Comparison

Ancient Battle vs Abalone Game

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

Head to head
About

Ancient Battle

Engage in classic historical battles with a vast array of ancient units. This strategy game offers multiple campaigns based on Alexander the Great's conquests, featuring improved AI and detailed combat analysis for a challenging wargaming experience.

Highlights
  • Multiple historical campaigns
  • Diverse ancient unit types
  • Improved AI and combat analysis
  • High Definition graphics
  • Universal app for iPhone and iPad
  • Detailed flank attack logic
Features
Read full description

Ancient Battle: Alexander delivers a unique wargaming experience on iPhone and iPad. Use Macedonian Phalangites, Greek Hoplites, Indian Elephants, Scythed Chariots, Persian Cavalry, Catapults, Archers, Slingers, and many other unit types to engage in classic battles. Based upon, and a major upgrade to, the game system developed for Ancient Battle: Rome. A game that was the No.1 strategy game on the App Store in 8 countries and reviews included: "Delivers everything one can expect from a strategy title" - Arcade Sushi "Smart, challenging, and surprisingly substantial strategy game" - Pocket Gamer Included in this version are three campaigns that allow you to refight Alexander’s battles in and around Greece and Macedonia, including the battle of Chaeronea. The second campaign follows his push to conquer the Achaemenid Persian Empire, while having to deal with rebellious Spartans in Greece. Finally Alexander’s campaign in India, ending in the epic battle of Hydaspes, with the Macedonian Pike Phalanx versus the masses of Indian Elephants. Major game system improvements on Ancient Battle: Rome include improved A.I., improved combat analysis system, better flank attack logic, better line of sight logic, Elephant Generals, and Greek Hoplites. Key Game Features: • High Definition Ancient Era Graphics. • 7 Mission Tutorial Campaign. • 4 Mission Agnostos Thule campaign. • 8 Mission Greece Campaign playable as the Macedonians or their opponents the Athenians, Thebans, Illyrians, Getae, Thracians and Triballians. • 7 Mission Persia Campaign playable as the Macedonians or their opponents the Achaemenid Persians and Spartans. • 5 Mission India Campaign playable as the Macedonians or their opponents the Classical Indians and Scythians. • 48 Unique Ancient Units. • Detailed Combat Analysis • Flank Attacks • Hours of Gameplay. • Universal App (Works on iPhone & iPad) Find us on Facebook - facebook.com/hexwar Follow us on Twitter - @HexWarGames

About

Abalone Game

This is a two-player abstract strategy board game where players push their opponent's marbles off the edge of a hexagonal board. The first player to push six opponent marbles wins. It's designed for iPad, with players facing each other across the device.

Highlights
  • Two-player abstract strategy
  • Push opponent's marbles off board
  • Hexagonal game board
  • Designed for iPad
  • Intuitive drag-and-drop controls
  • Confirm or undo moves
Read full description

Abalone is a two-player abstract strategy board game. Players are represented by opposing black and white marbles on a hexagonal board with the objective of pushing six of the opponent's marbles off the edge of the board. The present version is made for iPad, and the players shoud stay on the opposite short sides of the iPad, in front of each other. One player gets the black marbles and the second the white ones. The board consists of 61 hexagonal cells. Each player has 14 marbles that rest in the spaces and are initially automatically arranged as the game begins. The players take turns with the black marbles moving first. For each move, a player moves a straight line of one, two or three marbles of one color one space in one of six directions. The move can be either broadside / arrow-like (parallel to the line of marbles) or in-line / in a line (serial in respect to the line of marbles). The marbles should be moved one at a time, dragging them with a finger, and dropping them on the destination cells. If the move of two or three is longitudinal, i.e. in the same direction of the marble sequence, the leading piece must be moved first, followed by the second one, and (eventually) the tird one. After the moves are made, the player shoud confirm them, hitting the Confirm button, or cancel them, using the Undo button. A player can push their opponent's marbles (a "sumito") that are in a line to their own with an in-line move only. They can only push if the pushing line has more marbles than the pushed line (three can push one or two; two can push one). Marbles must be pushed to an empty space (i.e. not blocked by a marble) or off the board. The winner is the first player to push six of the opponent's marbles off of the edge of the board. The dynamics of the basic game may have one serious flaw: it seems that a good but conservative player can set up their marbles in a defensive wedge and ward off all attacks indefinitely. An attacker may try to outflank this wedge or lure it into traps, but such advances are often more dangerous to the attacker than the defender. Thus, from the starting position, it takes little skill and no imagination to avoid losing, and nothing in the rules prevents games from being interminable. The first player who succedes pushing six opponent's mables off the edge of the board wins the game.

Screenshots

Ancient Battle2 screens
Abalone Game1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Abalone Game at none against Ancient Battle's 2. Abalone Game also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Ancient Battle's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 0%) and rating (3.0 vs 2.7). On ads, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement 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

Ancient Battle costs $2.99 and Abalone Game $1.99 up front. Ancient Battle sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Abalone Game asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ancient Battle holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Ancient Battle's written reviews are positive against 0% of Abalone Game's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ancient Battle ships an update every 2 months, Abalone Game every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Ancient Battle versus Abalone Game: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAncient BattleAbalone Game
Price$2.99$1.99 — better
Rating3.0 (9 ratings) — better2.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.3 — better16.5
Further details — not scored
Size692 MB1 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHunted Cow Studios Ltd.Luigi Fonti

Customer experience

Ancient Battle

All ratings9 ratings
Positive44.4%
Neutral11.1%
Negative44.4%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

Abalone Game

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ancient Battle

One-time2
  • Persia Campaign$1.99
  • India Campaign$1.99
None

Abalone Game

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ancient Battle free?
Ancient Battle costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Abalone Game free?
Abalone Game costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ancient Battle or Abalone Game?
Ancient Battle is rated higher. Ancient Battle averages 3.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Abalone Game averages 2.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Ancient Battle or Abalone Game have ads?
Neither Ancient Battle nor Abalone Game shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ancient Battle or Abalone Game?
Ancient Battle ships an update every 2 months, and Abalone Game every 4 days. Most recently, Ancient Battle was updated on October 24, 2026 and Abalone Game on October 24, 2026.

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