Comparison

Abalone Online vs Abbalone

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

Head to head
About

Abalone Online

Compete against remote players in this digital adaptation of a classic abstract strategy board game. Push your opponent's marbles off the hexagonal board to win. Enjoy strategic gameplay on your iPhone or iPad.

Highlights
  • Two-player remote multiplayer
  • Abstract strategy gameplay
  • Push opponent's marbles
  • Hexagonal board
  • iPhone and iPad support
Features
Read full description

his is the Abalone game, designed to be played by two remote players, using two network connected iPhone or iPad. The players can be in different places, towns, and even different countries. One player will deal with white pieces, and will see the game board from his white side; the opponent will deal with black pieces, ad will see the game board on the opposite side. To start a game, just hit the Start New Game button, and the system will try to find an opponent for you. The match is not immediately granted: it will depend on the presence on the network of at least one player looking for an opponent player. Maybe you have to wait for some time before finding a match. Once both players have started a game, the white move first. Abalone is a two-player abstract strategy board game. Players are represented by opposing black and white marbles on a hexagonal board with the objective of pushing six of the opponent's marbles off the edge of the board. The present version is made for both iPad and iPhone. The white marbles are moved by a player on his device, the back ones by another player on his remote device. The board consists of 61 hexagonal cells. Each player has 14 marbles that rest in the spaces and are initially automatically arranged as the game begins. The players take turns with the white marbles moving first. For each move, a player moves a straight line of one, two or three marbles of one color one space in one of six directions. The move can be either longitudinal (along the line of marbles) or transversal (lateral in respect to the line of marbles). To move a group of marbles (1,2,or 3) you must first touch once all of them: the color of the touched marbles reverts to red. After that, touch the destination cell of the first mable, i.e. the cell where the first marble should be moved. A player can push their opponent's marbles (a "sumito") that are in a line to their own with an in-line move only. They can only push if the pushing line has more marbles than the pushed line (three can push one or two; two can push one). Marbles must be pushed to an empty space (i.e. not blocked by a marble) or off the board. The winner is the first player to push six of the opponent's marbles off of the edge of the board. The dynamics of the basic game may have one serious flaw: it seems that a good but conservative player can set up their marbles in a defensive wedge and ward off all attacks indefinitely. An attacker may try to outflank this wedge or lure it into traps, but such advances are often more dangerous to the attacker than the defender. Thus, from the starting position, it takes little skill and no imagination to avoid losing, and nothing in the rules prevents games from being interminable. The first player who succedes pushing six opponent's mables off the edge of the board wins the game.

About

Abbalone

Features
Read full description

Abbalone is a modern reimagining of the classic marble strategy game, designed for competitive play, fast decision-making, and long-term progression. Unlike traditional versions, Abbalone introduces a more expressive and dynamic experience. Marbles are represented as distinct visual tokens, making board states easier to read at a glance and reducing confusion during complex moves. Combined with multiple play scenarios and real-time systems, the game focuses on clarity, speed, and competitive depth. At its core, the objective remains simple: push six of your opponent’s pieces off the board. The strategy, however, evolves with every match. The game supports multiple ways to play: Play against AI with three difficulty levels that simulate different thinking speeds and decision depth. The AI evaluates board control, positioning, and capture potential, allowing players to learn and improve through practice. Play online using a private match system. One player creates a game and shares a short code. The second player joins instantly, and the match begins in real time. The system includes connection feedback, rematch flow, and automatic handling of disconnections to ensure continuity. Play locally with pass-and-play for shared device sessions. Abbalone includes multiple starting layouts, each changing how the opening phase unfolds. This adds variety and prevents repetitive gameplay, even for experienced players. Progression is built around a structured ranking system. Players start at a base rating and move through tiers based on performance. Each match visibly impacts ranking, creating a clear sense of advancement. A daily challenge mode introduces short tactical puzzles that must be solved within a limited number of moves. This provides a quick, focused gameplay loop for returning users and supports long-term engagement through streak tracking. The profile system tracks performance in detail, including match history, preferred strategies, and achievements earned through gameplay milestones. The experience is designed to be complete without requiring an account. Players can start instantly in guest mode, with optional sign-in for saving progress and participating in ranked systems. Abbalone is built for players who enjoy strategic thinking, competitive systems, and replayable gameplay with meaningful variation.

Screenshots

Abalone Online1 screens
Abbalone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Abbalone at Free against Abalone Online's $1.99. Abalone Online's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Abbalone is free to download; Abalone Online costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Abalone Online ships an update every 3 days, Abbalone monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Abalone Online versus Abbalone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAbalone OnlineAbbalone
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuigi FontiKheniTech

In-app purchases

None

Abalone Online

No in-app purchases

None

Abbalone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Abalone Online free?
Abalone Online costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Abbalone free?
Abbalone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Abalone Online or Abbalone have ads?
Abbalone shows ads; Abalone Online does not.
Which is updated more often, Abalone Online or Abbalone?
Abalone Online ships an update every 3 days, and Abbalone monthly. Most recently, Abalone Online was updated on September 26, 2026 and Abbalone on September 25, 2026.

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