Comparison

Really Bad Chess vs Pocket Chess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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

About

Pocket Chess

Enhance your chess skills with hundreds of challenging chess problems and puzzles. This app focuses on simplified boards to help you quickly recognize chess patterns and improve your game.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of chess problems
  • Checkmate in 2 and 4 puzzles
  • Simplified boards for pattern recognition
  • Improve chess game
  • Learn chess patterns faster
Features
Read full description

Pocket Chess helps you improve and brush up on your Chess by offering hundreds of thought provoking Chess problems and Chess puzzles. From Checkmate in 2 to Checkmate in 4 and much more! Pocket Chess is a new way to learn and improve at Chess. Featuring boards that are small and simple, important pieces are in focus so that you can learn to recognise Chess patterns faster and quicker. Improve your Chess Game and Download Now for free!

Screenshots

Really Bad Chess4 screens
Pocket Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Chess at 4.6 against Really Bad Chess's 3.8. Pocket Chess also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 46%) and ratings volume (15K vs 1.6K). Really Bad Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Pocket Chess sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pocket Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Chess has 15K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Really Bad Chess's written reviews are positive against 61% of Pocket Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Pocket Chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Really Bad Chess versus Pocket Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReally Bad ChessPocket Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (1.6K ratings)4.6 (15K ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.3% of reviews61.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K15K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB199 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZach GageLessmore GmbH

Customer experience

Really Bad Chess

All ratings1,633 ratings
Positive66.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative24.4%
Written reviews611 reviews
Positive46.3%
Neutral16.4%
Negative37.3%

Pocket Chess

All ratings14,583 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews1,298 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative30.7%

User reviews

Really Bad Chess

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What 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

Pocket Chess

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Improved chess skills
  • 👍 Challenging yet fun puzzles
  • 🤩 Addictive and engaging
  • 🧠 Helps develop tactical thinking
  • 📈 Tracks progress and skill level

Room to improve

  • 🙄 Excessive ads
  • 💰 Expensive to remove ads
  • 🐛 Some puzzles have issues
  • 🤔 Opponent moves don't always make sense

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

Pocket Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Progress data loss
  • Incorrect checkmate solutions
  • Game freezing after certain moves

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to review past puzzles
  • More advanced puzzles and levels
  • Option to disable audio/music
  • Sync progress across devices

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Really Bad Chess

One-time2
  • 100 Undos$0.99
  • Full Game Unlock$3.99
7 purchases

Pocket Chess

One-time7
  • Small Coin Bundle$1.99
  • Remove Ads2 variants$4.99
  • Starter Package2 variants$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Event Offer$4.99
  • Medium Coin Bundle$5.99
  • Large Coin Bundle$11.99
  • Super Coin Bundle$25.99

Questions

Is Really Bad Chess free?
Really Bad Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pocket Chess free?
Pocket Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess or Pocket Chess?
Pocket Chess is rated higher. Really Bad Chess averages 3.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Pocket Chess averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.
Do Really Bad Chess or Pocket Chess have ads?
Both Really Bad Chess and Pocket Chess show ads.
Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess or Pocket Chess?
Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pocket Chess every 2 months. Most recently, Really Bad Chess was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pocket Chess on September 27, 2026.

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