Auto Chess vs GRIDLOCK
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Auto Chess
Engage in strategic battles in this original auto battler game. Collect and arrange hero cards to form unique formations and outwit opponents in an 8-way match. Compete with players worldwide in this popular leisure gameplay.
- Original auto battler gameplay
- Hero card collection and arrangement
- Strategic formation building
- 8-way player matches
- Global server competition
- 23 races and 13 classes
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[Game Intro] The originator of auto battler - Auto Chess! The Auto Chess, which has been sweeping over the world since 2019, released its indie game! Auto Chess, introduced by Drodo Studio and Dragonest Co.Ltd., is an original auto battler game that inherits the strategic gameplay of Auto Chess. Fight in an 8-way match, pondering on the features of various lineups made up of 23 races and 14 classes! Let's play chess in leisure time!! -Innovative Gameplay By collecting/changing Hero cards, and arranging different formations, 8 chess gamers will be contending for the first prize in the following tens of minutes. Millions of players are challenging each other every day, and it has become one of the most popular leisure gameplays nowadays. -Strategy Rules the World Players will randomly get their Heroes in the Sharing Cardpool, and form special formations according to their unique strategies. Evolution, combination, jockey for position, etc. enable you to practice your strategies to the greatest extent. Who will be adaptable to the changing tide and survive till the end? -Fair Play Make a real fair-play game! The World e-Sports Games are created by Dragonest Co.Ltd., Drodo, and lmbaTV. -Global Server No matter where you come from, welcome to our world and challenge players from all over the world! Official website:http://ac.dragonest.com/en Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Auto-Chess-411330109632159 Customer service mailbox:autochess@dragonest.com Pocket Dragonest:https://pd.dragonest.com/
GRIDLOCK
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Award winner: 1st Place, Shipaton 2026 HAMM Award. Tic-tac-toe, times nine. Win small boards, line them up, and out-score everyone. Three in a row isn't the end. Play until every board closes, and the highest score wins. HOW IT WORKS • The big board is made of small tic-tac-toe boards. • Win a small board to claim it: 1 point. • Claim three boards in a straight line: 3 bonus points for every line. • The match ends when every small board is closed. Highest score wins; a tie is a draw. PLAY YOUR WAY • 2, 3 or 4 players on one device: plus, circle, triangle and square. • Bots fill any empty seat, so you can play solo or with a full table. • Bigger boards for bigger tables: 3 and 4 player matches open up many more lines to fight over. • Offline practice against bots when you have no connection. 11 SPECIAL MOVES Bend the rules when the board gets tight. • Anchor: lock a piece so it can't be moved or overwritten. • Push: shove a row of pieces in any direction. • Dictator: choose the board your opponent must play next. • Overwrite: take a cell from an opponent. • Sandwich: flip enemy pieces caught between yours. • Bait: set a hidden trap among decoys. • Mirror: claim a cell and its reflection at once. • Nuke: clear a whole small board. • EMP: strip anchors and traps from a small board. • Gravity: tilt the whole board and let every loose piece fall. • Placement: decide where your opponent lands next. Special moves cost credits. In local and Match Room games, each player picks 3 free specials per match. MATCH ROOMS Host a private room, share the 4-digit code or invite link, and play friends on their own phones. Empty seats can go to bots. CANVAS Turn any finished match into a one-of-a-kind wallpaper. ECHO Turn any finished match into a song and a short film, made from the moves you played. Save them to your Photos. PAPER BY DAY, INK BY NIGHT Dark Mode swaps white paper for warm charcoal and cream ink. One tap in Settings. EVERY SCREEN • iPhone and iPad. • Built for iPhone Duo: fold or unfold mid-match and keep playing. CREDITS AND REWARDS • Claim a daily reward. • Watch an optional rewarded ad for extra credits; ads never play during a match. • Credit packs are available in the store. GRIDLOCK PLUS An optional auto-renewing monthly subscription ($2.99/month in the U.S.; local prices vary): • No ads • +700 CR every month • +40 daily CR that carries forward • Unlimited wallpaper saves • Free ECHO saves • All emote packs unlocked YOUR DATA Download or delete your data anytime in Settings. GRIDLOCK PLUS is an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://gridlock.play.nyomik.in/terms Privacy Policy: https://gridlock.play.nyomik.in/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Auto Chess at none against GRIDLOCK's shown. Auto Chess also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). GRIDLOCK's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Auto Chess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and GRIDLOCK sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Auto Chess ships an update every 2 months, GRIDLOCK every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Auto Chess | GRIDLOCK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (6.3K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6.3K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3.7 GB | 167 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dragonest | Ayush Chaurasia |
Bugs and requests
Auto Chess
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login and account issues
- Graphical glitches and UI problems
- Matchmaking and connection problems
- Inconsistent item/resource distribution
Requested features
5 requests- Shorter game mode options
- Ability to move/swap equipped items
- Team play/co-op mode
- More diverse unit/synergy options
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
GRIDLOCK
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Auto Chess
- 60 Donuts$0.99
- Chess Box [M]$0.99
- Chess Box [L]$0.99
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- 300 Donuts$4.99
- Superior Battlefield pack$4.99
- 680 Donuts$9.99
- Senior Pass$9.99
- 1280 Donuts$19.99
- 3280 Donuts$49.99
- 6480 Donuts$99.99
GRIDLOCK
- GRIDLOCK Plus$2.991 Month
- Starter Pack 100 Credits$0.99
- Boost Pack 250 Credits$1.99
- Power Pack 400 Credits$2.99
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- Ultimate Pack 600 Credits$3.99









