Arimaa Trainer vs Prism Chess
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.
Prism Chess
Experience classic chess with a unique twist. Rotate sections of the board to reposition pieces, disrupt opponents, and create new tactical opportunities. This game introduces a novel win condition where capturing the king directly ends the match.
- Classic chess rules with board rotation
- Local multiplayer on a single device
- AI opponent with adjustable difficulty
- Unique win condition: direct king capture
- Visual grid guides for rotation zones
- Move log and undo functionality
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Prism Chess is chess — with a twist. Literally. Play on a standard 8×8 board with all the classic rules you know, plus one game-changing addition: the middle of the board is divided into eight 2×2 grids that you can rotate 180° on your turn. Every turn, you make a move — and optionally spin one of the grids before or after. Rotate to reposition your pieces, disrupt your opponent’s formation, clear a path to their king, or set up a devastating capture. The rotation zone spans the four middle rows of the board, turning familiar chess positions into entirely new tactical puzzles. Prism Chess introduces a win condition unique to the game: rotate a grid to expose the opponent’s king, then capture it in the same turn. No check announcement, no chance to respond — the king is simply taken. Players must think defensively about rotation threats at all times, even when the king is safely on the back rank. FEATURES: • Two Players — Play locally on a single device with a friend • vs Computer — Challenge the AI at Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty • Full Chess Engine — All standard chess rules including castling, en passant, promotion, and checkmate • Rotation Mechanics — Spin any of 8 grids in the middle of the board 180° as part of your turn • Grid Guides — Visual indicators show the rotation zones on the board • Move Log — Track every move and rotation throughout the game • Undo — Take back your last move All the depth of chess with an entirely new strategic dimension. Can you think one spin ahead?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Prism Chess at Free against Arimaa Trainer's $0.99. Prism Chess also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). Arimaa Trainer's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Prism Chess is free to download; Arimaa Trainer costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Prism Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arimaa Trainer has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Arimaa Trainer ships an update every 4 months, Prism Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Arimaa Trainer | Prism Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.1 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Martti Juotasniemi | Hunter Billhardt |
Customer experience
Arimaa Trainer
Prism Chess
In-app purchases
Arimaa Trainer
No in-app purchases
Prism Chess
No in-app purchases





