Comparison

Pop 8 vs Not Chess

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

Head to head
About

Pop 8

A classic puzzle game where players match numbered tiles to clear the board. Score points by popping tiles and creating chain reactions. Develop strategies to achieve the highest score before the board fills.

Highlights
  • Number matching gameplay
  • Chain reaction scoring
  • Develop strategic tactics
  • Hone puzzle-solving skills
  • Relaxing and challenging
Features
Read full description

Pop 8 is a fun new classic – simple to play but challenging to master. To pop a tile, simply match the number of adjacent tiles with the number on the tile. Score a point for each tile you pop, plus bonus points for creating chain reactions and popping multiple tiles at the same time. Hone your skills and develop new tactics to score as many points as you can before the board fills up.

About

Not Chess

This mind-bending puzzle game uses simplified chess rules. Collect pieces to gain their abilities and strategize your way to the coin. Enjoy a stress-free, offline experience with adjustable difficulty levels and a relaxing soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Piece inheritance mechanics
  • Coin collection objective
  • 3 difficulty levels
  • Zen color palettes
  • Relaxing soundtrack
  • Offline play
  • Haptic feedback
Features
Read full description

Wait, if this game is NOT chess, then what is it? It's a mind blowing puzzle game with some simple chess rules and a few special ingredients to make it fun and challenging for everyone! •How to play? You start with one single piece. Across the board, there are a few chess pieces strategically placed. When you take a chess piece, you become that piece and inherit its abilities. The level is complete when you collect the coin. •Who is this for? It doesn’t matter if you have no idea how to play chess or if you are a chess grandmaster. This game is for everyone. The tutorial covers all the required information in a fun, interactive way. •Challenging? While this game is not chess, some levels will have a higher difficulty, requiring careful planning and strategy, making this a great way to put your brain muscle to work. •Features: - 3 Difficulty levels: easy, medium and hard; with limited moves and limited time to complete the levels. - Zen color palettes and relaxing soundtrack - Game Center. - No ads, no in-app purchases; buy it once and enjoy it forever. - Haptic Feedback. - Optimized for all devices; - Simple controls, suitable for any age. - Play Offline, no internet connection required to play - No violence, stress-free; play at your own pace. •Developer notes: Thank you for playing “not chess”. I put a lot of love and effort into making this game. Don’t forget to review the game and share it with your friends. Use #notchess on social media!

Screenshots

Pop 84 screens
Not Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Not Chess at 70% against Pop 8's 0%. Not Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 16 months). Pop 8's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99). On in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pop 8 is free to download; Not Chess costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Not Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Not Chess has 266 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Pop 8's written reviews are positive against 70% of Not Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pop 8 ships an update every 16 months, Not Chess every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Pop 8 versus Not Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPop 8Not Chess
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.2 (6 ratings)4.4 (266 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews69.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6266 — better
Update frequencyEvery 16 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCubiTepes Ovidiu

Customer experience

Pop 8

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Not Chess

All ratings265 ratings
Positive87.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive69.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative17.2%

Bugs and requests

Pop 8

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Not Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Levels freezing or becoming unsolvable
  • Inconsistent difficulty across levels
  • Pieces not functioning correctly in some puzzles

Requested features

5 requests
  • More levels and increased difficulty
  • Option to customize colors and accessibility settings
  • Auto-advance to next level after completion
  • User-generated puzzles or challenges
  • Scoring system and achievements

In-app purchases

None

Pop 8

No in-app purchases

None

Not Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pop 8 free?
Pop 8 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Not Chess free?
Not Chess costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pop 8 or Not Chess?
Not Chess is rated higher. Pop 8 averages 4.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Not Chess averages 4.4 from 266 ratings.
Do Pop 8 or Not Chess have ads?
Pop 8 shows ads; Not Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Pop 8 or Not Chess?
Pop 8 ships an update every 16 months, and Not Chess every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pop 8 was updated on October 24, 2026 and Not Chess on October 27, 2026.

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