Esfera Chess vs Tri
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Tri sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Esfera Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Esfera Chess | Tri |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (11 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 92 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Squz | ROBIN SCHONWALD |
Customer experience
Esfera Chess
Tri
In-app purchases
Esfera Chess
No in-app purchases
Tri
- Espresso$1.99
- Raktajino$3.99









