Comparison

xChess vs Inkboxes

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

Head to head
About

xChess

Enjoy a diverse collection of classic strategy board games in a single, user-friendly application. Play against a smart AI with multiple difficulty settings or challenge a friend locally. All games are available offline, with built-in rules and automatic saving for a seamless experience.

Highlights
  • Multiple classic board games
  • AI opponent with 5 difficulty levels
  • Local multiplayer (pass and play)
  • Offline play supported
  • Automatic game saving
  • Built-in rules and guides
  • Light and dark themes
Features
Read full description

xChess is a growing collection of classic strategy board games in one clean, fast app. Play a smart computer opponent with five difficulty levels, or pass the phone to a friend and play face to face. No account, no sign-up, and every game works offline. New games join the collection with app updates, and every one comes with the same computer opponent, built-in rules and automatic saving. GAMES IN THE COLLECTION Line up and connect • Gomoku – five in a row on a 15×15 board, Freestyle or Renju rules. • Pente – five in a row or five captured pairs on a 19×19 board. • Connect6 – six in a row, with two stones placed every turn. • Four in a Row – drop discs into columns: classic 7×6, PopOut, 8×7, 9×6 and Five. • Tic-Tac-Toe – classic 3×3, Wild 3×3, 4×4 and 5×5. Capture and control • Reversi – flip discs and own the board on 6×6, 8×8 or 10×10. • Ataxx – clone, jump and convert your opponent's pieces on a 7×7 board. • Dots & Boxes – draw lines, close boxes and earn an extra turn. Jump and race • Checkers – 10 draughts rule sets: English, International, Russian, Brazilian, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Pool, Frisian and Canadian. • Breakthrough – race a piece to the far side with forward steps and diagonal captures. PLAY YOUR WAY • vs Computer: five levels from Newbie to Hardest, so beginners and experienced players both get a real game. • Play with a friend: two players on one device, ideal for the table, the train or the classroom. • Pick the rule set or board size before every game, choose your side, and switch sides with one tap. • Undo a move when you slip, or resign and start fresh. LEARN AND IMPROVE • Clear rules and how-to-play guides for every game, built into the app. • Optional legal move hints show where you can play. • Live scoreboards show stones, captures, pairs or boxes as the game goes on. MADE FOR EVERY DAY • Every game in progress is saved automatically after each move – continue anytime from the Saved tab. • Works offline: perfect for flights and commutes. • Light and dark themes, haptic feedback, tablet support. • Available in English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian and Turkish. FREE TO PLAY xChess is free and supported by ads. A single one-time purchase removes all ads for good. There is no subscription, and every game stays free with or without ads. Which game should we add next? Tell us at https://xchess.net – we read every message.

About

Inkboxes

This game reimagines a classic pencil-and-paper box-claiming challenge with a digital twist. Enjoy various game modes, customizable boards, and a sharp AI opponent, all playable offline. It offers a visually appealing experience with themes and animations, and tracks your progress privately on your device.

Highlights
  • Classic and reimagined game modes
  • Customizable board sizes
  • Challenging AI opponent
  • Pass & Play multiplayer
  • Two visual themes
  • Progress tracking
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Claim boxes. Build chains. Outsmart the Inkmaster- AI. Inkboxes takes the classic pencil-and-paper game and turns it into a beautiful, fast, on-device experience. Connect the dots, claim boxes, chain combos, and outsmart a razor-sharp AI — no account, no sign-up, no internet required. FOUR WAYS TO PLAY • Classic — the timeless rules, refined. • Blitz — race the clock in a timed showdown. • Power-Up — special moves that shake up the board. • Streak — line up your marks N-in-a-row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). PLAY YOUR WAY • Board sizes from 3×3 up to 10×10 — plus a custom grid. • Face a sharp AI across four difficulties: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert. • Or go head-to-head in Pass & Play on a single device. BEAUTIFUL BY DESIGN • Two hand-crafted themes: warm Paper (light) and vivid Neon (dark). • Satisfying haptics, chain-celebration bursts, and smooth animations. • Universal — looks stunning on iPhone and iPad, portrait or landscape. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Wins, losses, streaks, boxes claimed, and best times. • Eight achievements to unlock as you master the board. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT • Everything lives on your device. No accounts, no tracking, no data collection. Rediscover the game everyone knows — reimagined for your pocket. — Remove Ads is available as an auto-renewing subscription: • Yearly — $12.99/year • Monthly — $2.99/month Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your device's Account Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://neoninkbox.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://neoninkbox.com/privacy

Screenshots

xChess4 screens
Inkboxes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Inkboxes at 100% against xChess's 0%. Inkboxes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. xChess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Inkboxes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Inkboxes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of xChess's written reviews are positive against 100% of Inkboxes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

xChess ships an update every 3 weeks, Inkboxes every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
xChess versus Inkboxes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterxChessInkboxes
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLam NguyenECOMXCHANGEMV PRIVATE LIMITED

Customer experience

xChess

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Inkboxes

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

xChess

One-time4
  • 200 Coins$0.99
  • 500 Coins$1.99
  • 2,500 Coins$3.99
Show 1 more
  • Remove Ads$5.99
2 purchases

Inkboxes

Subscriptions2
  • Remove Ads (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Remove Ads (Yearly)$12.991 Year

Questions

Is xChess free?
xChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Inkboxes free?
Inkboxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, xChess or Inkboxes?
Inkboxes is rated higher. xChess averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Inkboxes averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do xChess or Inkboxes have ads?
Both xChess and Inkboxes show ads.
Which is updated more often, xChess or Inkboxes?
xChess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Inkboxes every 8 days. Most recently, xChess was updated on November 6, 2026 and Inkboxes on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons