Chess HD ∙ vs Osmo Newton
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess HD ∙
Experience a visually stunning chess game with excellent graphics and sound effects. Play against a challenging AI or a friend, with features like configurable difficulty, score tracking, and an undo function. Enjoy a free, ad-supported chess experience.
- High-definition graphics and sound effects
- 1-player vs. computer and 2-player modes
- Configurable AI difficulty
- Score tracking and player names
- Undo function
- Automatic save
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Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPad? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free HD is the best looking chess game for the iPad, and best of all - it's free! Chess Free HD supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free HD offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you exit the application Chess Free HD is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising.
Osmo Newton
Engage with creative physics puzzles by drawing or placing physical objects. Guide falling balls into target zones using everyday items. Experience a blend of physical and digital play.
- Draw lines to solve puzzles
- Place physical objects to interact
- Guide falling balls into targets
- Works with everyday items
- Hands-on learning experience
- Promotes creativity and problem-solving
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Solve creative physics puzzles by drawing lines or placing items in front of the screen. Play your favourite Osmo Newton on both iPhone and iPad! Use your iPhone with the "Osmo Base for iPad" which can be found at playosmo.com. * Please see our device compatibility list here: https://support.playosmo.com/hc/articles/115010156067 "..games that interact with just about any physical object—pen, paper, blocks, even toys your kids already own. - The Wall Street Journal "This interplay between the physical and digital realms looks and feels like magic." - Forbes "Osmo has been a revolution in our family." - Wired Awarded: **Best Design** - Good Design, 2016 **Best Product Designs** - Fast Company Finalist, 2016 **Innovative Toy of the Year** - TOTY Finalist, 2015 **Best Inventions** - TIME, 2014 Works with any object or drawing – Mom’s keys, hand-drawn basket, even toys you already own. Simply place the object/drawing in front of the screen and manipulate it to guide the falling balls into the target zones. About Osmo Osmo is using the screen to create a new healthy, hands-on learning experience that promotes creativity, problem-solving and social interaction. We do this with our reflective artificial intelligent technology.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Osmo Newton at none against Chess HD ∙'s shown. Osmo Newton also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 55%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Chess HD ∙'s advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (8.2K vs 384). On price 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.
Chess HD ∙ holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess HD ∙ has 8.2K ratings behind it against 384, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Chess HD ∙'s written reviews are positive against 65% of Osmo Newton's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Chess HD ∙ ships an update every 5 months, Osmo Newton every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess HD ∙ | Osmo Newton |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (8.2K ratings) — better | 4.1 (384 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.9% of reviews | 65.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8.2K — better | 384 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 88 MB | 451 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optime Software LLC | Tangible Play |
Customer experience
Chess HD ∙
Osmo Newton
User reviews
Chess HD ∙
From 8.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast gameplay
- 👍 Adjustable difficulty levels
- 💡 Undo feature
- 🎨 Nice graphics and design
- 🧠 Helps improve chess skills
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (illegal moves, pieces disappearing, incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection)
- 💰 Intrusive ads
- 🔒 No option to disable ads even after purchase
- ⏱️ Slow computer moves on higher difficulty
- 🔀 Inability to castle or move pieces as per rules
Osmo Newton
From 384 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Engaging and fun gameplay for all ages
- 🧠 Educational value with physics and problem-solving
- ✨ Satisfying visual feedback and animations
- 👨👩👧👦 Great for family bonding and social play
- 🎨 Creative drawing mechanics
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iPad models and iOS versions
- 👁️ Line detection sensitivity problems
- 🖐️ Hand obstruction during gameplay
- 💡 Poor lighting recognition for drawn lines
Bugs and requests
Chess HD ∙
Reported bugs
5 issues- Pieces disappearing during gameplay
- Incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection
- Computer making illegal moves
- Game freezing or crashing
- Inability to undo after checkmate/stalemate
Requested features
5 requests- Landscape mode support
- Ability to track wins/losses/draws
- More customization options (piece designs, board colors, etc.)
- Tutorials or lessons for beginners
- Multiplayer mode with friends
Osmo Newton
Reported bugs
10 issues- App crashes on launch or during gameplay
- Unresponsive app after recent updates
- Lorem Ipsum placeholder text stuck on screen
- Achievement page frozen preventing gameplay
- App incompatible with iPad Air 2 and 11-inch iPad
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- Camera permission prompt issues on newer iOS
- Line detection fails to recognize drawings
- Game slows down significantly with multiple balls
- App fails to load or gets stuck on loading screen
- Whiteboard compatibility issues
Requested features
8 requests- Back/front camera option for better positioning
- Pause menu functionality
- More levels beyond the current 61
- Grid screen option for better line detection
- Adjustable camera sensitivity settings
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- Better instructions and tutorial for beginners
- Start button before gameplay begins
- Support for older iPad models
In-app purchases
Chess HD ∙
No in-app purchases
Osmo Newton
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess HD ∙ free?
Is Osmo Newton free?
Which has better reviews, Chess HD ∙ or Osmo Newton?
Do Chess HD ∙ or Osmo Newton have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess HD ∙ or Osmo Newton?
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