Comparison

ARChess vs Blocks Away

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

Head to head
About

ARChess

Experience classic chess with an augmented reality twist. Enjoy a realistic 3D design and interactive gameplay on any flat surface. Take back moves, automatically rotate the board, and reposition it during your game.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality chess board projection
  • Realistic 3D design
  • Hot-seat multiplayer mode
  • Play against AI
  • Take back moves
  • Automatic board rotation
  • Board repositioning
Features
Read full description

Something simple and fundamental, like classic chess game, gets a real AR boost in this app. Now all chess fans can shift from their regular boards and enjoy the game on the phone. With super cool 3D design, it’s now more realistic than ever. For starters, the functionality is limited to hot-seat game mode, i.e. two players play on 1 device or 1 player conduct a battle with the machine. We decided to leave something from a classic indoor game, at least players can discuss the game in real or beat a computer genius. In the future versions, it will be possible to support multi device mode to play the game by two players remotely on one chess board. Furthermore, chess tournaments, results saving ranking table are in the plan. We’ve used the ARKit in surface recognition (any contrasting horizontal surface can be used for chess board projection). Besides, we’ve taken into account the main complaints and wishes on the chess app market. Unlike the majority on the App Store, our app allows: - taking back moves (if you accidentally drop the piece on the wrong square, now there is an option to correct it) - automatically turning board around when playing - repositioning a board during the game Chess is our favorite office game. This ARChess app gives a new life to the classic game, moving it to the ‘new dimension’.

About

Blocks Away

A relaxing block-dropping puzzle game where you clear lines to score points and earn rewards. Enjoy daily rewards and power-ups to enhance your gameplay. Perfect for unwinding and clearing your mind.

Highlights
  • Block dropping gameplay
  • Line clearing mechanics
  • Score accumulation
  • Reward system (rotates, undos)
  • Daily rewards
  • High score challenges
Read full description

Turn on, switch off and tune out with Blocks Away — the latest block dropping, line clearing craze. Make some “you-time”, recharge your batteries and clear your mind with this super simple block puzzle. Simply drop blocks, clear lines, amass points and earn rewards. R E W A R D S — Win rotates, reshuffles, undos and point multipliers. Come back each day for a free daily reward, or win them by clearing lines and beating your high score. So what are you waiting for — Go get your blocks in order. NEED HELP? If you need help or want to make a suggestion, just drop us an email — https://www.EighteenDegrees.com/Help

Screenshots

ARChess3 screens
Blocks Away4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Blocks Away at 4.8 against ARChess's 4.2. ARChess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 13 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support 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

Blocks Away holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 6 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARChess ships an update every 5 weeks, Blocks Away every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and June 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ARChess versus Blocks Away: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARChessBlocks Away
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (16 ratings)4.8 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings16 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 13 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.1
Further details — not scored
Size308 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCHISW Development LTDAdam Wasiak

Customer experience

ARChess

All ratings16 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

Blocks Away

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ARChess

No in-app purchases

None

Blocks Away

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ARChess free?
ARChess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Blocks Away free?
Blocks Away is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ARChess or Blocks Away?
Blocks Away is rated higher. ARChess averages 4.2 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Blocks Away averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.
Do ARChess or Blocks Away have ads?
Blocks Away shows ads; ARChess does not.
Which is updated more often, ARChess or Blocks Away?
ARChess ships an update every 5 weeks, and Blocks Away every 13 months. Most recently, ARChess was updated on June 1, 2026 and Blocks Away on June 25, 2026.

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