Comparison

Unlock! vs ChessBar

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

Head to head
About

Unlock!

This companion app enhances the Unlock! board game experience by providing clues, secret codes, and atmospheric music. It helps manage game progression, tracks scores, and adds to the escape room feel.

Highlights
  • Provides game clues
  • Enters secret codes
  • Atmospheric music
  • Manages countdown timer
  • Calculates game score
  • Enhances escape room feel
Features
Read full description

YOU NEED THE BOARDGAME UNLOCK! TO USE THIS APP. This companion app will allow you to experience the amazing adventures of the Unlock! board game based on the escape rooms model. Escape from a laboratory with a precious formula, save the world and overcome the archaeological traps of a lost island! ***/*** This application will allow you to experience the extraordinary adventures of Unlock! - an adventure cooperative board game - based on the escape rooms model. Infiltrate a Cold War laboratory and recover the serum that will save mankind! Thwart the plans of the despicable Professor Noside in this crazy cartoon-style adventure! Escape from the island of an eccentric antique collector and overcome its traps! ... Unlock! is a board game based on the escape rooms model. Search the rooms, find hidden objects, combine them, solve riddles, avoid traps ... and exit before the end of the countdown! The Unlock! application is a free “companion app”: you must use the Unlock! board game to enjoy it. This application will allow you to get valuable clues and enter secret codes you deciphered. It will also contribute to the atmosphere around the table with its music tailored to each adventure, awful penalties ... and fatal countdown! At the end of the game, it will give you your score calculated on the time you spent to complete the adventure, the number of penalties you collected, the number of clues you requested, etc. Unlock! is a game created by Cyril Demaegd, published by Space Cowboys and distributed by Asmodee (Game’s POS list available at www.asmodee.com .) Try the Unlock! game for free: Download “Elite” cards; game rules and tutorial available at www.spacecowboys.fr Unlock! Escape Adventures game (Release: February 2017) 2 to 6 players 60 minutes Ages 10 and up

About

ChessBar

Discover and join local, in-person chess meetups in bars and cafes. Connect with players of all skill levels for friendly matches and community events. Experience the joy of face-to-face chess in a relaxed atmosphere.

Highlights
  • Find local chess tournaments
  • Play against enthusiasts
  • Learn and improve your game
  • Experience over-the-board chess
  • Join a global community
  • Free chess events
Read full description

The ChessBar app helps you find and join friendly, real-life chess meetups in bars, cafés, and other cozy spots near you, all for free. Whether you’re a seasoned player, a beginner, or somewhere in between, ChessBar is an open community where everyone comes together for the joy of playing chess face to face. With ChessBar, you can: - Find local chess tournaments in just a few taps and play against other enthusiasts for free in warm, welcoming venues - Learn and improve your game by facing players of all levels over a drink, in a fun and relaxed atmosphere - Feel the thrill of over-the-board chess: experience the intensity of in-person matches, whether you’re playing for fun or aiming to qualify for the ChessBar finals - Join a growing community already active in dozens of cities across Europe, America and Africa, and meet fellow chess lovers wherever you go Our mission: bring the joy of over-the-board, free chess events to communities around the world. Download ChessBar today and rediscover the joy of real-life chess!

Screenshots

Unlock!4 screens
ChessBar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ChessBar at 89% against Unlock!'s 37%. ChessBar also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Unlock!'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ChessBar holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Unlock! has 243 ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Unlock!'s written reviews are positive against 89% of ChessBar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Unlock! ships an update every 3 weeks, ChessBar every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Unlock! versus ChessBar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnlock!ChessBar
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (243 ratings)4.8 (42 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.4% of reviews89.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings243 — better42
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0.0
Further details — not scored
Size833 MB109 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperJD EditionsChessLab

Customer experience

Unlock!

All ratings243 ratings
Positive53.1%
Neutral10.3%
Negative36.6%
Written reviews390 reviews
Positive37.4%
Neutral14.9%
Negative47.7%

ChessBar

All ratings42 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive89.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative5.4%

Bugs and requests

Unlock!

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Ticket to Ride final puzzle broken
  • Birmingham Murder app bug at game end
  • Enchanted Adventures AR/voice detection issues
  • Tonipal's Treasure app glitch
  • The Formula sound bug
Show 2 more
  • Nautilus sound not working
  • Unlock games not available in app

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add built-in calculator
  • Include play history and total score
  • Add accessibility features for hearing-impaired
  • Support landscape mode on iPad
  • Provide option to skip puzzles
Show 1 more
  • Add 'check steps' in hints before showing solution

ChessBar

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Unlock!

No in-app purchases

None

ChessBar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Unlock! free?
Unlock! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChessBar free?
ChessBar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Unlock! or ChessBar?
ChessBar is rated higher. Unlock! averages 3.3 out of 5 from 243 ratings, while ChessBar averages 4.8 from 42 ratings.
Do Unlock! or ChessBar have ads?
ChessBar shows ads; Unlock! does not.
Which is updated more often, Unlock! or ChessBar?
Unlock! ships an update every 3 weeks, and ChessBar every 3 days. Most recently, Unlock! was updated on October 26, 2026 and ChessBar on October 25, 2026.

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