Comparison

Dark Chess Pro vs Gambit

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

Head to head
About

Dark Chess Pro

Features
Read full description

Offline Banqi with 5 AI levels from Easy to Grandmaster. New Wuxia Story Mode: 23 lessons, 13 opponents, visual-novel dialogue. Review every match move by move. No coins, no gambling. —— HOW IT WORKS —— Chinese Dark Chess (Banqi) is a classic Chinese board game on a 4×8 grid: • 32 pieces start face-down — flip one to reveal it • Pieces follow a rank hierarchy: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Cannon > Soldier • Higher rank captures lower, but Soldiers can capture the General • The Cannon jumps over pieces to capture — the wildcard • Win when your opponent has no pieces or no legal moves —— NEW TO BANQI? —— ◆ Learn in One Game • Interactive tutorial — learn to flip, move, and capture • Start with the easiest AI while you learn • Post-game review marks your best moves and mistakes —— EXPERIENCED PLAYER? —— ◆ Five AI Levels That Push You • Easy → Novice → Knight → Master → Grandmaster • Stronger AI makes sharper decisions in complex positions • Precise endgame verdicts show win, draw, or loss at a glance • Move-by-move review finds what you missed ◆ Story Mode — The Veiled Path • From apprentice to grandmaster — a wuxia journey through the art of Dark Chess • 23 lessons, 13 matches, 3 endings • 13 unique opponents with visual-novel style dialogue ◆ Six Variant Rules • Chariot Charge — captures distant pieces along an open rank or file regardless of rank • Diagonal Knight — moves diagonally and captures regardless of rank • Cannon Jump toggle — standard or no-jump mode • Blind Capture — attack face-down pieces and see what happens • Chain Capture — keep capturing if your piece can strike again • Equal Exchange — same-rank pieces destroy each other • Mix and match all six for free to create fresh challenges ◆ 52 Achievements • Gameplay milestones: first win, win streaks, difficulty breakthroughs • Story achievements: chapter completions, hidden endings ◆ Polished Experience • Satisfying flip animations with haptic feedback • Sound effects and clear status cues • Detailed rules include perpetual-chase restrictions • Adaptive phone and tablet layouts • Offline, no account — just open and play ◆ Free / One-Time Pro Unlock • Free with ads • Pro: remove ads and unlock the full story, stronger AI, unlimited hints and undo, precise endgame guidance, and unrestricted review Dark Chess is also known as Banqi or Half Chess — a beloved Chinese board game where strategy, hidden information, and sharp tactics make every game unique.

About

Gambit

Explore classic chess and five unique variants on a single board. Play against AI with adjustable difficulty, with friends offline, or online against others. Features include post-game analysis and a library of famous games.

Highlights
  • Classic Chess
  • Five Chess Variants
  • Computer AI Play
  • Pass-and-Play Mode
  • Online Multiplayer
  • Post-Game Analysis
  • Famous Game Library
Features
Read full description

Gambit is chess — and five chess worlds beyond it. One clean board, every way to play. GAME TYPES • Classic Chess — full rules: castling, en passant, promotion, draws. • Fischer Random (Chess960) — randomized back rank with generalized castling. • Open Borders (Horde) — 36 pawns storm a full army. • Turnabout (Crazyhouse) — capture a piece, then drop it back as your own. • Siamese (Bughouse) — two boards, captured pieces feed your partner. • Star Trek Tri-D — three-dimensional chess across seven boards. WAYS TO PLAY • Computer — five difficulty levels, from a gentle start to a real fight. Moves are instant. • Pass-and-play — two players on one device. • Online — invite a friend with a link, or find a match automatically. Live clocks, resign and draw offers, and you can watch other live games. MORE • Eight board themes. • Post-game analysis — an evaluation graph and move-quality marks. • A library of famous games to replay. • Optional cross-device game history with "Sign in with Knomee." No account is required to play. Sign in only if you want your game history synced across devices.

Screenshots

Dark Chess Pro4 screens
Gambit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gambit at none against Dark Chess Pro's 2. Gambit also leads on ads (none vs shown). Dark Chess Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price 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. Dark Chess Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Gambit asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Chess Pro ships an update every 2 days, Gambit every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Dark Chess Pro versus Gambit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark Chess ProGambit
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size258 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReputation Software CO., LTD.Joseph Malone

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dark Chess Pro

One-time1
  • Pro Unlock2 variants$4.99
None

Gambit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dark Chess Pro free?
Dark Chess Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gambit free?
Gambit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dark Chess Pro or Gambit have ads?
Dark Chess Pro shows ads; Gambit does not.
Which is updated more often, Dark Chess Pro or Gambit?
Dark Chess Pro ships an update every 2 days, and Gambit every 2 months. Most recently, Dark Chess Pro was updated on October 7, 2026 and Gambit on October 7, 2026.

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