Comparison

Highwind 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

Highwind

Control a paper plane with two buttons to shoot enemies and defend yourself. Upgrade your plane's capabilities and unlock new aircraft as you progress through randomly generated waves and different dimensions.

Highlights
  • Simple two-button controls
  • Unlockable planes with different stats
  • Upgradeable health, shield, and ammo
  • Randomly selected enemy waves
  • Multiple game styles including infinite mode
  • Minigames with unique mechanics
Features
Read full description

In Highwind you control a paper plane using only two buttons. You will destroy enemy planes and protect your own. Tapping the right side of the screen will shoot bullets and holding the left side will activate the shield. The shield blocks and reflects bullets back to your enemies. Fight different enemy planes and obstacles, each with different behavior. Travel to different dimensions and avoid obstacles on the way. As you progress through the game you will be able to purchase upgrades to your health, shield and ammo. Also, each time you beat a level you will get a power up that will help you defeat your enemies. Each time you play you will accumulate points that will unlock new planes and new game styles. Try to beat the game in each one of the different styles! Features -Simple controls: Play with only two buttons -Different game styles: Five variations of the game including an infinite mode -Minigames: Three additional sections with different mechanics -A different experience each play: Enemy waves are randomly selected from a predefined set -Upgrades and power ups: Purchase upgrades to your shield, ammo and health. Get a power up every level -Different airplanes: Unlock new airplanes with different stats

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

Highwind4 screens
Not Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Not Chess at every 4 weeks against Highwind's every 21 months. Not Chess also leads on ratings volume (265 vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Highwind's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On review sentiment, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Highwind costs $0.99 and Not Chess $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Highwind holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Not Chess has 265 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Highwind's written reviews are positive against 70% of Not Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Highwind ships an update every 21 months, Not Chess every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 19, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Highwind versus Not Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHighwindNot Chess
Price$0.99 — better$1.99
Rating4.8 (11 ratings) — better4.4 (265 ratings)
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews — better69.9% of reviews
Number of ratings11265 — better
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSelva InteractiveTepes Ovidiu

Customer experience

Highwind

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%

Not Chess

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

Bugs and requests

Highwind

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

Highwind

No in-app purchases

None

Not Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Highwind free?
Highwind costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Not Chess free?
Not Chess costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Highwind or Not Chess?
Highwind is rated higher. Highwind averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Not Chess averages 4.4 from 265 ratings.
Do Highwind or Not Chess have ads?
Neither Highwind nor Not Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Highwind or Not Chess?
Highwind ships an update every 21 months, and Not Chess every 4 weeks. Most recently, Highwind was updated on August 19, 2026 and Not Chess on September 16, 2026.

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