Comparison

Dots Classic vs Käsekästchen

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dots Classic

Relive the classic paper-and-pencil game on your Apple devices. Connect dots to capture boxes and strategically outmaneuver your opponent in fast-paced matches.

Highlights
  • Connect dots
  • Capture boxes
  • Outsmart opponent
  • Quick matches
  • Satisfying gameplay
Features
Read full description

Bring the classic paper-and-pencil game to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Connect dots, capture boxes, and outsmart your opponent in quick, satisfying matches.

About

Käsekästchen

Features
Read full description

Käsekästchen is the schoolyard dots-and-boxes classic, rebuilt for iPhone and iPad. You don't tap the lines — you draw them with your finger. The stroke doesn't have to be accurate: it snaps to the nearest valid edge, but renders as a slightly wobbly pen line, so the board fills up looking like a real squared notebook. HOW IT WORKS Take turns drawing a line between two dots. Close a box and it's yours — and you go again. Whoever owns more boxes at the end wins. FEATURES • Draw the lines instead of tapping them, with pencil sound and haptics • Two players on one device, or play the computer • Four levels, beginner to no-mercy: Anfänger, Fortgeschritten, Profi and Brutal • A fair "hard" mode: the computer plays the chain endgame properly but still leaves a strong human a real chance • Four board sizes: 3×3 for a quick round, 5×5, 7×7 and 9×9 for long games • Seven themes, light and dark: Exercise Book, Violet & Rust, Kraft Paper, Blueprint, Chalkboard, Neon and Lantern • Every year from 1 October to 2 November: a Halloween game with pumpkins, ghosts and a cobweb • Games in progress are saved and can be resumed later • Stats across all your games • VoiceOver, Dynamic Type and Reduce Motion supported CALM BY DESIGN After 15 minutes of play Käsekästchen takes a deliberate break and locks itself for half an hour. No streaks, no reward loops, no notifications pulling you back. That is on purpose: the game is meant to respect your time. NO DATA COLLECTION No ads. No analytics SDKs. No account. No network for gameplay — Käsekästchen works completely offline. App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected. The game is complete and free. If you'd like to support development you can leave a one-time tip — it unlocks nothing and changes nothing about the game.

Screenshots

Dots Classic4 screens
Käsekästchen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dots Classic at none against Käsekästchen's 1. Dots Classic also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). Käsekästchen's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads 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. Käsekästchen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Dots Classic asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dots Classic ships an update every 3 months, Käsekästchen monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Dots Classic versus Käsekästchen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDots ClassicKäsekästchen
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlga GamesLars Gregori

In-app purchases

None

Dots Classic

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Käsekästchen

One-time1
  • Supporter$2.99

Questions

Is Dots Classic free?
Dots Classic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Käsekästchen free?
Käsekästchen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dots Classic or Käsekästchen have ads?
Neither Dots Classic nor Käsekästchen shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dots Classic or Käsekästchen?
Dots Classic ships an update every 3 months, and Käsekästchen monthly. Most recently, Dots Classic was updated on October 23, 2026 and Käsekästchen on October 31, 2026.

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