# Shogi Demon vs Root Down

Shogi Demon and Root Down both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Root Down's written reviews are positive against 40% of Shogi Demon's. Root Down also leads on price (Free vs $1.99). Shogi Demon's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 27 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Root Down is free to download; Shogi Demon costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Shogi Demon against 4.0 for Root Down. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Shogi Demon's written reviews are positive against 100% of Root Down's.

Shogi Demon ships an update every 5 months, Root Down every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and June 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shogi Demon | Root Down |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-demon/id305620716/reviews) | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-down/id772166474/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 15 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NUTRACTOR](https://appshunter.io/developer/305620719) | [Martin Grider](https://appshunter.io/developer/309543466) |

## What reviewers say

### Shogi Demon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-demon/id305620716)

Experience Japanese Chess with unique rules like piece reuse and promotion. Offers a guide for piece movement, multiple computer difficulty levels, handicaps, and a position editor.

**Highlights:** Piece reuse from opponent, Piece promotion with increased movement, Movement guide for pieces, Four computer difficulty levels, 22 handicap options, Position editor

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Root Down

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-down/id772166474)

An original abstract strategy game for two players with unique movement rules. Figure out how to move your pieces to capture your opponent's and win. Offers AI play and pass-and-play modes with variable setups.

**Highlights:** Abstract strategy gameplay, Unique piece movement rules, AI opponent, Pass-and-play mode, Variable game setups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shogi Demon free?

Shogi Demon costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Root Down free?

Root Down is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shogi Demon or Root Down?

Shogi Demon and Root Down are both rated 4.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Shogi Demon or Root Down have ads?

Neither Shogi Demon nor Root Down shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shogi Demon or Root Down?

Shogi Demon ships an update every 5 months, and Root Down every 27 months. Most recently, Shogi Demon was updated on September 27, 2026 and Root Down on June 7, 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.*