# Really Bad Chess vs Life

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Life at none against Really Bad Chess's 2. Life also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.0 vs 3.8). Really Bad Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 39 months) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 2). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Life asks for nothing beyond the download.

Life holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Really Bad Chess has 1.6K ratings behind it against 2, 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 33% of Life'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, Life every 39 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Really Bad Chess | Life |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/really-bad-chess/id1109751921/reviews) | **[4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-conways-dimension/id1244259031/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **46.3% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 39 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 125 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zach Gage](https://appshunter.io/developer/294263418) | [Jo Albright](https://appshunter.io/developer/579943399) |

## What reviewers say

### Really Bad Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/really-bad-chess/id1109751921)

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.

**Highlights:** Randomized chess piece sets, AI opponent challenges, Ranked, Daily, and Weekly modes, Freeplay practice mode, Local multiplayer (with IAP), Alternate color palettes (with IAP)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Undos | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full Game Unlock | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🤔 Unique and innovative concept
- 👍 Challenging and engaging
- ⭐ Great way to learn chess

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🕰️ Slow AI response times
- 💰 Paywalls for essential features
- 📺 Intrusive and excessive ads
- 🔁 Repetitive AI moves leading to stalemates

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces unable to move as per chess rules
- Game freezes and crashes
- Incorrect checkmate detection

**Requested features**

- Add draw conditions and stalemate rules
- Implement online/multiplayer mode
- Provide more difficulty settings
- Allow custom piece arrangements
- Sync progress across devices


### Life

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-conways-dimension/id1244259031)

Create and explore Conway's Game of Life simulations. Save and reuse your custom patterns, with the ability to pause, play, and clear the simulation board. Future updates will bring even more features.

**Highlights:** Conway's Game of Life simulation, Create reusable patterns, Pause and play simulations, Clear simulation board, Persistent patterns, User feedback for features

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Really Bad Chess free?

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

### Is Life free?

Life is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess or Life?

Life is rated higher. Really Bad Chess averages 3.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Life averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Really Bad Chess or Life have ads?

Really Bad Chess shows ads; Life does not.

### Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess or Life?

Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Life every 39 months. Most recently, Really Bad Chess was updated on October 23, 2026 and Life on October 24, 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.*