Comparison

Arimaa Trainer vs Hexhold

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Hexhold

A minimalist territory strategy game focused on one-thumb play. Claim hexes, manage resources, and outmaneuver rivals in tactical battles. Features a guided campaign, skirmishes, and a map editor.

Highlights
  • Minimalist hex territory strategy
  • One-thumb gameplay
  • Claiming and income mechanics
  • Unit and building management
  • Guided campaign mode
  • Skirmishes and map editor
  • Colorblind friendly settings
Features
Read full description

Hexhold is a turn-based strategy game about land. Claim hexes, grow your gold, raise an army, and take your rivals' Capitals before they take yours. Every battle is clear and fair. There are no dice in combat: the stronger unit wins, and the game shows you why a move is blocked. Simple to learn, hard to master. THE CAMPAIGN Sail out from the peaceful Green Isles to face the five lords who claim the crown of the known world: the Sultan of Sunscorch, the Frost Jarl, the Highland Thane, the Wildwood Queen and the Ember Tyrant. - 50 hand-made levels across six lands, from burning dunes to frozen fjords and volcanic fields - A story told in voiced scenes with painted portraits of every lord - Choose to rule as King or Queen, and win your way to a coronation - Earn up to 3 stars per level, 150 in all, for winning fast - Replay every story scene you have seen in the Chronicle RIVALS WHO FIGHT BACK Five AI levels, from Easy to Merciless. The toughest rivals go for your Capital, cut your lands apart, build Colossi and Commanders, and plan winning moves. On late levels a rival may even move first. TREASURE On some campaign levels, and in about a third of skirmish and daily games, a treasure chest appears in the middle of the fight. The first unit to reach it wins 20 Gold. Race for it, or make your rival pay for trying. SIX LIVING LANDS Every land has its own look, wildlife, weather and sounds: Green Isles, Sunscorch, Frostreach, Highlands, Wildwood and Emberlands. Day turns to night as a match goes on. PLAY ONLINE - Find a ranked Daily, Rapid or Blitz opponent near your rating on a fair mirrored map - Challenge the five campaign lords as clearly labelled, ranked AI rivals - Start at 1200 in each mode, earn your ratings and climb the top lists - Sign in with Game Center, pick a player name and add friends with a code or a link - Play Daily with 1 day per turn, or allow 3 days in a friend game - Play live Rapid with 10 minutes + 15 seconds per turn, or Blitz with 4 minutes + 8 seconds per turn - Challenge a friend to 1 game, best of 3 or best of 5 in any mode; pick a fair map or let the game choose - Find Game Center friends who allow friend access, or share an invite link - Optional phone alerts for online turns and invites - See ratings by mode, win rates by land and your last 20 matches - Send friendly preset emotes in 1v1 and ranked games - Share a private Party link for up to 4 players, with computer fill and live turns - Party text chat is for ages 13+, with filter, mute, block and report controls - Report or block any player, and delete your online profile at any time MORE WAYS TO PLAY - Skirmish: Tiny, Standard or Large maps with 2 to 4 realms - Daily Challenge: one new map every day, with a win streak to keep - Map editor: build your own maps - Design your banner and colours - Records: your stars, streaks and fastest wins MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD Portrait play with clear controls. Offline play needs no account or internet. Colorblind palette, reduced motion, haptics, battery saver and adjustable animation speed. FREE TO PLAY Hexhold is free. Sometimes a full-screen ad appears between games, never during a match. A one-time Remove Ads purchase turns ads off for good.

Screenshots

Arimaa Trainer4 screens
Hexhold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hexhold at Free against Arimaa Trainer's $0.99. Hexhold also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (100% vs 73%). Arimaa Trainer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hexhold is free to download; Arimaa Trainer costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hexhold holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Arimaa Trainer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hexhold's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Arimaa Trainer ships an update every 4 months, Hexhold every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Arimaa Trainer versus Hexhold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArimaa TrainerHexhold
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (8 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB549 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperMartti JuotasniemiConrad Sasinski

Customer experience

Arimaa Trainer

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.0%

Hexhold

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Arimaa Trainer

No in-app purchases

None

Hexhold

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Arimaa Trainer free?
Arimaa Trainer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hexhold free?
Hexhold is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Arimaa Trainer or Hexhold?
Hexhold is rated higher. Arimaa Trainer averages 4.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Hexhold averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Arimaa Trainer or Hexhold have ads?
Hexhold shows ads; Arimaa Trainer does not.
Which is updated more often, Arimaa Trainer or Hexhold?
Arimaa Trainer ships an update every 4 months, and Hexhold every 2 months. Most recently, Arimaa Trainer was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hexhold on October 31, 2026.

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