Really Bad Chess+ vs Backgammon+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Really Bad Chess+
Experience chess with a chaotic twist! This app replaces standard pieces with random assortments, forcing you to rethink strategy. Perfect for both seasoned players seeking a new challenge and beginners looking to learn the fundamentals in a fun, unpredictable way.
- Random piece assignments
- AI challenges (Ranked, Daily, Weekly)
- Freeplay mode
- Local versus mode
- Daily chess puzzles
- New strategic challenges
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Really Bad Chess is just like chess, but with totally random pieces. Try 8 Knights, 4 Bishops, and 3 pawns — why not? Whether you play chess daily, or quit just after learning the rules, this small twist will open the door to an entire new world of chess. Compete vs. an AI in Ranked, Daily, or Weekly Challenges. Improve your skills using the included Freeplay mode. Compete against your friends locally in versus mode! Warm up every day with our new daily chess puzzle — Knight Hike! ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER Chess is one of those games I always wished I enjoyed, but its commitment to beauty, elegance, and perfect balance always turned me away. Really Bad Chess removes these boring restrictions and flips chess on its head. As much as random pieces change the game in some ways, I was really surprised to notice how much the game remains the same, and how powerful some pieces are — you've never truly struggled against a pawn until you've struggled against a pawn in the back row. For chess pros, Really Bad Chess will give you a new type of challenge — the pieces & the moves are the same, but you'll have to throw out your openings and your understanding of normal patterns of play. For novice chess players (like most of us), Really Bad Chess greatly opens up the game. Instead of starting by studying openings, in your first games you'll get to discover the joy (and challenge!) of learning how to checkmate. -zach
Backgammon+
Experience the classic dice and board game with a simple interface and authentic atmosphere. Play against AI, a friend, or online players, with or without an internet connection. Features include a Doubling Cube and support for various board orientations.
- Play alone, with a friend, or online
- Offline play supported
- Simple and nice interface
- Wooden board atmosphere
- Vertical and horizontal orientation
- Doubling cube with Crawford rule
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It's just a well-known Backgammon game: everything you need to play and nothing more: • a simple and nice interface • play alone, with a friend or online • works offline without internet • wooden board and atmosphere • both vertical and horizontal board orientations are supported • the Doubling cube with the Crawford rule. The dice are thrown randomly and do not depend on who is playing, AI level and board conditions. -> WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT BACKGAMMON? Backgammon is one of the oldest board games, dating back about 5,000 years. Now the game is popular worldwide. Playing backgammon requires strategy, tactics and luck. With each roll of the dice, players choose from a variety of options to move the checkers, and must anticipate their opponents’ possible counter-moves. In one game, luck in rolling the dice can be critical, but in a series of games, skill is critical to win. -> HOW TO PLAY Each player has 15 checkers of a different color that move in opposite directions counting the points according to the numbers rolled by a pair of dice. The player first to get his checkers around, and then off the board, wins the game. --- We value your feedback. Send any questions or feedback to us at contact@adikus.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Backgammon+ at 4.3 against Really Bad Chess+'s 3.4. Backgammon+ also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 165) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Really Bad Chess+'s advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 41%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Backgammon+ holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon+ has 12K ratings behind it against 165, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Really Bad Chess+'s written reviews are positive against 41% of Backgammon+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Really Bad Chess+ ships an update monthly, Backgammon+ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Really Bad Chess+ | Backgammon+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (165 ratings) | 4.3 (12K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.0% of reviews — better | 40.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 165 | 12K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 92 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | Adikus |
Customer experience
Really Bad Chess+
Backgammon+
User reviews
Really Bad Chess+
From 165 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Innovative concept
- 🤩 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Easy to learn
- 🧠 Improves chess skills
- ✨ Clean UI
Room to improve
- 😠 Unfair AI starting positions
- ⚖️ AI too lucky/strong
- 🚫 No draws (stalemate/repetition)
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 📱 UI scaling issues
Backgammon+
From 12K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Smooth gameplay
- 🎨 Attractive visuals
- 🎮 Challenging AI
- 🔍 Customizable options
- 🎓 Helpful tutorials
Room to improve
- 🎲 Dice rolls appear non-random
- 🤖 AI is overly aggressive on higher difficulties
- 🕰️ Slow online matchmaking
- 🔄 Sync issues between devices
- 🔇 No option to disable music
Bugs and requests
Really Bad Chess+
Reported bugs
9 issues- App zoomed in, parts of board/UI cut off (recent update)
- Cannot make legal moves
- Game won't allow moves out of check
- AI gets stuck in infinite loops
- Incorrect checkmate detection
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- Pieces glitching
- Cannot undo after checkmate
- App not fitting on iPhone screen
- Menu options cut off
Requested features
10 requests- Add draws by repetition/stalemate
- Option for mirrored pieces
- Tutorial for beginners
- Ability to play online multiplayer
- Option to see solution for daily challenges
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- Mac app availability
- Option to keep board on screen after game
- Adjustable AI difficulty
- More board/theme options
- Animations for piece movement
Backgammon+
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game freezes when receiving notifications
- Incorrect scoring in some matches
- Inability to make legal moves at times
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to choose dice roll order
- Replay functionality
- Online leaderboards and rankings
- Adjustable game speed
- More board and piece customization options
In-app purchases
Really Bad Chess+
No in-app purchases
Backgammon+
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Really Bad Chess+ free?
Is Backgammon+ free?
Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess+ or Backgammon+?
Do Really Bad Chess+ or Backgammon+ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess+ or Backgammon+?
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