Gryphon Chess vs Heretic Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Gryphon Chess
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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.
Heretic Chess
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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 ā EARN ā UPGRADE ā 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 8Ć8 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.
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Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Gryphon Chess | Heretic Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly ā better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 ā better | 15.1 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Animeeples LLC | Fatma Esra Ugurca |
In-app purchases
Gryphon Chess
- Handful of Gems$0.99
- Pile of Gems$4.99
- Crate of Gems$9.99
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- Barrel of Gems$19.99
Heretic Chess
- Supporter Pack$4.99









