Comparison

Arimaa Trainer vs Rotex

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

Rotex

A two-player abstract strategy game where players aim to connect five tiles in a row. Each turn involves claiming a tile and rotating a section of the board to outmaneuver your opponent.

Highlights
  • Connect 5 tiles in a row
  • Board rotation mechanic
  • Online multiplayer
  • Single player vs AI
  • Pass and play mode
Features
Read full description

Rotex is a 2-player abstract strategy game with a simple objective — be the first player to connect 5 tiles in a row, in any direction. But, there's a twist… literally! On each turn, players will also rotate a region of the board clockwise. Use your rotations wisely to foil your opponent's plan and set yourself up for victory! Features: • Online Multiplayer - Invite a friend, or let Game Center find you a match. Take turns at your leisure! • Single Player vs Computer - Practice against an AI opponent, with three difficulty levels to choose from! • Pass and Play - Grab a friend and play against each other on the same device! How to Play: The goal is to connect five tiles in a row in any direction. On each turn, players must do two things: 1.) Select a grey tile on the board to turn it to their color. 2.) Select one of the seven gears on the board to rotate the tiles around it one notch in the clockwise direction. The game ends when one player connects five in a row of their color, or when there are no more grey tiles left to claim. If neither player gets five in a row, or both players get five in a row at the same time, the game is a draw.

Screenshots

Arimaa Trainer4 screens
Rotex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rotex at 5.0 against Arimaa Trainer's 4.1. Arimaa Trainer's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 50%) and ratings volume (8 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Arimaa Trainer costs $0.99 and Rotex $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rotex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Arimaa Trainer's written reviews are positive against 50% of Rotex's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Arimaa Trainer ships an update every 4 months, Rotex every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Arimaa Trainer versus Rotex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArimaa TrainerRotex
Price$0.99$0.99
Rating4.1 (8 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartti JuotasniemiCurt Stein

Customer experience

Arimaa Trainer

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

Rotex

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Arimaa Trainer

No in-app purchases

None

Rotex

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Arimaa Trainer free?
Arimaa Trainer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rotex free?
Rotex costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Arimaa Trainer or Rotex?
Rotex is rated higher. Arimaa Trainer averages 4.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Rotex averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Arimaa Trainer or Rotex have ads?
Neither Arimaa Trainer nor Rotex shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Arimaa Trainer or Rotex?
Arimaa Trainer ships an update every 4 months, and Rotex every 5 months. Most recently, Arimaa Trainer was updated on November 6, 2026 and Rotex on November 1, 2026.

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