Comparison

Mancala. vs CheckerChess

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

Head to head
About

Mancala.

Experience Mancala, an ancient strategy board game. Move marbles counter-clockwise, aiming to collect the most in your home hole. Enjoy a classic game of skill and foresight.

Highlights
  • Ancient board game gameplay
  • Counter-clockwise marble movement
  • Strategic home hole collection
  • Simple rules, deep strategy
  • Single-player game
Read full description

Mancala (also known as Kalah) is an ancient board game. Pick up marbles from any of bottom holes and move them counter-clockwise. If your move ends at your home hole (right one) you can move again. The game ends when all six holes on either side are empty. The winner is the player with the most marbles in home hole.

About

CheckerChess

This two-player strategy game blends the tactical depth of chess with hidden roles and bluffing. Players secretly assign powerful pieces like a General and Snipers to their army, adding psychological warfare and deduction to every move. Win by capturing the enemy General or advancing your own.

Highlights
  • Hidden role selection
  • Real-time online multiplayer
  • Private rooms for friends
  • Dice-based ranged combat
  • Chain jumping mechanics
  • Intuitive interface
Features
Read full description

CHECKERCHESS - WHERE DECEPTION MEETS STRATEGY The psychological depth of chess, the movement of checkers, and one idea of its own: your most powerful pieces are hidden in plain sight. CheckerChess is a two-player strategy game where bluffing and deduction matter as much as tactical skill. THE HIDDEN ARMY CONCEPT Before battle begins, secretly choose your special pieces: 1 GENERAL hidden among 3 Commanders (lettered pieces) 2 SNIPERS hidden among 15 Soldiers (numbered pieces) Your opponent faces the same dilemma. Which of their pieces are truly dangerous? Every move reveals information. Every capture changes the game. One wrong guess could cost you the match! BLIND WARFARE Your opponent cannot see which pieces you designated until they are revealed through gameplay. Protect your General while hunting for theirs. Is that advancing piece their General, or bait? Every move is evidence. HOW TO PLAY Movement: SLIDE: Move one space in any direction JUMP: Leap over any piece (yours or your opponent's) CHAIN JUMPS: Keep jumping multiple times and tap your piece when done Sniper Combat: Select your Sniper and target an enemy piece Roll dice to determine range Roll greater than or equal to Distance = Direct hit! Capture and move there Roll less than Distance = Move partially toward target Important: Using your Sniper's special ability REVEALS it to your opponent! Choose wisely when to expose your secret weapons. WIN CONDITIONS Eliminate the enemy General (once you find it!) Move your General into enemy territory OPTIONAL RULES Tap FEATURES before you create a room to switch either rule on. Whoever hosts the game sets the rules for both players. SNIPER TRANSPORT: Sacrifice one of your own Soldiers to teleport a Sniper onto its square, along any clear straight or diagonal line. It costs a piece, reveals the Sniper, and skips your shot that turn - but it puts a gun where your opponent is not looking. LAST STAND: Reaching the enemy End Zone no longer wins on the spot. Your Commander declares INFILTRATION and the defender gets one turn to answer. Survive with your real General and you win. Send a decoy and the bluff is spent - it stays exposed for the rest of the game, and play continues. WATCH LIVE MATCHES Open SPECTATE from the menu to see every game in progress and drop into any of them. The board updates move by move while both players' hidden roles stay secret - ideal for tournaments, teaching a friend the rules, or studying an opponent before you face them. STRATEGIC DEPTH The hidden roles create endless mind games: Sacrifice a Commander to protect your real General? Reveal a Sniper early for a crucial shot, or keep them hidden? Is your opponent's aggressive piece their General, or a decoy? Burn a Soldier to Transport a Sniper into firing position? March a decoy into the End Zone just to force out their answer? KEY FEATURES Hidden role selection where your General and Snipers stay secret until revealed Real-time online multiplayer Private rooms where you can play with friends using room codes Quick Match to find opponents instantly Spectator mode to watch any live game from the menu Optional rules - Sniper Transport and Last Stand, chosen by the host PEEK button to check your own General and Snipers at any time Dice-based ranged combat system Chain jumping mechanics Sound effects and a clean, intuitive interface Ad-free experience to keep you focused on your strategy PERFECT FOR Poker players who love bluffing and reading opponents Strategy enthusiasts seeking deep, chess-like psychological warfare Fans of hidden-information and deduction board games Strategy gamers looking for something fresh The game where your poker face matters as much as your tactical skill. Play it safe, or play the bluff. The choice is yours. Download CheckerChess today and master the art of tactical deception!

Screenshots

Mancala.4 screens
CheckerChess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mancala. at Free against CheckerChess's $2.99. Mancala. also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 3) and chart position (#130 vs unranked). CheckerChess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On ads 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

Mancala. is free to download; CheckerChess costs $2.99 up front. Mancala. sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. CheckerChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CheckerChess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mancala. has 37K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Mancala.'s written reviews are positive against 100% of CheckerChess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, CheckerChess every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Mancala. versus CheckerChess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMancala.CheckerChess
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.7 (37K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings37K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#130 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.4 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergey SkosyrevVictor Joseph

Customer experience

Mancala.

All ratings36,514 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews545 reviews
Positive79.8%
Neutral8.6%
Negative11.6%

CheckerChess

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Mancala.

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Hint button not working properly
  • Peg solitaire mode has unsolvable levels

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Difficulty settings for AI
  • Earn in-game currency through gameplay
  • More single-player modes and puzzles
  • Clearer in-app instructions and rules

CheckerChess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Mancala.

One-time10
  • 50 diamonds$1.99
  • 55 diamonds$1.99
  • 90 diamonds$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Advanced Features$4.99
  • 150 diamonds$4.99
  • Avalanche Advanced Features$4.99
  • 145 diamonds$4.99
  • 180 diamonds$6.99
  • 350 diamonds$9.99
  • 750 diamonds$19.99
None

CheckerChess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mancala. free?
Mancala. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CheckerChess free?
CheckerChess costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mancala. or CheckerChess?
CheckerChess is rated higher. Mancala. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while CheckerChess averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Mancala. or CheckerChess have ads?
Neither Mancala. nor CheckerChess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mancala. or CheckerChess?
Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, and CheckerChess every 4 months. Most recently, Mancala. was updated on November 1, 2026 and CheckerChess on October 24, 2026.

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