Comparison

Gryphon Chess vs Heretic Chess

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

Head to head
About

Gryphon Chess

Features
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Gryphon Chess is a new take on the board game classic. Novel mechanics and tactics await for you to collect and explore! Three factions vie for power: the industrious and methodical Empire, the elusive creatures of the Woodland, and the tough and stubborn Saurians. Each faction has unique pieces, play styles, and strategies to learn. [Special Features] COLLECT AND UPGRADE PIECES Collect and upgrade unique pieces as you play and progress. (Yes, even gryphons - or griffons - or griffins... any way you spell it, make sure you know where they're at!) As you upgrade pieces, they'll gain additional movement patterns and abilities. CUSTOM SETS Create custom faction-specific sets. Mix and match pieces from the standard set and each faction to suit your strategy, but beware! Your opponent will have their own custom set and pieces. [Strategic Gameplay] SHARPER MATCHES With three additional win conditions, Gryphon Chess matches are typically quicker and more pointed. With custom sets, each match becomes a real-time puzzle.

About

Heretic Chess

Features
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Chess, but you build your own army. Start with normal pieces. Lose. Earn coins. Buy modifier cards that give your pieces new movement abilities - a Rook that leaps like a Knight becomes a Chancellor. A Bishop that slides like a Rook becomes a Queen. Stack enough upgrades and your pieces become monsters the AI never saw coming. PLAY → EARN → UPGRADE → RETRY Every game earns currency, win or lose. Losing is part of the plan. Spend coins on modifier cards between games, equip them on up to 5 pieces, and go again with a stronger army. The loop is addictive. The power fantasy is real. 10 MODIFIER CARDS • +Knight - give any piece the Knight's L-shaped leap • +Bishop - add diagonal sliding to a Rook or Knight • +Rook - add straight-line power to a Bishop or Knight • +Camel - the Knight's weird cousin: a (3,1) leap • +Knight & Bishop - create an Archbishop • +Knight & Rook - create a Chancellor • +Rook & Bishop - create a Queen from scratch • And more. Stack them. Break things. FAIRY CHESS PIECES Chancellor. Archbishop. Amazon. Centaur. Names you've seen on Wikipedia at 2am. Now they're in your army, doing absurd things on an 8Ɨ8 board. Every upgrade is a real fairy chess piece with movement rules that have existed for centuries, we just put them in your hands. NO ADS. NO WAIT TIMERS. NO ENERGY SYSTEM. Play as much as you want. Progress is real. Every coin you earn stays. Every card you buy is permanent on your save slot. Built with a custom fairy chess engine. Runs entirely on-device. No internet required.

Screenshots

Gryphon Chess4 screens
Heretic Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Heretic Chess at weekly against Gryphon Chess's every 3 weeks. Gryphon Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Gryphon Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Heretic Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gryphon Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Heretic Chess weekly. The most recent releases landed on December 21, 2025 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Gryphon Chess versus Heretic Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGryphon ChessHeretic Chess
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnimeeples LLCFatma Esra Ugurca

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Gryphon Chess

One-time4
  • Handful of Gems$0.99
  • Pile of Gems$4.99
  • Crate of Gems$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Barrel of Gems$19.99
1 purchases

Heretic Chess

One-time1
  • Supporter Pack$4.99

Questions

Is Gryphon Chess free?
Gryphon Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Heretic Chess free?
Heretic Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Gryphon Chess or Heretic Chess have ads?
Neither Gryphon Chess nor Heretic Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gryphon Chess or Heretic Chess?
Gryphon Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Heretic Chess weekly. Most recently, Gryphon Chess was updated on December 21, 2025 and Heretic Chess on September 23, 2026.

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