# Chessplode vs Ancient Board Game Collection

The clearest difference is ads: Ancient Board Game Collection at none against Chessplode's shown. Chessplode's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and ratings volume (573 vs 100). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chessplode sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Ancient Board Game Collection sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Chessplode against 4.5 for Ancient Board Game Collection. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chessplode has 573 ratings behind it against 100, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Chessplode's written reviews are positive against 53% of Ancient Board Game Collection's.

Chessplode ships an update every 2 weeks, Ancient Board Game Collection monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chessplode | Ancient Board Game Collection |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (573 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessplode/id1439047052/reviews)** | [4.5 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-board-game-collection/id1510226148/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **573** | 100 |
| Positive reviews | **61.2% of reviews** | 53.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 86 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) | [Klemens Strasser](https://appshunter.io/developer/889417671) |

## What reviewers say

### Chessplode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessplode/id1439047052)

This app offers a unique twist on chess where capturing a piece causes others in the same line and column to explode. It's designed to be fun and accessible, even for those who aren't skilled at traditional chess, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes.

**Highlights:** Exploding pieces on capture, Real-time multiplayer battles, User-created levels, Local multiplayer mode, AI opponent practice, Customizable color themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| +100 Undos | $0.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Massive Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| INFINITE UNDOS | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick gameplay
- 👍 Beautiful and fun game
- 👍 Fantastic and great fun twist on chess
- 👍 Lovely little game
- 👍 Chess with a new challenge

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Won't open or get stuck
- 🐛 Issues with king movement and checkmate detection
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 AI issues with thinking and repeating moves
- 🐛 Overly difficult, even at easy levels

**Reported bugs**

- Won't open or get stuck on certain screens
- Issues with king movement and checkmate detection
- Crashes and freezes, especially when AI is thinking
- AI issues with thinking and repeating moves

**Requested features**

- Add local multiplayer mode
- Add classic chess mode
- Add more basic puzzles
- Add ability to go back to previous levels
- Add option to remove explosions


### Ancient Board Game Collection

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-board-game-collection/id1510226148)

Explore a collection of historical board games from ancient civilizations. Play against AI, friends online, or locally on a single device. Offers accessibility features for visually impaired players.

**Highlights:** 9 unique ancient board games, Online multiplayer against friends, Local multiplayer on one device, AI opponent for solo play, VoiceOver and Voice Control support, High contrast game boards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Royal | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and design
- 📚 Great collection of ancient games
- 💡 Well-explained rules
- 💰 Fair pricing for premium content
- ✨ Culturally respectful design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Most features are paywalled
- ⏳ Long waiting times for online opponents
- 🤖 Weak AI opponents
- 🚫 Limited free trial/play
- 🤷 Online multiplayer issues

**Reported bugs**

- Gomoku AI lets you win easily
- Online games remain untouched by opponents
- No wins or forfeit notices for inactive opponents
- Online players are missing/inactive
- Opponents have two days to respond, leading to long waits

**Requested features**

- Add Renju rules for Gomoku
- Change board size
- Add more game variations
- Add Go and Japanese Chess
- Add more themes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chessplode free?

Chessplode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ancient Board Game Collection free?

Ancient Board Game Collection is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chessplode or Ancient Board Game Collection?

Chessplode is rated higher. Chessplode averages 4.5 out of 5 from 573 ratings, while Ancient Board Game Collection averages 4.5 from 100 ratings.

### Do Chessplode or Ancient Board Game Collection have ads?

Chessplode shows ads; Ancient Board Game Collection does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chessplode or Ancient Board Game Collection?

Chessplode ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ancient Board Game Collection monthly. Most recently, Chessplode was updated on October 20, 2026 and Ancient Board Game Collection on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*