Comparison

9Plays vs Chess

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

Head to head
About

9Plays

Experience a unique puzzle game with nine hidden plays across nine squares. Challenge your logic and strategy in this minimalist yet engaging experience. Perfect for quick brain teasers.

Highlights
  • Nine hidden plays
  • Nine squares grid
  • Logic puzzle
  • Strategy challenge
  • Minimalist design
Features
Read full description

9 possibilities of 9 hidden plays in 9 squares

About

Chess

Experience a unique blend of classic chess strategy with intense samurai warfare. Engage in online multiplayer battles, solve challenging puzzles, and climb seasonal ladders with animated samurai pieces. Train offline against AI or learn new tactics with interactive lessons.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer chess
  • Samurai-themed animated pieces
  • 1,000+ chess puzzles
  • Seasonal ladders and tournaments
  • Offline AI training
  • Interactive chess lessons
  • Blitz and bullet modes
Features
Read full description

Chess - Samurai Warlords Play Chess Online - Battle with Samurai, Dominate Strategy Puzzles & Quests! Chess is the world’s greatest strategy duel - but what if every move unleashed steel and fire? Chess - Samurai Warlords fuses pure Online Chess Gameplay precision with gritty Samurai warfare, delivering an adults-only (18+) arena where checkmate lands like a katana strike. Enjoy free chess gameplay in 3D with awesome Samurai pieces, improve your chess rating with interactive gameplay against other players and solo, become a Chess master today! Play Chess Online FREE of Charge Dominate Live Boards - Challenge friends in real-time multiplayer chess, from casual blitz to classic chess matches. Solve Deadly Puzzles - Sharpen instincts with 1,000+ graded chess puzzles and engine-powered chess tactics drills. (Coming Soon) Climb Seasonal Ladders - Enter chess tournament with other players, earn valor and resources and climb the ranks in the global arena. Wield Samurai Armies - Unlock animated samurai chess pieces, action animation and executions, all backed by sword-slash checkmates on 3D boards with different environments and varied piecesw. Learn Chess Like a Pro - Interactive lessons teach openings, endgames, and deep chess strategy-perfect for newcomers who want to learn chess fast. Blitz & Bullet Modes - Crush 3-minute blitz chess and 60-second bullet bouts when you need fierce, on-the-go action. PLAY CHESS ONLINE Challenge others in real-time multiplayer chess duels or relaxed correspondence matches. Custom timers-from 180-second bullets to 30 minutes marathons, let you play chess your way. Integrated chat, emoji reactions, and friend lists will be coming soon to turn every board into a social dojo. ACTION-FILLED CHESS BATTLES This isn’t just live chess-it’s battle chess. Animated samurai chess pieces cleave pawns, spear knights, and decapitate kings in gorgeous 3-D dojos. Unlock different clans, and profile image sets as you rise through the Shogunate. PLAY CHESS AGAINST THE COMPUTER Train offline versus different engine personalities-from novice ronin to merciless warlords. Analyze every chess game afterward with cloud engines to spot missed tactics and sharpen your opening book. CHESS PUZZLES Test yourself with our upcoming hand-crafted chess puzzles that scale automatically to your rating. Race the clock in Puzzle Rush, drill mating nets, and grind end-game chess tactics until instinctive. New brain-twisters arrive weekly to keep your calculation razor-sharp. (Coming Soon) CHESS LESSONS Interactive lessons led by titled coaches break down openings, middlegame plans, and endgame conversions. AI lines and visual arrows reveal deeper chess strategy, making it easy to learn chess from scratch or refine grandmaster novelties. (Coming Soon) Why You’ll Love this Samurai Chess Every victory in this battle chess arena feels earned: fluid Unreal graphics, taiko-drum soundscapes, and visceral particle effects heighten each calculated move. Study solo, stream live chess duels, or coordinate clans-whatever your path, you’ll carry the best chess app for warriors who value honor and skill alike. Chess Community Across Cultures From ajedrez in Spain to xadrez in Brazil, satranç in Turkey to schach in Germany, the ancient game of Chess speaks every tongue. No matter the name-șah, šachy, scacchi, şahmat-strategy remains universal. Here that timeless contest meets authentic Samurai strategy and lore for a fresh, elite twist. Adult-Only Notice Graphic animated violence (blood, weapon impacts) and mature themes. Suitable for players 18+ only. Join the War for Honor Download Chess - Samurai Warlords now to play chess at its most immersive experience. Outsmart rivals, master grandmaster chess concepts, and carve your legend with Samurai steel. Make the first move-become an Elite!

Screenshots

9Plays4 screens
Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 9Plays at 100% against Chess's 0%. 9Plays also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 8). Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 7 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Chess sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. 9Plays asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

9Plays holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of 9Plays's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

9Plays ships an update every 7 months, Chess every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
9Plays versus Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter9PlaysChess
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better3.6 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings55
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB733 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperRunaway2k LLCThe Katana Connection Pte Ltd

Customer experience

9Plays

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Chess

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

9Plays

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Chess

One-time8
  • Warden Tier Access$4.99
  • Upgrade to Warden$4.99
  • Upgrade Rank$4.99
Show 5 more
  • Upgrade Champion to Warlord$4.99
  • Champion Tier Access$14.99
  • Upgrade to Champion$14.99
  • Upgrade Warden to Warlord$14.99
  • Warlord Tier Access$19.99

Questions

Is 9Plays free?
9Plays is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 9Plays or Chess?
9Plays is rated higher. 9Plays averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Chess averages 3.6 from 5 ratings.
Do 9Plays or Chess have ads?
Neither 9Plays nor Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 9Plays or Chess?
9Plays ships an update every 7 months, and Chess every 10 days. Most recently, 9Plays was updated on October 20, 2026 and Chess on October 21, 2026.

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