Comparison

Cold War Chess vs MANDATE

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

MANDATE

Features
Read full description

MANDATE is a realist, hard-edged government simulation. Choose a nation, take office, and try to keep your mandate while the economy, approval, and stability tend to erode. - 3D globe to pick a playable nation - Cabinet with budgets, programs, and a bulletin - Crises and fiscal pressure that actually bite - Mandates up to 24 months (12 in the demo) UI chrome is available in many languages; event and program copy may still fall back to English or Italian depending on locale. The books matter: deficits and surpluses move debt, inflation, and approval. It is not unwinnable - on easier difficulties, governing well yields a clear victory - but without constant course corrections the system drifts worse on its own.

Screenshots

Cold War Chess4 screens
MANDATE3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cold War Chess at weekly against MANDATE's monthly. MANDATE's advantage is 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 MANDATE 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, MANDATE monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Cold War Chess versus MANDATE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCold War ChessMANDATE
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB27 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperMICHAEL LAWRENCE STANLEYParide Di Lazzaro

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cold War Chess

One-time1
  • Full Deployment$4.99
1 purchases

MANDATE

One-time1
  • Unlock Mandate$4.99

Questions

Is Cold War Chess free?
Cold War Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MANDATE free?
MANDATE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cold War Chess or MANDATE have ads?
Neither Cold War Chess nor MANDATE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cold War Chess or MANDATE?
Cold War Chess ships an update weekly, and MANDATE monthly. Most recently, Cold War Chess was updated on October 5, 2026 and MANDATE on October 11, 2026.

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