Comparison

ChessCraft vs janvo

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

Head to head
About

ChessCraft

Explore a chess sandbox where you can customize boards, rules, and pieces. Create unique chess variants, play against an AI, or challenge friends online. Discover and share your custom chess creations with a global community.

Highlights
  • Customizable chess boards and pieces
  • AI computer opponent
  • Online multiplayer with friends
  • Adventure mode with built-in boards
  • Chess variant database
  • Create new pieces and tile rules
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Never play the same game of chess again! ChessCraft is a chess sandbox with an AI computer opponent. Customize chess boards, rules, and pieces. Share your creations online. Play your friends online, or play the computer, or choose from one of 75 built-in chess boards in adventure mode. ChessCraft is also the world's largest chess variant database. https://www.chesscraft.ca Many chess AI mobile games already exist, but only ChessCraft allows the player to create such wacky boards and pieces and immediately play a decent computer opponent. Create new pieces with any combination of the 8 bishop or rook slides, plus a 7x7 grid of knight-like hops. Pieces can also enhance or restrict nearby pieces. Create new boards with any enabled or disabled tile up to 16x16. Place promotion rules for any piece, anywhere. Place tile rules like witch windows (teleporters), sanctuaries, and more. The computer AI opponent then uses concepts from computer science and graph theory to understand your creations and play against you. When you share a board, your friends can play the AI too. Sharing creates a new web page just for you, like this: https://www.chesscraft.ca/design?id=shape-variant1 Visit the website and send me an email if you have any feedback or questions. If you like the game, please rate it!

About

janvo

Features
Read full description

Janvo is a new type of strategy game that combines the familiar rules of Rock Paper Scissors with tactical board movement. Each piece has unique movement directions and ranges, creating a simple yet deeply strategic battle experience as you advance across the board and capture your opponent’s pieces. Features A battle system based on classic Rock Paper Scissors strengths and weaknesses Tactical positioning and mind games that influence every turn Multiple CPU difficulty levels for casual play Simple and intuitive controls suitable for all players Upcoming Updates Online multiplayer mode Expanded player profile and match history features Enjoy a fresh and strategic take on Rock Paper Scissors with Janvo.

Screenshots

ChessCraft4 screens
janvo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: janvo at Free against ChessCraft's $5.99. janvo also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 months). ChessCraft's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#152 vs unranked). On in-app purchases 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

janvo is free to download; ChessCraft costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessCraft ships an update every 9 months, janvo every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
ChessCraft versus janvo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessCraftjanvo
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#152 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB102 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStuart SpenceARC LAB LLC

In-app purchases

None

ChessCraft

No in-app purchases

None

janvo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChessCraft free?
ChessCraft costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is janvo free?
janvo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ChessCraft or janvo have ads?
janvo shows ads; ChessCraft does not.
Which is updated more often, ChessCraft or janvo?
ChessCraft ships an update every 9 months, and janvo every 3 days. Most recently, ChessCraft was updated on October 11, 2026 and janvo on September 30, 2026.

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