Chess Time vs Strait Escape
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Time
Engage in online chess matches with friends or players worldwide. This app supports correspondence play with extended move times and offers features like in-game chat and customizable themes. Track your progress with an auto-calculated ELO rating.
- Online correspondence chess
- Play with friends
- Global player matchmaking
- In-game chat
- Customizable chess sets and themes
- Auto-calculated ELO rating
- PGN export
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Free online chess - Invite your friends or play against anyone in the world. Chess Time is a full featured online correspondence chess app allowing a player up to multiple days to make a move. Create and play multiple at length chess games. Chess Time features: A global audience of real chess players. Invite friends to play online games. In-game chat. -- Play chess against friends that have other mobile devices. Multiple Chess sets and themes. Play un-rated games to train without affecting your score. -- Auto-calculated ELO chess rating. Export completed games as PGN. Chess Time will send a notification for each move and a reminder for you to move. We recommend enabling notifications. ——————————— -- SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE --- PREMIUM Membership Subscription Options: - Monthly Premium Subscription - Yearly Premium Subscription Premium Membership features: * No Ads * 75 Simultaneous Active Games — Additional 25! * Compete with Premium Members * Exclusive Premium Leaderboard * Daily PGN Emails — Completed game PGNs are emailed daily! Perfect for players studying their games. — TERMS & DETAILS — Chess Time Premium features are only guaranteed on up-to-date iOS devices. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged the same amount for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a Free Trial, if offered, is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Prices may vary by location. Terms of Use: http://chesstimeapp.com/Terms-and-Conditions.php Privacy Policy: http://chesstimeapp.com/Privacy-Policy.php
Strait Escape
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The strait is mined. You can’t see what’s ahead. You have to read the sea to survive. Strait Escape is minesweeper on a moving ship. You command a ship clearing mines across the world, keeping trade and travel routes safe. Start at the left edge of a minefield and navigate to the right. The waters ahead are hidden - only what’s behind you reveals the truth. CORE GAMEPLAY - Move one tile at a time: up, down, left, right - Each revealed cell shows how many mines surround it - Read the pattern, mark hazards, and find a safe path - Reach the far side to escape - Make a wrong call, and you pay for it CLASSIC MINESWEEPER, EVOLVED - Flood fill reveals safe zones - Chord to clear areas when your flags are correct - Every board is solvable - no guess traps WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT - Fog of war - you can’t see what’s ahead - Multiple lives - survive mistakes and adapt - Sonar pulses around your ship - Level-ups during runs with abilities that change your strategy - Items on the map: extra lives, area blasts, valuable cargo REAL-WORLD LOCATIONS - Strait of Hormuz - Black Sea - Scapa Flow - Korean Peninsula More regions coming FEEL Wake trails behind your ship. Screen shake on near-misses. MOBILE - One-handed D-pad controls - Dedicated Flag and Chord buttons - Works offline once installed - No account, no sign-up FREE TO PLAY Ads appear between runs, never during gameplay. Upgrade with Captain Pass: - Remove ads - Unlock advanced ships: Sonar Ship and Submarine WHO IT’S FOR If you like minesweeper, this is a deeper, more tactical version. If you’re new, early runs are forgiving so you can learn without frustration. The board is fair. You fail because you took a risk - not because the game cheated. Chart your course. Read the sea. Escape the strait.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Strait Escape at every 2 days against Chess Time's every 10 days. 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, Strait Escape every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Time | Strait Escape |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.7K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haptic Apps LLC | Tung Nguyen Son |
Bugs and requests
Chess Time
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game incorrectly declaring draws on checkmate
- Inability to castle or move pieces in certain situations
- Notification issues across different devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to invite friends to watch ongoing games
- Option to disable move analysis for rated games
- Faster move processing and real-time gameplay
- More diverse chess piece and board designs
- In-app purchase to remove ads permanently
Strait Escape
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Chess Time
No in-app purchases
Strait Escape
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Time free?
Is Strait Escape free?
Do Chess Time or Strait Escape have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Time or Strait Escape?
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