Comparison

Goolee vs Goban3D

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

Head to head
About

Goolee

This game offers a fun and engaging challenge for all ages, combining simple controls with rewarding gameplay. It encourages careful planning and smart decisions to build mental skills through increasingly complex levels. The goal is to make critical thinking and problem-solving accessible through enjoyable, interactive experiences.

Highlights
  • Engaging gameplay for all ages
  • Simple controls
  • Rewarding progression
  • Develops mental skills
  • Critical thinking challenges
  • Regular updates
Features
Read full description

Goolee is a fun and engaging game designed to challenge the mind while remaining easy to play. Suitable for players of all ages, Goolee combines simple controls with rewarding gameplay. Each level encourages players to think carefully, plan their actions, and make smart decisions. As players progress, the challenges become more complex, helping to build mental skills in an enjoyable and interactive way. Our Vision is to bring Higher Order Thinking Skills down to earth the fun way. At Goolee, we strive to make Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) accessible to everyone by integrating fun, interactive, and innovative educational experiences into gameplay. Our goal is to bring critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving into everyday learning experiences for students, teachers, and families, while keeping the game enjoyable and engaging. Play anytime, whether for a quick break or a longer session. Regular updates improve performance, fix bugs, and enhance the overall gaming experience. Download Goolee today and enjoy a game that is both entertaining and mentally stimulating.

About

Goban3D

Experience the ancient game of Go with stunning 3D visuals or a clean 2D interface. Play against the world's strongest AI offline, challenge friends online via Game Center, or enjoy local matches on a single device. Offers extensive accessibility features for all players.

Highlights
  • Play Go in 3D or 2D
  • Offline AI play with KataGo
  • Online matches with friends
  • Local pass-and-play mode
  • Multiple board sizes (9x9, 13x13, 19x19)
  • Extensive accessibility features
  • Customizable board and stone textures
Features
Read full description

Goban3D brings the ancient game of Go — also known as 囲碁 (igo), 바둑 (baduk), or 圍棋 (wéiqí) — to iPhone and iPad. Play on a beautifully rendered 3D goban or switch instantly to a clean 2D board. Local matches, private online games with friends via Game Center requested matches, and the world's strongest Go AI, KataGo, all in one app. Whether you've never placed a stone before, want a private match with a friend or club-mate, or are ready to test your skills against the strongest Go engine on the planet — Goban3D is for you. KATAGO AI (FREE, 100% OFFLINE) • The world's strongest open-source Go engine, running natively on Apple Silicon — no internet, no account, no data sent anywhere. The AI is fully on-device • Board sizes 9×9, 13×13, and 19×19 • 26 skill levels: 20 Kyu (complete beginner) through 5 Dan, plus full-strength AI for serious study • Weaker levels use KataGo's Human-style network (trained on human games) so the AI plays like a real person at your rank — not a crippled superhuman • Full-strength mode runs the latest strongest KataGo network published on katagotraining.org as of 15 April 2026 • There's an old Go proverb: "Lose your first 50 games as quickly as possible." Start on 9×9 at 20 Kyu — after 2 or 3 games, winning comes easier than you might think. Each time you win, raise the skill by 1 or 2. KataGo is the best Go teacher ever built, and it speaks every language ONLINE PLAY WITH FRIENDS • Private matches over Game Center with people already in your contacts • Invite a specific friend — no public matchmaking, no strangers • All online games are untimed — take your time and enjoy the game LOCAL PLAY • Two players on one device, pass-and-play • Board sizes: 9×9, 13×13, 19×19 • Handicap stones (0–9) with automatic komi adjustment • Japanese scoring with 6.5 komi — mark dead stones, confirm the score • Untimed by default — take your time and enjoy the game BOARD & VISUALS • 3D board powered by RealityKit — physically-based materials, 60 fps animations for every placement and capture • Instant 2D mode in SwiftUI for low-power play • 4 board textures, 8 stone textures, multiple ground and gridline options — all free • Haptic feedback and authentic wooden stone sound effects • NHK broadcast-style move announcements with optional Go terminology (atari, tsuke, hane, nobi...) ACCESSIBILITY — GO FOR EVERYONE Goban3D makes Go genuinely accessible — across ability, skill level, device, region, and language. No other Go app on the App Store declares any accessibility features. Goban3D has 100% coverage across all seven Apple categories: VoiceOver with full board-position labels, Voice Control, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Sufficient Contrast, and Differentiate Without Color. The app starts in 2D by default, and the 2D SwiftUI board is where the full accessibility stack lives — including complete VoiceOver board navigation. When VoiceOver is on, the 3D toggle is disabled to keep the accessible experience front and centre. A dedicated high-contrast mode and adjustable grid-line thickness help players with low vision. DEVICES • Also runs on Mac and visionOS via "Designed for iPad" • Minimap on smaller iPhones ensures every intersection meets Apple's 44pt minimum tap target, even on 19×19 Free to play, with gameplay that is always ad-free. A brief ad appears on launch and just before scoring mode, so your time on the board is never interrupted. Remove all ads with an optional yearly subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://goban3d.com/en-US/privacy.html

Screenshots

Goolee4 screens
Goban3D3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Goban3D at none against Goolee's shown. Goban3D also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). Goolee's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Goolee sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Goban3D sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Goolee ships an update monthly, Goban3D every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Goolee versus Goban3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGooleeGoban3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size258 MB246 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoolee Sdn BhdAdam Gibbons

Customer experience

Goolee

Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Goban3D

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Goolee

One-time9
  • 1000 COINS$0.99
  • 100 DIAMONDS$0.99
  • 2500 COINS$1.99
Show 6 more
  • 250 DIAMONDS$1.99
  • 500 DIAMONDS$2.99
  • 5000 COINS$2.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • 10 000 COINS$9.99
  • 1000 DIAMONDS$9.99
1 purchases

Goban3D

Subscriptions1
  • Remove Ads (Yearly)$7.991 Year

Questions

Is Goolee free?
Goolee is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Goban3D free?
Goban3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Goolee or Goban3D have ads?
Goolee shows ads; Goban3D does not.
Which is updated more often, Goolee or Goban3D?
Goolee ships an update monthly, and Goban3D every 4 days. Most recently, Goolee was updated on September 27, 2026 and Goban3D on September 29, 2026.

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