Arimaa Trainer vs Rithmomachia
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Arimaa Trainer
Learn and master a deep strategy board game with simple rules suitable for all ages. Explore millions of unique game possibilities and challenge yourself with increasing AI difficulty levels. Features include a video tutorial, score tracking, and the ability to save and replay games.
- Video tutorial for learning rules
- Multiple difficulty levels
- Handicap game support
- High score and rating tracking
- Pass and play mode
- Load, save, and email games
- Replay games from any position
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Arimaa is one of the fastest growing modern strategy games. Rules are simple and intuitive enough for kids to play easily, yet there is more than enough strategic depth to satisfy the most demanding gamer. If you enjoy challenging games like Chess, Checkers, Go, or Shogi, discover Arimaa and see why it was chosen in the Discovery Channel's list of the Top 10 Mind-bending Strategy Games and also recommended by Scientific American MIND magazine. “The rules are simple enough for kids to learn, and the game was creative and engaging.” —Frederik Joelving; Scientific American Mind magazine With millions of opening setups to choose from, every game requires creative thinking right from the beginning and no need to memorize openings. It's a never ending puzzle, each game is different. In just the first 10 moves of Arimaa there's more possible games than there are atoms in our universe. “Because the number of possible moves in an Arimaa position (roughly 20,000) is much higher than in chess (about 30 or so), even the fastest computers will not be able to search very far into the tree of possibilities.” —R. Wayne Schmittberger; GAMES magazine This Arimaa app includes a video tutorial to teach the rules of the game making it easy to get started. There are increasing levels of difficulty to help you build your skill, and a score to let you know how well you played. Try beating the AI faster or by losing fewer pieces to top your high score. The app is loaded with features and settings to help you learn this addictive new game. Features: • video tutorial to teach the rules • several difficulty levels • ability to play handicap games • keep track of high scores • keep track of ratings • mode to pass and play with a friend • option to auto-rotate the board between moves • option to auto-rotate the game between moves • option to pause between moves • option to play rated games • option to use a move timer • ability to load and save games • ability to email the game • ability to replay a game from any position • dedicated full screen mode for iPad Awards and Recognition: • Scientific American MIND magazine: Brainy gift recommendation • Discovery Channel's HowStuffWorks: Selected as 3rd most mind-bending game • Parents Choice: Approved award • Creative Child magazine: 2010 Game of the Year This app is provided in compliance with Section 2 of the Arimaa Public License. License #100520.
Rithmomachia
A digital adaptation of an ancient European board game, this app recreates a strategic battle of numbers and pieces. It offers a unique gameplay experience inspired by chess, with capture mechanics tied to numerical values on each piece.
- Ancient European board game adaptation
- Number-based capture mechanics
- Chess-like strategy
- Double-sized board
- Historical game recreation
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Rithmomachia, also known as The Philosophers' Game, was an early European board game which peaked in popularity in about the 15th century. The earliest known description of it dates from the eleventh century. Some sources indicate it's date of origin to be much earlier, possibly even having a Greek origin. A literal translation of the name is "The Battle of the Numbers". The game is much like chess, except the board is double the size and most methods of capture depend on numbers inscribed on each piece.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Arimaa Trainer at 73% against Rithmomachia's 0%. Arimaa Trainer also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 38 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Arimaa Trainer costs $0.99 and Rithmomachia $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Arimaa Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Arimaa Trainer's written reviews are positive against 0% of Rithmomachia's.
Arimaa Trainer ships an update every 4 months, Rithmomachia every 38 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Arimaa Trainer | Rithmomachia |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (8 ratings) — better | 3.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 38 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Martti Juotasniemi | Random5 LLC |
Customer experience
Arimaa Trainer
Rithmomachia
In-app purchases
Arimaa Trainer
No in-app purchases
Rithmomachia
No in-app purchases









