Starchess vs Beyond Chess D20
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starchess
Experience chess with a unique twist on a three-dimensional board. Pieces gain new movement capabilities, allowing for strategic plays in up, down, and diagonal directions. Enjoy a fresh challenge to your chess skills.
- Three-dimensional chess board
- Traditional chess rules
- Expanded piece movement (up, down, diagonal)
- Unique strategic gameplay
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Starchess has all of the same rules as traditional chess but now on a three-dimensional board. Pieces can move up, down and diagonally.
Beyond Chess D20
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Beyond Chess is a strategy game that takes the core of chess and adds one missing ingredient: uncertainty. Choose how you want to play: CLASSIC MODE Pure chess. Deterministic captures. No randomness. STATISTICAL MODE Captures are resolved by probability. Each piece has a fixed chance to capture other pieces, sometimes you win, sometimes you bounce back. No victory is guaranteed. RPG DICE MODE (D20) Every capture attempt rolls a d20: • 1: Critical fail — your piece self-destructs • 2–5: Capture fails — your piece stays in its original square • 6–19: Normal capture • 20: Wololo conversion — the target piece turns to your color while your piece stays in place ONLINE PvP Play online matches in public or private rooms, choose a nickname and jump in. (Online play requires an internet connection.) If you enjoy chess, tabletop RNG, and tactical risk management, Beyond Chess is built for you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Starchess at Free against Beyond Chess D20's $9.99. Beyond Chess D20's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Starchess is free to download; Beyond Chess D20 costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Starchess ships an update every 4 months, Beyond Chess D20 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Starchess | Beyond Chess D20 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 187 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nathan Lane | OMER GULERYUZ |
In-app purchases
Starchess
No in-app purchases
Beyond Chess D20
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Starchess free?
Is Beyond Chess D20 free?
Do Starchess or Beyond Chess D20 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Starchess or Beyond Chess D20?
Other comparisons
