Comparison

Esfera Chess vs Tri

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

Head to head
About

Esfera Chess

Experience chess on a unique 3D spherical board with 132 hexagonal and pentagonal cells. Enjoy familiar pieces with entirely new strategic possibilities due to the curved surface. Play against AI, a friend locally, or learn with an interactive tutorial.

Highlights
  • 132-cell geodesic sphere board
  • Familiar chess pieces, new strategy
  • Local AI and pass-and-play modes
  • Interactive 10-step tutorial
  • Animated piece movements
  • Full iPad support
Features
Read full description

Chess reimagined on a sphere. Two armies clash on a geodesic world of 132 hexagonal and pentagonal cells — familiar pieces, completely new strategy. Every piece you know from chess is here — kings, queens, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns — but the curved surface changes everything. There are no edges, no corners, and no safe back rank. Attacks come from every direction. PLAY LOCALLY Challenge the built-in AI, or pass-and-play with a friend on the same device. Pick your color before every game. LEARN An interactive 10-step tutorial teaches every piece type hands-on. Tap a piece to see where it can move. An in-game rules reference is always available. FEATURES - 132-cell geodesic sphere with translucent surface - Pinch to zoom, swipe to rotate, two-finger twist - Animated piece movements with auto-rotating globe - Cinematic intro sequence - Sound effects for moves, captures, and check - Full iPad support - No ads. No pay-to-win. Just chess on a sphere.

About

Tri

Experience chess in a new dimension with this strategy game played across three levels and four attack decks. Master three-dimensional tactics to outmaneuver your opponent. A tutorial guides you through the unique gameplay.

Highlights
  • Three-dimensional gameplay
  • Multiple levels and attack decks
  • Fully movable 3D chessboard
  • Four material options
  • Local, computer, and online play
  • Built-in guide and strategy tips
  • Unlockable achievements
Features
Read full description

Think regular chess is a bit... straightforward? Then try Tri-D Chess — the most popular strategy challenge this side of the Delta Quadrant! Played across three levels and using four Attack Decks, it lets you apply true three-dimensional tactics to checkmate your opponent. Tri-D Chess features the same 64 squares, the same pieces, and the same basic rules as traditional chess… with a few small twists. But don’t worry — the tutorial will quickly teach you everything you need to know to master the game. • Fully movable 3D chessboard • Four material options: wood, glass, metal, and marble • Optional move history and captured-pieces display • Built-in guide with rules and strategy tips • Three game modes: local play (two players on one device), play vs. computer, or online play via Game Center • Unlock up to 6 achievements • Customize the game to your liking Tri-D Chess is free forever. If you enjoy it, you can optionally support the developer. Qapla’!

Screenshots

Esfera Chess2 screens
Tri4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Tri at 5.0 against Esfera Chess's 4.4. Tri also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 92 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Esfera Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (11 vs 3). On price, ads, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Tri sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Esfera Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tri holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Esfera Chess's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tri's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, Tri every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Esfera Chess versus Tri: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEsfera ChessTri
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (11 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 92 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSquzROBIN SCHONWALD

Customer experience

Esfera Chess

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive84.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative12.0%

Tri

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

In-app purchases

None

Esfera Chess

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Tri

One-time2
  • Espresso$1.99
  • Raktajino$3.99

Questions

Is Esfera Chess free?
Esfera Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tri free?
Tri is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Esfera Chess or Tri?
Tri is rated higher. Esfera Chess averages 4.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Tri averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Esfera Chess or Tri have ads?
Neither Esfera Chess nor Tri shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Esfera Chess or Tri?
Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, and Tri every 3 weeks. Most recently, Esfera Chess was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tri on October 22, 2026.

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