Comparison

Once Upon a Tower vs Blindmate Chess

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

Head to head
About

Once Upon a Tower

Break free from your tower prison in this adventure game. Armed with a war hammer, you'll battle enemies and escape a dragon. Your rescue is up to you!

Highlights
  • Tower escape adventure
  • Battle enemies
  • Fight a dragon
  • Princess protagonist
  • Offline gameplay
Features
Read full description

Ever wanted to escape somewhere else? Ever felt like you were trapped in a high tower? Ever found yourself waiting for the valiant knight to save you? Wait no more! Cause he isn't coming -- No, really, he isn't. He was literally eaten by that guardian dragon over there. But fear no more, you have all you need to set yourself free. The brave knight left behind his war hammer, I'm sure you can put it to good use, right? You can beat the enemies. You can escape the dragon. YOU CAN DO THIS! Now let the adventure begin, once upon a tower.

About

Blindmate Chess

Features
Read full description

It is a chess app designed to be enjoyed with immersive 3D presentation. It supports matches against the CPU as well as local two-player play, with camera effects that make each move easier to follow. You can customize the look with different themes and piece sets, and in Blind Chess mode, games can be played entirely through voice input and spoken feedback. With support for both Japanese and English voice guidance, as well as voice packs, it offers a chess experience that can be enjoyed through both visuals and audio. Voice guidance is also available in regular matches. Follow both sides’ moves and player turns with spoken guidance, or choose CPU Voice to hear your opponent announce its moves and react to checks and results while you view the board. Choose your mode in Settings under Audio.

Screenshots

Once Upon a Tower4 screens
Blindmate Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Blindmate Chess at none against Once Upon a Tower's shown. Once Upon a Tower's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and device support (4 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases 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. Once Upon a Tower sells 24 one-off in-app purchases and Blindmate Chess sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Once Upon a Tower ships an update every 3 weeks, Blindmate Chess every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Once Upon a Tower versus Blindmate Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOnce Upon a TowerBlindmate Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.3K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size226 MB567 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperPomelo GamesShigeki Karouji

Bugs and requests

Once Upon a Tower

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes when watching ads
  • Progress resets after crashes
  • Challenges not tracking properly
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • More character/princess variety
  • Ability to save progress
  • Difficulty settings
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Level editor

Blindmate Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

24 purchases

Once Upon a Tower

One-time24
  • Oscura$0.99
  • Sigrid$0.99
  • Noriko$0.99
Show 21 more
  • Lives Pack x10$0.99
  • Myrina$0.99
  • Loriel$0.99
  • Denise$0.99
  • Ali'i$0.99
  • Lilith$0.99
  • Dragon scales x20$0.99
  • Lives Pack x25$0.99
  • Rita$0.99
  • Linda$0.99
  • Muffin$0.99
  • Xochi$0.99
  • Nzinga$0.99
  • Draculina$0.99
  • Lives Pack x25$1.99
  • Lives Pack x60$3.99
  • Dragon scales x100$3.99
  • Lives Pack x200$4.99
  • Lives Pack x200$9.99
  • Lives Pack x1,500$49.99
  • Lives Pack x9,999$99.99
8 purchases

Blindmate Chess

One-time8
  • Gold Slate Theme$0.49
  • Jade Ash Theme$0.49
  • Crimson Bone Theme$0.49
Show 5 more
  • Classic Piece Set$0.99
  • Sera Voice Pack$0.99
  • Noah Voice Pack$0.99
  • Mira Voice Pack$0.99
  • Kai Voice Pack$0.99

Questions

Is Once Upon a Tower free?
Once Upon a Tower is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Blindmate Chess free?
Blindmate Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Once Upon a Tower or Blindmate Chess have ads?
Once Upon a Tower shows ads; Blindmate Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Once Upon a Tower or Blindmate Chess?
Once Upon a Tower ships an update every 3 weeks, and Blindmate Chess every 6 months. Most recently, Once Upon a Tower was updated on October 22, 2026 and Blindmate Chess on October 16, 2026.

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