Comparison

Esfera Chess vs Dark Chess Pro

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

Dark Chess Pro

Features
Read full description

Offline Banqi with 5 AI levels from Easy to Grandmaster. New Wuxia Story Mode: 23 lessons, 13 opponents, visual-novel dialogue. Review every match move by move. No coins, no gambling. —— HOW IT WORKS —— Chinese Dark Chess (Banqi) is a classic Chinese board game on a 4×8 grid: • 32 pieces start face-down — flip one to reveal it • Pieces follow a rank hierarchy: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Cannon > Soldier • Higher rank captures lower, but Soldiers can capture the General • The Cannon jumps over pieces to capture — the wildcard • Win when your opponent has no pieces or no legal moves —— NEW TO BANQI? —— ◆ Learn in One Game • Interactive tutorial — learn to flip, move, and capture • Start with the easiest AI while you learn • Post-game review marks your best moves and mistakes —— EXPERIENCED PLAYER? —— ◆ Five AI Levels That Push You • Easy → Novice → Knight → Master → Grandmaster • Stronger AI makes sharper decisions in complex positions • Precise endgame verdicts show win, draw, or loss at a glance • Move-by-move review finds what you missed ◆ Story Mode — The Veiled Path • From apprentice to grandmaster — a wuxia journey through the art of Dark Chess • 23 lessons, 13 matches, 3 endings • 13 unique opponents with visual-novel style dialogue ◆ Six Variant Rules • Chariot Charge — captures distant pieces along an open rank or file regardless of rank • Diagonal Knight — moves diagonally and captures regardless of rank • Cannon Jump toggle — standard or no-jump mode • Blind Capture — attack face-down pieces and see what happens • Chain Capture — keep capturing if your piece can strike again • Equal Exchange — same-rank pieces destroy each other • Mix and match all six for free to create fresh challenges ◆ 52 Achievements • Gameplay milestones: first win, win streaks, difficulty breakthroughs • Story achievements: chapter completions, hidden endings ◆ Polished Experience • Satisfying flip animations with haptic feedback • Sound effects and clear status cues • Detailed rules include perpetual-chase restrictions • Adaptive phone and tablet layouts • Offline, no account — just open and play ◆ Free / One-Time Pro Unlock • Free with ads • Pro: remove ads and unlock the full story, stronger AI, unlimited hints and undo, precise endgame guidance, and unrestricted review Dark Chess is also known as Banqi or Half Chess — a beloved Chinese board game where strategy, hidden information, and sharp tactics make every game unique.

Screenshots

Esfera Chess2 screens
Dark Chess Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Esfera Chess at none against Dark Chess Pro's 2. Esfera Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown). Dark Chess Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 92 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Dark Chess Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Esfera Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, Dark Chess Pro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Esfera Chess versus Dark Chess Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEsfera ChessDark Chess Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (11 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 92 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB258 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSquzReputation Software CO., LTD.

In-app purchases

None

Esfera Chess

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dark Chess Pro

One-time1
  • Pro Unlock2 variants$4.99

Questions

Is Esfera Chess free?
Esfera Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dark Chess Pro free?
Dark Chess Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Esfera Chess or Dark Chess Pro have ads?
Dark Chess Pro shows ads; Esfera Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Esfera Chess or Dark Chess Pro?
Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, and Dark Chess Pro every 2 days. Most recently, Esfera Chess was updated on October 24, 2026 and Dark Chess Pro on October 7, 2026.

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