struggled against a pawn in the back row. For chess pros, Really Bad Chess will give you a new type of challenge — the pieces & the moves are the same, but you'll have to throw out your openings and your understanding of normal patterns of play. For novice chess players (like most of us), Really Bad Chess greatly opens up the game. Instead of starting by studying openings, in your first games you'll get to discover the joy (and challenge!) of learning how to checkmate. I hope you have as much fun with Really Bad Chess as much as I did making it. -zach
™ Chess
Engage in the timeless strategy of chess on your mobile device. Play against sophisticated AI opponents across multiple difficulty levels, or challenge friends and family. Features include an undo option, board editor, and customizable themes for a personalized experience.
- Play against AI
- Multiplayer matches
- Undo feature
- Board editor
- Customizable themes
- Game save/load
- Timed games
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Chess is a classic board game for quiet study, quick practice, local play, and relaxed online matches through Game Center. Play your way: - Start an online game through Game Center and play a casual no-time-limit match. - Practice against multiple AI difficulty levels. - Solve thousands of chess puzzles, including 777 newly added tactical positions. - Play local two-player games on the same device. - Save and load games when you want to continue later. - Set up custom positions with the board editor. - Customize boards, pieces, avatars, sounds, and themes. - Try timed games when you want a sharper challenge. This update also adds a seasonal football-themed board background and avatar for the 2026 world tournament season. Whether you want to train tactics, learn openings, play against AI, share a local game, or challenge another player online, Chess is built for comfortable play at your own pace.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ™ Chess at 4.5 against Really Bad Chess's 3.8. ™ Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (10K vs 1.6K). Really Bad Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (46% vs 37%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and ™ Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
™ Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ™ Chess has 10K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Really Bad Chess's written reviews are positive against 37% of ™ Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, ™ Chess every 4 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Really Bad Chess | ™ Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (1.6K ratings) | 4.5 (10K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.3% of reviews — better | 37.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | 10K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 112 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | VM Mobile Team |
Customer experience
Really Bad Chess
™ Chess
User reviews
Really Bad Chess
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🤔 Unique and innovative concept
- 👍 Challenging and engaging
- ⭐ Great way to learn chess
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🕰️ Slow AI response times
- 💰 Paywalls for essential features
- 📺 Intrusive and excessive ads
- 🔁 Repetitive AI moves leading to stalemates
™ Chess
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 🚀 Quick response times
- 💡 Variety of difficulty levels
- 🤩 Enjoyable for chess lovers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent difficulty levels
- 🤬 Overpowered AI on easy mode
- 💰 Too many ads
- 🤯 Frustrating for beginners
Bugs and requests
Really Bad Chess
Reported bugs
3 issues- Pieces unable to move as per chess rules
- Game freezes and crashes
- Incorrect checkmate detection
Requested features
5 requests- Add draw conditions and stalemate rules
- Implement online/multiplayer mode
- Provide more difficulty settings
- Allow custom piece arrangements
- Sync progress across devices
™ Chess
Reported bugs
3 issues- Illegal moves allowed by AI
- Incorrect draw detection
- Castling not functioning properly
Requested features
4 requests- Add more difficulty settings
- Allow under-promotion
- Improve AI difficulty scaling
- Reduce ads or offer paid version
In-app purchases
Really Bad Chess
- 100 Undos$0.99
- Full Game Unlock$3.99
™ Chess
- Premium$3.99
Questions
Is Really Bad Chess free?
Is ™ Chess free?
Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess or ™ Chess?
Do Really Bad Chess or ™ Chess have ads?
Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess or ™ Chess?
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