Weird Chess vs Chess Variants Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Weird Chess
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Check out Weird Chess! Like using tapatillo instead of ketchup, but for chess. Choose from 12+ variants across two board sizes โ and more on the way. Each variant with its own rules, strategy, and personality. 8ร8 Variants Standard Chess โ classic rules, plus an attacking pigeon that randomly moves your or your opponent's pieces. Atomic Chess โ where pieces trying to capture each other create mutually assured destruction. Chess960 โ 960 different randomised starting positions for all pieces. 3-Check โ one checkmate not enough? With this variant, you need 3 checks to win. King of the Hill โ race your king to the centre and declare yourself lord of all you see. Horde Chess โ face the barbarian horde - or be it! 36 white pawns vs a standard black army Fog of War โ you can only see the squares your pieces attack. 10ร10 Variants Grand Chess โ the pomp and circumstance of war, with a Marshal and a Cardinal in the royal courtly mix. Omega Chess โ go to war with an additional champion and a wizard. One does not simply walk! Decimal Chess โ a falcon and a hunter make your game a little stranger. Hyderabad Chess โ one of the earliest historic forms of actual ancient chess. Jetan Chess โ a form of chess created for the science fantasy classic Chessman of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Every move is narrated by an AI commentator with a unique personality โ from the composed Classical analyst to the chaos-loving Random Pigeon. Find your way and shake up your chess habits with some different kinds of play.
Chess Variants Studio
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Play any of nine variants of chess with 8 levels, 1200-2100, against the custom Pulsar engine. Review games with variant engine analysis. Styles supported are Chess960, Crazyhouse, Atomic, Losers, Giveaway, Three Checks, Advanced Pawns, Reversed Pawns and Random Pieces. The rules are included in-app. No signup. Ad Free. Works Offline. The playing program is one i've designed and tested at different levels on internet chess servers in order to come up with the ratings on the board. Ratings range from 1200 to 2100 or 2200 depending on variant. Try the app for free. There's 10 free plays of pure variants like atomic, crazyhouse and loser's and 10 free plays of chessic variants like chess960 and 30 free views of played games with analysis. A single one-time purchase unlocks unlimited play and variant engine analysis. Played games are logged and can also be viewed/analyzed. When reviewing the player's games, users can override the moves and start making their own moves. Back up to main line to undo. If the user goes looks at the Moves while reviewing, the game can be copied to the clipboard. The app comes with two skin themes, a reddish wood and a teal. Also here are multiple board and piece choices to choose from in settings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Weird Chess at none against Chess Variants Studio's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Chess Variants Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Weird Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.
Weird Chess ships an update fortnightly, Chess Variants Studio every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Weird Chess | Chess Variants Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 9 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | James Beach | Michael Adams |
In-app purchases
Weird Chess
No in-app purchases
Chess Variants Studio
- Unlimited Plays and Views$3.99
Questions
Is Weird Chess free?
Is Chess Variants Studio free?
Do Weird Chess or Chess Variants Studio have ads?
Which is updated more often, Weird Chess or Chess Variants Studio?
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