Chess vs Shogi Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess
Engage in the classic game of chess with customizable graphics and multiple difficulty levels. Play against AI or a friend, with features like move undo, hints, and time controls. Enjoy a rich chess experience with detailed game history and board customization.
- HD graphics
- 5 difficulty levels
- Hint option
- Play against computer or friend
- 2D and 3D themes
- Unlimited undo moves
- Time control options
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Chess is #1 popular game in the world. According to FIDE, about 600 million people play chess and it is the most widespread game on the planet. "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions..." (Benjamin Franklin, scientist) Game features: - HD graphics for iPhone 5 and the new iPad retina display - 5 levels of difficulty - hint option to find out the best next move - play either white or black - play against the computer or a friend - 2D and 3D themes for chess pieces - unlimited ability to undo moves - AI quick response time - time control (5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes) - animated moves - highlight legal moves - easy to use interface design - ability to go back to any previous position in the game - auto-save when exit or phone ring - view captured pieces - full game history with chess notation - change the appearance of the board - ability to listen music in background Play one of the oldest and most enjoyable games in the world!
Shogi Lite
A digital adaptation of the ancient Japanese board game, offering a strategic challenge similar to chess. Players can capture opponent pieces and redeploy them on the board, adding a unique tactical layer to gameplay.
- Classic Shogi gameplay
- Piece capture and redeployment
- Two-player strategy
- Similar to Chess and Xiangqi
- Digital board game adaptation
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“Shogi” is a classic board game that has been popularly played for the past 1000 years. It is similar to the games of chess and xiangqi. One unique feature of “Shogi” is it allows players to use the captured pieces.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shogi Lite at none against Chess's 4. Chess's advantage is ratings volume (39K vs 12) and review sentiment (70% vs 55%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Shogi Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.6 for Shogi Lite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 39K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 55% of Shogi Lite's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess | Shogi Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (39K ratings) — better | 4.6 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews — better | 55.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 39K — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vintolo Ltd | Shigeo Mimura |
Customer experience
Chess
Shogi Lite
Bugs and requests
Chess
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incorrect stalemate detection
- Pieces disappearing or moving incorrectly
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to replay puzzles
- Undo/redo move functionality
- Online/multiplayer mode
- More advanced AI difficulty
- Improved stalemate detection
Shogi Lite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Chess
- 10 hints$4.99
- 45 hints$19.99
- 125 hints$49.99
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- 200 hints$69.99
Shogi Lite
No in-app purchases
