# Luminosus vs Almost Chess

The clearest difference is price: Almost Chess at Free against Luminosus's $0.29. Luminosus's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 33%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Almost Chess is free to download; Luminosus costs $0.29 up front. Almost Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Luminosus asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Luminosus | Almost Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.29 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminosus/id1663682339/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **17** | — |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 114 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Short Circuit Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681849083) | [hourafter](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792872292) |

## What reviewers say

### Luminosus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminosus/id1663682339)

A unique puzzle game blending Tetris-style gameplay with color-matching mechanics. Plan your moves ahead to create white blocks for higher scores. Offers classic and marathon modes, leaderboards, and achievements for endless fun.

**Highlights:** Color-matching puzzle mechanics, Strategic planning ahead, Classic and Marathon modes, Global leaderboards, Achievements, Controller support, Color blind and night modes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Almost Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/almost-chess-random-boards/id6741071027)

Experience chess with a randomized board layout, offering a fresh tactical challenge for all skill levels. Adapt to new puzzles daily and test your strategic thinking in this unpredictable version of the classic game.

**Highlights:** Randomized board layouts, Single player AI challenges, Two player local mode, Daily puzzling positions, Valid move highlighting, ELO rating system

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Luminosus free?

Luminosus costs $0.29, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Almost Chess free?

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

### Do Luminosus or Almost Chess have ads?

Neither Luminosus nor Almost Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Luminosus or Almost Chess?

Luminosus ships an update fortnightly, and Almost Chess fortnightly. Most recently, Luminosus was updated on October 11, 2026 and Almost Chess on October 16, 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.*