Comparison

Cold War Chess vs Hex Squad Tactics

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

Head to head
About

Cold War Chess

Experience chess with a twist in a fog of war setting. Strategize by building your army, concealing your intentions, and uncovering your opponent's hidden forces. Engage in 63 missions inspired by the Cold War era across six unique factions.

Highlights
  • Fog of war gameplay
  • Army building and customization
  • Six distinct factions
  • 63 strategic missions
  • Story campaign inspired by Cold War
  • Hidden enemy back rows
Features
Read full description

The board is set. But half of it is hidden. Cold War Chess takes the strategy of chess and throws it into the fog of war. The enemy's back two rows are concealed until your pieces are close enough to see them. You don't know what's coming. Neither does your opponent. Before the first move, you build your army. Spend your resources, place your pieces where you choose, keep your intentions secret. Misdirection is a weapon. Sometimes fewer pieces are more powerful. This isn't checkmate chess. Reduce the enemy to a lone king and the war is over. Any piece — including your own king — can walk into danger without knowing it. The Cold War plays by different rules. PICK YOUR SIDE USA. USSR. The Alliance. Iron Curtain. Third Way. Dead Hand. Six factions, each with distinct resource budgets and initiative traits. Your faction shapes how you fight before a single piece moves. 63 STRATEGIC MISSIONS Berlin. Cuba. The Pacific. Southeast Asia. Central Asia. Play through fictional flashpoints across a full story campaign inspired by the Cold War era. FOG OF WAR Scout your enemy. Find, fix, and finish their king. The fog lifts only when you're close enough to act. BUILD YOUR ARMY No fixed positions. Spend your budget. Set your trap. Surprise them before the opening move. Start free. Berlin is on us. Unlock the full Cold War when you're ready. Cold War Chess is inspired by historical events. Characters, factions, and dramatized scenarios are fictional. The game does not represent the views of any government, organization, or individual.

About

Hex Squad Tactics

Features
Read full description

Hex Squad is a relaxed real-time tactics game about maneuver and angles. You command a small squad across a hex grid — where you point each trooper matters as much as where you move them. Every trooper sees down a weapon cone. Fog of war hides what no one is looking at. Bullets travel slowly enough that moving is a real dodge, so a fight is decided by positioning: get the angle, use the cover, and catch the enemy where their armor isn't. FEATURES • Real-time or turn-based — play in relaxed continuous time, or take it slow, turn by turn. • Free facing and weapon cones — line of sight is a cone you aim, not a stat. Flanking is the kill. • Cover, walls, and fog — read the battlefield, brace against walls, and control the lanes. • Automatic reaction fire — your troopers spot and defend themselves; you play the general. • Distinct classes — sniper, rifle, SMG, shield, and burst, each with its own reach and role. • Waves and regroup — hold ground as the arena tightens around you. • Play online — host a room with a 4-letter code and take on a friend, or fight the AI solo. Real-time or turn-based, both work online. • Fast to pick up, no accounts, no ads, no timers, no nonsense. Just tactics. Point your squad, hold the angles, and win the ground.

Screenshots

Cold War Chess4 screens
Hex Squad Tactics4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hex Squad Tactics at daily against Cold War Chess's weekly. Hex Squad Tactics also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Cold War Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hex Squad Tactics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cold War Chess ships an update weekly, Hex Squad Tactics daily. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Cold War Chess versus Hex Squad Tactics: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCold War ChessHex Squad Tactics
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB41 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperMICHAEL LAWRENCE STANLEYIAN KAINOA RICHARDSON

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cold War Chess

One-time1
  • Full Deployment$4.99
1 purchases

Hex Squad Tactics

One-time1
  • Hex Squad Tactics - Pro Unlock$3.99

Questions

Is Cold War Chess free?
Cold War Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hex Squad Tactics free?
Hex Squad Tactics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cold War Chess or Hex Squad Tactics have ads?
Neither Cold War Chess nor Hex Squad Tactics shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cold War Chess or Hex Squad Tactics?
Cold War Chess ships an update weekly, and Hex Squad Tactics daily. Most recently, Cold War Chess was updated on October 5, 2026 and Hex Squad Tactics on October 10, 2026.

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