# Esfera Chess vs Root Down

The clearest difference is rating: Esfera Chess at 4.4 against Root Down's 4.0. Esfera Chess also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 3). Root Down's advantage is update cadence (every 27 months vs every 92 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Esfera Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of Esfera Chess's written reviews are positive against 100% of Root Down's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, Root Down every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Esfera Chess | Root Down |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esfera-chess/id411270782/reviews)** | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-down/id772166474/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 84.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 92 months | **Every 27 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 7 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Squz](https://appshunter.io/developer/355300334) | [Martin Grider](https://appshunter.io/developer/309543466) |

## What reviewers say

### Esfera Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esfera-chess/id411270782)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Root Down

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-down/id772166474)

An original abstract strategy game for two players with unique movement rules. Figure out how to move your pieces to capture your opponent's and win. Offers AI play and pass-and-play modes with variable setups.

**Highlights:** Abstract strategy gameplay, Unique piece movement rules, AI opponent, Pass-and-play mode, Variable game setups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Esfera Chess free?

Esfera Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Root Down free?

Root Down is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Esfera Chess or Root Down?

Esfera Chess is rated higher. Esfera Chess averages 4.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Root Down averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Esfera Chess or Root Down have ads?

Neither Esfera Chess nor Root Down shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Esfera Chess or Root Down?

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, and Root Down every 27 months. Most recently, Esfera Chess was updated on October 8, 2026 and Root Down on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*