Comparison

Red Fire vs Cold War Chess

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

Head to head
About

Red Fire

Engage in turn-based strategic warfare across East Asia from 1950-1975. Command diverse land, air, and naval forces of numerous nations in historical and fictional conflicts. Experience realistic Cold War combat with intelligent AI and hotseat multiplayer.

Highlights
  • Turn-based strategy
  • East Asian Cold War setting
  • Land, air, and naval forces
  • Dozens of nations
  • Realistic combat simulation
  • Intelligent adaptive AI
  • Hotseat multiplayer
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Red Fire is a turn-based strategic wargame set in East Asia between the years 1950-1975. Take command of land, air, and naval forces of dozens of nations including the US, USSR, China, Taiwan, North and South Korea, North and South Vietnam, France, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Experience Korean War, Vietnam War, and many other conflicts - both historical and fictional. Command squadrons of more than 500 types of aircraft, from biplanes to multirole fighter jets. Control the seas with more than 500 types of warships including submarines, battleships and aircraft carriers. Leverage new tools like surface-air missiles, air-air refueling tankers, attack helicopters, and missile cruisers to dominate the battlefield. Red Fire is powered by a detailed and realistic simulation of Cold War-era air, naval, and ground combat. Fight against an intelligent AI which constantly adapts its strategy to ensure every game is challenging and unique. Challenge a friend in hotseat multiplayer (pass-and-play). Red Fire contains no in-app purchases or ads of any kind, and an internet connection is not required to play. Buy the game once and get access to all current and future content.

About

Cold War Chess

Experience chess with a twist in a fog of war setting. Strategize by building your army, concealing your intentions, and uncovering your opponent's hidden forces. Engage in 63 missions inspired by the Cold War era across six unique factions.

Highlights
  • Fog of war gameplay
  • Army building and customization
  • Six distinct factions
  • 63 strategic missions
  • Story campaign inspired by Cold War
  • Hidden enemy back rows
Features
Read full description

The board is set. But half of it is hidden. Cold War Chess takes the strategy of chess and throws it into the fog of war. The enemy's back two rows are concealed until your pieces are close enough to see them. You don't know what's coming. Neither does your opponent. Before the first move, you build your army. Spend your resources, place your pieces where you choose, keep your intentions secret. Misdirection is a weapon. Sometimes fewer pieces are more powerful. This isn't checkmate chess. Reduce the enemy to a lone king and the war is over. Any piece — including your own king — can walk into danger without knowing it. The Cold War plays by different rules. PICK YOUR SIDE USA. USSR. The Alliance. Iron Curtain. Third Way. Dead Hand. Six factions, each with distinct resource budgets and initiative traits. Your faction shapes how you fight before a single piece moves. 63 STRATEGIC MISSIONS Berlin. Cuba. The Pacific. Southeast Asia. Central Asia. Play through fictional flashpoints across a full story campaign inspired by the Cold War era. FOG OF WAR Scout your enemy. Find, fix, and finish their king. The fog lifts only when you're close enough to act. BUILD YOUR ARMY No fixed positions. Spend your budget. Set your trap. Surprise them before the opening move. Start free. Berlin is on us. Unlock the full Cold War when you're ready. Cold War Chess is inspired by historical events. Characters, factions, and dramatized scenarios are fictional. The game does not represent the views of any government, organization, or individual.

Screenshots

Red Fire4 screens
Cold War Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Cold War Chess at Free against Red Fire's $5.99. Cold War Chess also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Red Fire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (90 vs 5). On 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

Cold War Chess is free to download; Red Fire costs $5.99 up front. Cold War Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Red Fire asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cold War Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Fire has 90 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Red Fire ships an update every 6 weeks, Cold War Chess weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Red Fire versus Cold War Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRed FireCold War Chess
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (90 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings90 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#180 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB193 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperGeoffrey AyreMICHAEL LAWRENCE STANLEY

Customer experience

Red Fire

All ratings90 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.9%
Negative3.9%

Cold War Chess

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Red Fire

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Game crashes frequently
  • Freezes on resolving conflicts preventing turn progression
  • Aircraft auto-renew orders system malfunction
  • Naval and land forces stuck on Guam island
  • Ships unable to find routes from Guam
Show 6 more
  • AI captures areas behind player lines unrealistically
  • Carrier planes launch from destroyers instead of carriers
  • Notch display compatibility issue
  • Campaign Red Fire ends prematurely at March 26, 1969
  • Nuclear war notifications trigger without player action
  • Game lag with large unit concentrations (6.7M+ troops)

Requested features

20 requests
  • European theatre/Cold War Europe map
  • Middle East and North Africa campaigns
  • South America and Central America scenarios
  • Modern era (1970s-2020s) game version
  • Group land and air units like naval units
Show 15 more
  • Artillery units with ranged mechanics
  • Individual aircraft selection from squadrons
  • WWI and Gulf War scenarios
  • India and Pakistan as playable nations
  • Mission editor for campaign customization
  • Ability to disband units and ships
  • Force allied AI to move troops
  • More save slots
  • PC/desktop port
  • Star Wars version
  • American Civil War scenario
  • Cuban Missile Crisis campaign
  • Diplomacy complexity improvements
  • Vehicle variants expansion
  • Reduced AA missile quantities

Cold War Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Red Fire

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cold War Chess

One-time1
  • Full Deployment$4.99

Questions

Is Red Fire free?
Red Fire costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cold War Chess free?
Cold War Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Red Fire or Cold War Chess?
Cold War Chess is rated higher. Red Fire averages 4.8 out of 5 from 90 ratings, while Cold War Chess averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Red Fire or Cold War Chess have ads?
Neither Red Fire nor Cold War Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Red Fire or Cold War Chess?
Red Fire ships an update every 6 weeks, and Cold War Chess weekly. Most recently, Red Fire was updated on September 25, 2026 and Cold War Chess on September 17, 2026.

Other comparisons