Shogi Master vs Tabletop Mini Shogi
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shogi Master
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Shogi Master is a fun and easy way to learn Shogi (Japanese Chess), even if you have never played before. [Piece Collection] Learn how to move all 8 types of pieces through fun challenges. Complete challenges and collect every piece! [Battle Mode] Play Shogi against the computer. Choose from 3 difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard — perfect for beginners and experienced players alike. [Skill Rank] Earn experience by collecting pieces and winning matches. Start at Pawn rank and work your way up to the highest King rank! No experience needed. With friendly guides and furigana (reading aids), anyone can enjoy learning Shogi.
Tabletop Mini Shogi
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Put your iPhone or iPad on the table and play shogi face to face. ABOUT MINI SHOGI Mini shogi (5×5 shogi) is a compact variant of Japanese chess played on a 5×5 board with six piece types: King, Rook, Bishop, Gold, Silver, and Pawn. The rules are the same as standard shogi, so a full game takes only a few minutes. Great for beginners and shogi fans alike. FEATURES • Two Players: place the device between you and play on one screen • Play vs AI: four levels – Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert • How to Play: a hands-on tutorial and a piece-movement guide • Game review: spot mistakes on the evaluation graph, compare your move with the best move on the board, try alternative moves, flip the board • Undo the last move • Japanese and English. Choose kanji or letter pieces (K, R, B, G, S, P) in Settings • iPhone and iPad, with a wood-grain board and a dark Japanese-style design HOW TO PLAY 1. Choose Two Players or Play vs AI from the menu 2. Put the device on the table and play face to face 3. After the game, open Review to step through the moves and the evaluation graph ABOUT THE AI A fast search engine reads several moves ahead. Advanced thinks for up to 3 seconds per move; Expert searches deeper for up to 8 seconds.
Screenshots
Verdict
Shogi Master and Tabletop Mini Shogi are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Shogi Master ships an update every 3 weeks, Tabletop Mini Shogi every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Shogi Master | Tabletop Mini Shogi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MIZOU, CO., LTD. | NIJIZO |
In-app purchases
Shogi Master
No in-app purchases
Tabletop Mini Shogi
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Shogi Master free?
Is Tabletop Mini Shogi free?
Do Shogi Master or Tabletop Mini Shogi have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shogi Master or Tabletop Mini Shogi?
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