Comparison

Really Bad Chess vs The Ouroboros King

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

The Ouroboros King

Engage in a unique chess roguelike experience, battling through procedurally generated maps and tactical skirmishes. Discover powerful synergies between novel chess pieces and relics to overcome challenges across different timelines. Unlock the full game with a single in-app purchase to explore all acts and content.

Highlights
  • Chess roguelike gameplay
  • Procedurally generated maps
  • Novel chess pieces and relics
  • Synergy discovery
  • Multiple game modes (story, infinity, practice)
  • Single-device multiplayer
Features
Read full description

Chess roguelike. The ad-free app contains 1 (of 3) acts and 22 (of 57 pieces). A single in-app purchase unlocks the full game. The Ouroboros King is a chess roguelike game where players must free the Kingdom of Thessalonia from the Coven across different timelines. Advance through a procedurally generated map, fight chess skirmishes and improve your army with novel chess pieces and relics. Discover synergies between pieces and relics to perfect your builds and enjoy the depth of chess tactics. After beating the main story, replay it with extra difficulty options or fight in an endless gauntlet in infinity mode. The game also features a practice mode that can be used for single-device multiplayer.

Screenshots

Really Bad Chess4 screens
The Ouroboros King4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Ouroboros King at none against Really Bad Chess's shown. The Ouroboros King also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 46%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Really Bad Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 62). On price, rating, 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 The Ouroboros King sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for Really Bad Chess against 3.8 for The Ouroboros King. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Really Bad Chess has 1.6K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of Really Bad Chess's written reviews are positive against 62% of The Ouroboros King's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, The Ouroboros King every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Really Bad Chess versus The Ouroboros King: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReally Bad ChessThe Ouroboros King
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (1.6K ratings)3.8 (62 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.3% of reviews61.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K — better62
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB175 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperZach GageOriol Cosp

Customer experience

Really Bad Chess

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

The Ouroboros King

All ratings62 ratings
Positive64.5%
Neutral14.5%
Negative21.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive61.8%
Neutral23.5%
Negative14.7%

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

The Ouroboros King

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Really Bad Chess

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

The Ouroboros King

One-time1
  • Buy full game$7.99

Questions

Is Really Bad Chess free?
Really Bad Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Ouroboros King free?
The Ouroboros King is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess or The Ouroboros King?
The Ouroboros King is rated higher. Really Bad Chess averages 3.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while The Ouroboros King averages 3.8 from 62 ratings.
Do Really Bad Chess or The Ouroboros King have ads?
Really Bad Chess shows ads; The Ouroboros King does not.
Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess or The Ouroboros King?
Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Ouroboros King every 5 months. Most recently, Really Bad Chess was updated on September 23, 2026 and The Ouroboros King on September 21, 2026.

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