Comparison

Esfera Chess vs HexGomoku

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

HexGomoku

Features
Read full description

HexGomoku is a unique strategic board game played on a hexagonal grid. Two players compete by moving their pieces across the board, trying to align them for victory while managing the innovative Qi (liberty) system. Features: - Hexagonal board with elegant design - Player vs Player and Player vs AI modes - Unique Qi liberty mechanic - pieces need breathing room - Red barrier pieces that must stay connected - Configurable board size (3-6) - Built-in game timer - Undo and reset functionality - Beautiful dark theme with premium aesthetics How to Play: Each turn consists of two moves: first move your own piece, then move a red barrier piece. Your piece needs at least two connected empty neighbors (Qi) to move. The first player to align their pieces in the required pattern wins!

Screenshots

Esfera Chess2 screens
HexGomoku2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HexGomoku at every 4 days against Esfera Chess's every 92 months. HexGomoku also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, HexGomoku every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Esfera Chess versus HexGomoku: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEsfera ChessHexGomoku
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (11 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 92 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSquzWEIMING GAO

In-app purchases

None

Esfera Chess

No in-app purchases

None

HexGomoku

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Esfera Chess free?
Esfera Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HexGomoku free?
HexGomoku is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Esfera Chess or HexGomoku have ads?
Neither Esfera Chess nor HexGomoku shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Esfera Chess or HexGomoku?
Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, and HexGomoku every 4 days. Most recently, Esfera Chess was updated on October 17, 2026 and HexGomoku on September 29, 2026.

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