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.
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
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.
- Chess roguelike gameplay
- Procedurally generated maps
- Novel chess pieces and relics
- Synergy discovery
- Multiple game modes (story, infinity, practice)
- Single-device multiplayer
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Really Bad Chess | The Ouroboros King |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (1.6K ratings) | 3.8 (62 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.3% of reviews | 61.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K — better | 62 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 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 | 175 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | Oriol Cosp |
Customer experience
Really Bad Chess
The Ouroboros King
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
Really Bad Chess
- 100 Undos$0.99
- Full Game Unlock$3.99
The Ouroboros King
- Buy full game$7.99
Questions
Is Really Bad Chess free?
Is The Ouroboros King free?
Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess or The Ouroboros King?
Do Really Bad Chess or The Ouroboros King have ads?
Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess or The Ouroboros King?
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