Comparison

Solitaire vs Dark Squares

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

Head to head
About

Solitaire

Features
Read full description

Solitaire Chess is a single-player siege puzzle played on a hexagonal honeycomb board. Pick your side and outwit a sharp AI — every move is a plan. [How it plays] ‧ Two sides, two strategies: as the Attacker, break out from the center and thread along the honeycomb paths to land on any red goal node on the rim; as the Defender, wall the attacker in before it can escape. ‧ A real AI opponent, powered by Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), with Relaxed and Standard strengths — it never plays soft. ‧ Adjustable board size: radius 10–20 — the larger the board, the deeper the play. ‧ A rule with depth: the Defender can leap diagonally across a complete hexagon. ‧ Multiple board themes you can switch instantly, mid-game. ‧ Touch-mode toggle: "Place" and "Move board" are separate, so panning and zooming never drops a stone by accident. ‧ Stats: win rate and match history at a glance. [Who it's for] ‧ Fans of abstract strategy — chess, Go, and tactics games ‧ Anyone who wants to sharpen logic and spatial thinking in a single match ‧ A quick brain workout for your commute or lunch break [Privacy & offline] ‧ Fully offline — no account, no network required ‧ No ads, no tracking, no personal data collected ‧ All records stay on your device only ‧ Independently built by Intoxicated Child Studio [Free to play, Pro to unlock] The game is free to play. A one-time Pro unlock (non-consumable, yours forever) opens up larger boards, the Standard AI, full stats history, and every theme. Customers who bought the earlier paid version are granted Pro automatically — no repurchase needed. Set your siege on the honeycomb

About

Dark Squares

Experience chess with a magical twist. Arm your pieces with weapons and spells to outmaneuver opponents. Win by capturing the king in this strategic, fast-paced adaptation.

Highlights
  • Real chess mechanics
  • Weapon and spell loadouts
  • King capture victory condition
  • Play friends online
  • Play against AI
  • Ranked online duels
  • Unlock and upgrade weapons
Features
Read full description

This is not the chess you know. Dark Squares is chess, unhinged: every piece can wield a weapon. All the strategy of chess, none of its mercy. FREEZE the knight charging at you. TELEPORT your queen across the board. BLIGHT the enemy ranks and watch them wither. ASCEND a humble pawn into royalty. And when the path is open — take the king. HOW IT PLAYS • Real chess at the core: every classic move works, every classic plan matters. • Weapons change everything: arm a loadout of spells before each battle and cast them at the perfect moment. • Win by capture: no checkmate formalities — the game ends when a king falls. MODES • Play a Friend: challenge friends directly to friendly duels — and earn XP while you're at it. • Play vs Computer: three difficulty levels, and yes — the computer casts weapons too. • Open arena: bring your full loadout against anyone online. • Normalized arena: a fair, ranked duel — both players draft from the same weapon pool, so skill alone decides it. PROGRESSION • Earn XP in every online game — win or lose. • Unlock new weapons and upgrade them to higher tiers as you climb the ladder. • Build your Armory and craft the loadout that fits your style. DARK SQUARES PRO • An optional subscription ($4.99/month, auto-renews) that instantly adds four more weapon families — Aegis, Silence, Blight and Oracle. • Pro is variety, never raw power — free weapons stay fully competitive. Dark Squares is young and evolving — your feedback shapes what comes next. Every piece, a weapon. Every move, a gambit. Welcome to Dark Squares. Privacy Policy: https://darksquares.web.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Solitaire3 screens
Dark Squares4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Solitaire at none against Dark Squares's 1. Dark Squares's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. Dark Squares sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Solitaire asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solitaire ships an update every 9 months, Dark Squares weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Solitaire versus Dark Squares: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolitaireDark Squares
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKuo-Tsun HuangAvi Kremer

In-app purchases

None

Solitaire

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dark Squares

Subscriptions1
  • Dark Squares Pro$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Solitaire free?
Solitaire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dark Squares free?
Dark Squares is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Solitaire or Dark Squares have ads?
Neither Solitaire nor Dark Squares shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solitaire or Dark Squares?
Solitaire ships an update every 9 months, and Dark Squares weekly. Most recently, Solitaire was updated on October 10, 2026 and Dark Squares on October 15, 2026.

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