Comparison

Gambonanza vs Ultrapool

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

Head to head
About

Gambonanza

Experience a unique turn-based chess roguelike with a twist. Master tactical combos, invest winnings, and discover rule-bending abilities on a dynamic board. Face challenging bosses and explore endless strategic possibilities.

Highlights
  • Snackable, high-impact runs
  • 150+ rule-bending Gambits
  • Dynamic reserve system
  • Strategic board upgrades
  • Epic boss battles
  • Retro aesthetic and quirky ambiance
  • Mini-games for power boosts
Features
Read full description

Gambonanza is a turn-based chess roguelike set on a tiny board with huge stakes. Master tactical twists, invest your winnings, and discover rule-bending Gambits plus wild tile and piece combinations. Face off against challenging bosses and get lost in all the ways you can break traditional chess! But be careful, if you waste too many moves the board will crumble around you… FEATURES • Snackable, high-impact runs Play fast, punchy chess battles on smaller starting boards where every decision counts. • 150+ rule-bending Gambits Combine your chess pieces with Gambits to unlock devastating combos and strategic surprises. • Dynamic reserve system Store extra pieces off-board and deploy them at the perfect moment to swing the game. • Strategic board upgrades Enhance your chessboard with golden squares, blessing tiles, protective surfaces, and more! • Fight epic boss battles Take on big encounters that reward smart builds and punish strategic mistakes. • Retro aesthetic and quirky ambiance Immerse yourself in vibrant pixel art and the playful excitement of a fairground. • Mini-games for power boosts Test your luck and skill in challenges inspired by pachinko, slot machines, and Gachapon. WHY PLAY GAMBONANZA? Gambonanza takes the tactical clarity of chess and turns it into a roguelike playground: stack Gambits, sculpt the board, manage your reserves, and discover ridiculous combos that “shouldn’t work”… until they do. If you love smart strategy, replayable runs, and the thrill of breaking the rules (legally), this one’s for you. JOIN THE CHESS REVOLUTION! Download Gambonanza and start rewriting chess. ABOUT THE TEAM Gambonanza is developed by Blukulélé and published by Sidekick Publishing and Stray Fawn Publishing. Mobile Port by Ateo

About

Ultrapool

Experience a unique pool game with roguelite elements and wacky ball effects. Craft strategic builds and pull off incredible trickshots to impress the bartenders. Survive 10 rounds of arcade-style pool with a variety of unique ball abilities.

Highlights
  • Roguelite pool gameplay
  • Wacky ball abilities
  • Strategic build crafting
  • Arcade-style trickshots
  • 10-round survival mode
  • Ball combination mechanics
Features
Read full description

The pool bar is always open! Ultrapool is a colorful roguelike about playing pool with a bunch of wacky balls with crazy effects. Carefully craft a perfect build and get the craziest trickshots! Get comfy, choose a cocktail, and get ready for a very special game of pool. Assemble a triangle of balls with strange effects and get the sickest trickshots. The bartenders won't be easy to impress! Ultrapool is an arcade-y colorful roguelike that plays like a pool version of Balatro and Super Auto Pets. Pocketing balls gives you score, and extra score gives you money you can spend at the bar to buy and improve your set of balls. Try to survive 10 rounds! We got both! Easy to pick up pool mechanics: just get the balls in the holes! But as you discover the wacky abilities the balls have, you'll get new ideas of how to get your score ever higher. A ghost ball that reappears on the table? A chicken ball that lays spherical eggs? A bomb that explodes if you bump it too much? The Earth? Anything is possible (as long as it's round and it rolls nicely, no cubes allowed!) Once you think you know the game, the cocktail bar opens. Ask the bartender to mix any two balls and he will serve you something special! Some of these will feel like they should break the game wide open, but you'll need every edge you can get if you want to pull off an all nighter.

Screenshots

Gambonanza4 screens
Ultrapool4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ultrapool at Free against Gambonanza's $5.99. Ultrapool also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (89% vs 77%). Gambonanza's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On 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

Ultrapool is free to download; Gambonanza costs $5.99 up front. Ultrapool sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Gambonanza asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gambonanza holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gambonanza has 2.8K ratings behind it against 171, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Gambonanza's written reviews are positive against 89% of Ultrapool's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gambonanza ships an update every 3 weeks, Ultrapool every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Gambonanza versus Ultrapool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGambonanzaUltrapool
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (2.8K ratings) — better4.6 (171 ratings)
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews88.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.8K — better171
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#3 — better#110
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB408 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperStray Fawn Studiooffbrand games

Customer experience

Gambonanza

All ratings2,761 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews202 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral10.9%
Negative12.4%

Ultrapool

All ratings171 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative9.0%

In-app purchases

None

Gambonanza

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ultrapool

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$5.99

Questions

Is Gambonanza free?
Gambonanza costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ultrapool free?
Ultrapool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Gambonanza or Ultrapool?
Gambonanza is rated higher. Gambonanza averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Ultrapool averages 4.6 from 171 ratings.
Do Gambonanza or Ultrapool have ads?
Neither Gambonanza nor Ultrapool shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gambonanza or Ultrapool?
Gambonanza ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ultrapool every 4 days. Most recently, Gambonanza was updated on October 19, 2026 and Ultrapool on October 16, 2026.
Which is more popular, Gambonanza or Ultrapool?
Gambonanza currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and Ultrapool at #110. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons