Comparison

TriLevelChess vs Barrier

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

Head to head
About

TriLevelChess

Features
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EXPERIENCE CHESS IN THREE DIMENSIONS Tri Level Chess reimagines the classic game with a revolutionary vertical twist. Play on three stacked boards where pieces can move up and down between levels, creating entirely new tactical possibilities and strategic depth. MASTER VERTICAL STRATEGY - Move pieces across three parallel chess boards - Rooks ascend and descend vertically like elevators - Knights leap between levels with devastating effect - Bishops cut diagonal paths through multiple planes - Every piece gains new attacking angles and escape routes MANY EXCITING VARIANTS Classic 3D Chess Experience traditional chess rules across three dimensions. Perfect for learning the vertical strategy fundamentals. Chess960 (Fischer Random) Randomized starting positions on three levels create 960 unique opening configurations. No memorized openings—just pure strategy. Atomic Chess Captures trigger explosive chain reactions! When pieces capture, both attacker and captured piece (plus adjacent non-pawns) vanish in a blast. Kings can never capture. Aggressive tactics meet calculated risk. Crazyhouse Captured pieces join your hand and can be dropped back onto any level! Place opponent's pieces as your own for wild tactical combinations across all three boards. Looming Extinction Your chess world is shrinking. Can you prevail before there are not moves left? Frontier Chess Your chess world is about to expand! King of the Hill Move your king to the center area for a quick win! PLAY YOUR WAY - Challenge the AI with three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard) - Play locally against friends with pass-and-play - Compete asynchronously via Remote Play - share moves through messages or email - Set up custom positions and puzzles - Choose starting levels: both on the same board, or split between top and bottom POWERFUL FEATURES - See valid moves highlighted across all three levels - Inspect enemy piece threats with long-press - Full undo/redo navigation through game history - Complete move log tracking - Material advantage calculator - Optional chess clock with customizable time controls - Save and load multiple games - Share positions with friends - Export games for analysis - Setup positions and share with friends THOUGHTFUL DESIGN - Clean, intuitive interface designed for iPad and iPhone - Smooth piece dragging with haptic feedback - Zoom and pan for detailed board inspection - Portrait and landscape support - No ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases - Buy once, play forever PERFECT FOR - Chess players seeking new challenges beyond 2D - Strategy game enthusiasts who love deep tactical puzzles - Puzzle creators exploring three-dimensional tactics - Friends looking for a unique competitive experience - Anyone curious about chess with a vertical dimension THREE BOARDS. INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. Download Tri Level Chess and discover a whole new dimension of strategy.

About

Barrier

This abstract strategy game challenges two players to outmaneuver their opponent. Build your path to victory by breaking down barriers, capturing pieces, or outscoring your rival. Enjoy deep tactics with simple rules.

Highlights
  • Abstract strategy gameplay
  • Two-player competitive modes
  • Multiple victory conditions
  • Solo AI challenges
  • Online multiplayer
  • Pass and Play local multiplayer
Features
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A fresh abstract strategy game for players who love chess, checkers, and the thrill of outthinking a worthy opponent. Barrier is a two-player strategy game that's easy to learn in one match and hard to put down after. Your opponent has built two barriers between you and their side of the board. Tear them down, piece by piece, tower by tower, and get two of your pieces across before they do the same to you. Three piece types. A handful of rules. An entire world of tactics between them. WHAT MAKES BARRIER DIFFERENT Unlike chess, there's no single piece you're protecting. Unlike checkers, every capture changes the shape of the board. Barrier rewards players who can read a position, plan several moves ahead, and know when to defend your own barrier versus when to breach your opponents. GAME MODES Solo vs AI: three difficulty levels, from casual to merciless Online Multiplayer: play friends anywhere with a quick invite Pass and Play: share a device across the table Timed Matches: add time limits to any game mode when you want the pressure on BUILT FOR PLAYERS, NOT ADVERTISERS No ads No paywalls No push notifications begging you to come back Just a clean board, a worthy opponent, and your next move. MULTIPLE PATHS TO VICTORY Push two pieces across to the far side. Capture enough of your opponent's army that they can't breach your walls. Or outscore them when the board thins out. Every game finds its own ending. Whether you have two minutes or twenty, Barrier gives you something to think about.

Screenshots

TriLevelChess4 screens
Barrier3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Barrier at Free against TriLevelChess's $0.99. Barrier also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On update cadence, ads, 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

Barrier is free to download; TriLevelChess costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TriLevelChess ships an update every 2 months, Barrier every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TriLevelChess versus Barrier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTriLevelChessBarrier
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—4.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid Michael MatusowAtreides LLC

In-app purchases

None

TriLevelChess

No in-app purchases

None

Barrier

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TriLevelChess free?
TriLevelChess costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Barrier free?
Barrier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TriLevelChess or Barrier have ads?
Neither TriLevelChess nor Barrier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TriLevelChess or Barrier?
TriLevelChess ships an update every 2 months, and Barrier every 3 months. Most recently, TriLevelChess was updated on October 30, 2026 and Barrier on October 31, 2026.

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