Go Game Connect vs Goban3D
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Go Game Connect
Play the ancient game of Go with friends on your iPhone or iPad. Connect two devices locally via WiFi or remotely using Game Center for real-time play. Features include adjustable board sizes, handicap stones, and automatic scoring.
- Play Go on iPhone and iPad
- Local WiFi or Game Center connection
- Adjustable board sizes (19x19, 13x13, 9x9)
- Handicap stone selection
- Automatic capture and illegal move detection
- Scoring for territories and captured stones
- Voice and text chat via Game Center
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Go Connect 1.4 allows you to play Go on iPhones and iPads using one shared device or two connected devices. The two connected devices share their board and their real-time moves through a local WiFi network or through Apple's Game Center. Using the Game Center, the two devices can be distant. This app does NOT 'play' Go itself - it is just a board and stones, not a player. You must know the basic rules of Go to use this app. * Select board size of 19x19 or 13x13 or 9x9 * Select number of handicap stones * Touch-and-drag or tap-and-tap to move stones from container * Touch-and-drag to move last moved stone again * Enlarge board with a single tap; return to full board with second tap; also responds to stretch and pinch finger gestures * Detects and removes captured stones * Detects and prevents illegal Ko moves * Play Board and separate Score Board * Scores Board scores indicated bordered territories and captured stones * Connect any two nearby devices together through WiFi * Play with distant friends using Apple's Game Center * Game Center voice chat and text messaging Is it free? The app - yes. The first 1000 stones come free with each device - try it. After that you must purchase (using IAP) stones for 3000 per $1 (about 10 cents per game). Purchased stones can be transferred from one device to other devices owned by the same user. Screenshots: 1) Example of game in mid-game; White has just played. (Actually this is the famous W160 move from 'The Game of the Century', 1933, White: Honinbo Shusai, Black: Go Seigen.) 2) Close-up (using stretch) of W160 (#1 above). 3) Scoring of a game (after completion of game in #1 above). (Please use Contact Us in the app if you see where White is +2 not +3.) 4) Enlarged board (by tapping the board) of a move in which Black captures 3 stones. 5) Starting screen when two devices are connected. Player who will be Black selects the number of handicap stones.
Goban3D
Experience the ancient game of Go with this app, offering both beautiful 3D and clean 2D board options. Play locally, challenge friends online, or test your skills against a powerful offline AI. It's designed for players of all levels, from beginners to advanced.
- Beautiful 3D and 2D board options
- Offline AI play with 26 skill levels
- Online matches with friends via Game Center
- Local pass-and-play multiplayer
- Multiple board and stone textures
- Full accessibility features
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Goban3D brings the ancient game of Go — also known as 囲碁 (igo), 바둑 (baduk), or 圍棋 (wéiqí) — to iPhone and iPad. Play on a beautifully rendered 3D goban or switch instantly to a clean 2D board. Local matches, private online games with friends via Game Center requested matches, and the world's strongest Go AI, KataGo, all in one app. Whether you've never placed a stone before, want a private match with a friend or club-mate, or are ready to test your skills against the strongest Go engine on the planet — Goban3D is for you. KATAGO AI (FREE, 100% OFFLINE) • The world's strongest open-source Go engine, running natively on Apple Silicon — no internet, no account, no data sent anywhere. The AI is fully on-device • Board sizes 9×9, 13×13, and 19×19 • 26 skill levels: 20 Kyu (complete beginner) through 5 Dan, plus full-strength AI for serious study • Weaker levels use KataGo's Human-style network (trained on human games) so the AI plays like a real person at your rank — not a crippled superhuman • Full-strength mode runs the latest strongest KataGo network published on katagotraining.org as of 15 April 2026 • There's an old Go proverb: "Lose your first 50 games as quickly as possible." Start on 9×9 at 20 Kyu — after 2 or 3 games, winning comes easier than you might think. Each time you win, raise the skill by 1 or 2. KataGo is the best Go teacher ever built, and it speaks every language ONLINE PLAY WITH FRIENDS • Private matches over Game Center with people already in your contacts • Invite a specific friend — no public matchmaking, no strangers • All online games are untimed — take your time and enjoy the game LOCAL PLAY • Two players on one device, pass-and-play • Board sizes: 9×9, 13×13, 19×19 • Handicap stones (0–9) with automatic komi adjustment • Japanese scoring with 6.5 komi — mark dead stones, confirm the score • Untimed by default — take your time and enjoy the game BOARD & VISUALS • 3D board powered by RealityKit — physically-based materials, 60 fps animations for every placement and capture • Instant 2D mode in SwiftUI for low-power play • 4 board textures, 8 stone textures, multiple ground and gridline options — all free • Haptic feedback and authentic wooden stone sound effects • NHK broadcast-style move announcements with optional Go terminology (atari, tsuke, hane, nobi...) ACCESSIBILITY — GO FOR EVERYONE Goban3D makes Go genuinely accessible — across ability, skill level, device, region, and language. No other Go app on the App Store declares any accessibility features. Goban3D has 100% coverage across all seven Apple categories: VoiceOver with full board-position labels, Voice Control, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Sufficient Contrast, and Differentiate Without Color. The app starts in 2D by default, and the 2D SwiftUI board is where the full accessibility stack lives — including complete VoiceOver board navigation. When VoiceOver is on, the 3D toggle is disabled to keep the accessible experience front and centre. A dedicated high-contrast mode and adjustable grid-line thickness help players with low vision. DEVICES • Also runs on Mac and visionOS via "Designed for iPad" • Minimap on smaller iPhones ensures every intersection meets Apple's 44pt minimum tap target, even on 19×19 Free to play, with gameplay that is always ad-free. A brief ad appears on launch and just before scoring mode, so your time on the board is never interrupted. Remove all ads with an optional yearly subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://goban3d.com/en-US/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Go Game Connect at none against Goban3D's shown. Go Game Connect also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). Goban3D's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 45 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Go Game Connect sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Goban3D sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Go Game Connect against 5.0 for Goban3D. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Go Game Connect ships an update every 45 months, Goban3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Go Game Connect | Goban3D |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 45 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 247 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Kramer | Adam Gibbons |
Customer experience
Go Game Connect
Goban3D
In-app purchases
Go Game Connect
- package of 3,000 Go stones$0.99
- package of 10,000 Go stones$1.99
Goban3D
- Remove Ads (Yearly)$7.991 Year









