Gradient Games vs Chess by Staple Games
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gradient Games
Enjoy a collection of simple, vibrant board games playable on a single device. Challenge friends to local multiplayer matches with included titles like chess, reversi, and checkers. Customize your game experience with theme creation and sharing.
- Simple, colorful board game collection
- Create and share custom themes
- Local multiplayer on the same device
- Includes chess, reversi, and checkers
- Challenge friends
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Gradient Games is a simple, colorful board game collection where you can create and share themes! Challenge friends to local games on the same device. Currently includes chess, reversi, and checkers.
Chess by Staple Games
Experience classic chess with a beautifully crafted app designed for all Apple devices. Enjoy solo practice against AI, local multiplayer, or online matches. Features include all official rules, accessibility options, and progress tracking.
- AI challenges with 6 difficulty levels
- Pass & Play for local face-to-face games
- Online multiplayer via Game Center
- Local wireless play over Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
- Full implementation of all chess rules
- Cross-device compatibility (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
- Accessibility features (VoiceOver, high contrast)
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Chess. Nothing more. Nothing less. We built the chess app we always wanted—one that respects the game and respects your time. No subscriptions. No ads interrupting your concentration. No bloated features you'll never use. Just chess, beautifully crafted for every Apple device you own. PLAY YOUR WAY • Solo Practice — Challenge our AI across 6 difficulty levels, from casual beginner to near-unbeatable expert. • Pass & Play — Hand your device to a friend and play face to face. • Online Multiplayer — Connect through Game Center to challenge friends or get matched with players worldwide. • Local Wireless — Play with someone nearby over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. No internet required. REAL CHESS. ALL THE RULES. Every rule, implemented correctly: • Castling (kingside and queenside) • En passant captures • Pawn promotion to any piece • Check, checkmate, and stalemate • Threefold repetition draws • Fifty-move rule ONE APP. EVERY APPLE DEVICE. iPhone. iPad. Mac. Apple TV. Apple Watch. Vision Pro. DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE • Full VoiceOver support with voice-guided gameplay • High contrast and colorblind modes • Large text and zoomed display options • 5 beautiful board themes • Dark mode TRACK YOUR JOURNEY • Climb through 10 ranks from Beginner to Mythic • Track your win streaks and daily play habits • Game Center achievements and leaderboards THE STAPLE GAMES PROMISE We make games the way they should be made. Simple interfaces. Thoughtful design. No dark patterns. Just quality software you can rely on. Download Chess by Staple Games. Play a match. That's it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Gradient Games at 100% against Chess by Staple Games's 73%. Chess by Staple Games's advantage is device support (6 vs 4) and iOS requirement (17 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Gradient Games ships an update every 4 months, Chess by Staple Games every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gradient Games | Chess by Staple Games |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 73.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Samuel McBroom | Staple Games |
Customer experience
Gradient Games
Chess by Staple Games
In-app purchases
Gradient Games
No in-app purchases
Chess by Staple Games
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Gradient Games free?
Is Chess by Staple Games free?
Do Gradient Games or Chess by Staple Games have ads?
Which is updated more often, Gradient Games or Chess by Staple Games?
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