Comparison

Afterimage Memory vs ShogiStep

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

Head to head
About

Afterimage Memory

Features
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Afterimage Memory is a simple brain-training game that challenges you to memorize numbers for a moment, then find the one that changed. Look at the numbers on the screen, remember their positions, and tap the number that is different from your memory. The rules are easy to understand, but each stage asks for sharper memory, wider visual attention, and faster reactions. Stage Mode lets you progress through 15 stages with increasing difficulty. As you clear stages, the number of items and grid density increase, creating a steady memory challenge. Score Challenge is built for high-score runs. Keep your streak alive, build combos, and aim for a new personal best. Game Center rankings, score sharing, and satisfying effects make it easy to return for daily brain training. Main features: - Tutorial stage explaining controls, score, difficulty, and time limit - 15-stage Stage Mode with progressive difficulty - Score Challenge for high-score runs - Combo display, best-score effects, and high-score celebration - Haptic feedback for correct and wrong answers - Sound and vibration settings - Game Center leaderboard support - Share your results Afterimage Memory is designed for quick sessions, spare moments, and daily memory training.

About

ShogiStep

Features
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Learn openings. Play with confidence. Know how the pieces move, but feel lost in the opening? Remember a sequence in practice, then forget it in a game? ShogiStep: Learn Openings helps you study Japanese chess openings by moving pieces on a board with your cat coach. Developed by a Learning Engineering PhD and amateur shogi 2-dan, with commentary supervised by a shogi 5-dan. Understand the ideas, recall the moves, and build your opening knowledge through hands-on practice. UNDERSTAND WHY EACH MOVE MATTERS Openings are sequences refined through games and study. Memorizing moves alone can leave you unsure when an opponent chooses a different line. Learn what a move prepares, what threat it prevents, and how it helps your pieces work together. Your cat coach explains the ideas alongside the board, making positions easier to follow than notation alone. LEARN MODE: ONE MOVE AT A TIME Highlights show which piece to move and where to place it. Tap or drag to play while reading the commentary. Tap a square reference in the explanation to light up that square on the board. Enlarge the commentary for easier reading. TEST MODE: RECALL, PLAY, REVIEW Try the opening without move guides. A mistake does not end your attempt: after two mistakes, a hint helps you continue. Review the commentary after a correct move. At the end, check your first-try accuracy and mistakes, then practice again. FIND YOUR OPENING AMONG 53 LESSONS Start with Primitive Climbing Silver, Bishop Exchange Reclining Silver, and Double Wing Attack. Explore familiar systems and surprise attacks through five optional packs of 10 lessons each: • Static Rook: Side Pawn Capture, Yagura, Gangi, Twisting Rook, Right King, and more. • Ranging Rook: Opposing Rook, Third File Rook, Fourth File Rook, Fujii System, Quick Ishida, and more. • Central Rook: Sente and Gote Gokigen Central Rook, Horned Silver Central Rook, Superfast S-37, and more. • Opposing Strategies & Study: Double Ranging Rook, Right Fourth File Rook, Quick-Attack Climbing Silver, Maruyama Vaccine, and more. • Surprise & Fighting Openings: Pac-Man, Demon Slayer, New Demon Slayer, Iijima's Bishop Pullback, Tsukada Special, Ureshino, and more. FOLLOW THE PROS BEYOND THE OPENING Step through professional games or watch them autoplay. Choose Sente or Gote and move the pieces yourself to follow the game. Try the first game free; the Pro Games Pack adds 10 more. PRACTICE IN YOUR SPARE MOMENTS Learn and Test progress is saved separately so you can resume later. Switch sides to practice your opponent's moves, too. Commentary is provided for the recommended side only; it is not shown when practicing the opposite side. Available in Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Adjust background music and sound effects in Settings. START FREE. CHOOSE ONE-TIME PURCHASES. Three opening lessons and the first professional game are free. Optional purchases include: • Five opening packs, with 10 lessons each • Pro Games Pack: 10 additional games • Ad removal • Complete Set: all five packs, 10 additional pro games, and ad removal All purchases are one-time purchases, with no monthly fees or automatic renewals. Choose individual packs or unlock the Complete Set. Restore previous purchases in Settings. Understand a move. Recall it. Play it. Build confidence in your opening with your cat coach. SPECIAL THANKS Commentary supervision: ęž”ęœ¬ 秀男 — Representative of ć‚Øćƒ‡ćƒ„å°†ę£‹ę•™å®¤; Japan Shogi Association-certified shogi instructor; shogi 5-dan. Music provided by: Music-Note.jp URL: http://www.music-note.jp/

Screenshots

Afterimage Memory4 screens
ShogiStep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Afterimage Memory at none against ShogiStep's 8. Afterimage Memory also leads on ads (none vs shown). ShogiStep's advantage is update cadence (daily vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. ShogiStep sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Afterimage Memory asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Afterimage Memory ships an update monthly, ShogiStep daily. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Afterimage Memory versus ShogiStep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAfterimage MemoryShogiStep
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYUICHI NAKATANIREBRON

In-app purchases

None

Afterimage Memory

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

ShogiStep

One-time8
  • Pro Games Pack$0.29
  • Remove Ads$0.49
  • Opposing Formations Pack$1.99
Show 5 more
  • Surprise Openings Pack$1.99
  • Static Rook Pack$1.99
  • Ranging Rook Pack$1.99
  • Central Rook Pack$1.99
  • Complete Set$7.99

Questions

Is Afterimage Memory free?
Afterimage Memory is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShogiStep free?
ShogiStep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Afterimage Memory or ShogiStep have ads?
ShogiStep shows ads; Afterimage Memory does not.
Which is updated more often, Afterimage Memory or ShogiStep?
Afterimage Memory ships an update monthly, and ShogiStep daily. Most recently, Afterimage Memory was updated on October 10, 2026 and ShogiStep on October 26, 2026.

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