Comparison

CoreShift vs Surakarta

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

Head to head
About

CoreShift

Features
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CoreShift is a sleek, minimalist strategy game based on Neutron โ€” a classic abstract board game of pure skill, positioning, and tactics. Easy to learn. Deep to master. Every move can open a path, create a trap, or turn the match completely. No randomness. No hidden information. Pure strategy. THE GAME Play on a 5ร—5 grid. Each player controls five pieces, while a single amber token โ€” the Neutron โ€” begins at the center. On every turn, you must: 1. Slide the Neutron as far as it can move. 2. Slide one of your own pieces (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). Pieces move until blocked by the edge or another piece โ€” they cannot jump. How to win: * Move the Neutron onto your own baseline. * Trap your opponent so they have no legal Neutron move. QUICK OR CLASSIC * Quick mode: Fast, aggressive openings with immediate tension. * Classic mode: Traditional rules where the first player skips the opening Neutron move for a more balanced start. THREE AI DIFFICULTY LEVELS * Easy: Learn the fundamentals. * Medium: Strong tactical play. * Hard: Advanced Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) AI that adapts to every position. ONLINE MULTIPLAYER โ€” BETA Play real-time matches worldwide through Game Center. Our Elo rating system (starting at 1200) ensures you always face a fair challenge. * Climb the Ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. * Social: Add friends after matches, send instant rematches, and react with quick chat. * No Waiting: If no live opponent is available, Skynet โ€” our built-in AI โ€” keeps the match moving. TOURNAMENT MODE Five rounds. One run. No breaks. Easy โ†’ Medium โ†’ Medium โ†’ Hard โ†’ Hard Win all five to complete the challenge and track your progress on Game Center. STATISTICS & ACHIEVEMENTS Track win rates, streaks, fastest victories, and total play time. Unlock badges and Game Center achievements tied to real milestones. DESIGNED FOR iOS * Flat, minimal design with Dark and Light mode. * Smooth animations and haptic feedback on every move. * Atmospheric audio and satisfying "game feel." CoreShift is free to play. Tournament rounds 3โ€“5 and Hard AI require a one-time Pro upgrade ($3.99).

About

Surakarta

Features
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Surakarta brings Central Java's classic strategy game to your phone โ€” a capture mechanic found in no other board game on Earth. THE LOOP CAPTURE Every point on the board connects orthogonally, but the outer two rings also loop around the board's corners. Step a piece one square at a time like normal โ€” or, from a ring, ride the loop all the way around and land on the first enemy piece in its path, capturing it from a direction they never saw coming. NEVER FORCED TO CAPTURE Unlike most capture games, taking a piece in Surakarta is always optional. Play patiently, bait a loop attack, or strike the moment you see an opening โ€” the choice is always yours. 12 PIECES A SIDE, ONE GOAL Capture every one of your opponent's 12 pieces to win. The 4 points at the board's dead center touch no loop at all โ€” the only truly safe squares on the board. PLAY YOUR WAY - Three AI difficulty levels, from a relaxed opener to a real challenge - Local pass-and-play against a friend on the same device - No ads, no gambling, no chip economy โ€” just the game - Works completely offline From the makers of Fanorona โ€” Madagascar's national board game, same house rules of clean, honest strategy with no interruptions.

Screenshots

CoreShift4 screens
Surakarta4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Surakarta at every 3 days against CoreShift's every 3 weeks. CoreShift's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. CoreShift sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Surakarta sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CoreShift ships an update every 3 weeks, Surakarta every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
CoreShift versus Surakarta: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCoreShiftSurakarta
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better16.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size32 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJozsef FarkasQuyen Ngo

In-app purchases

1 purchases

CoreShift

One-time1
  • CoreShift Pro$3.99
1 purchases

Surakarta

One-time1
  • Surakarta Pro$2.99

Questions

Is CoreShift free?
CoreShift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surakarta free?
Surakarta is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CoreShift or Surakarta have ads?
Neither CoreShift nor Surakarta shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CoreShift or Surakarta?
CoreShift ships an update every 3 weeks, and Surakarta every 3 days. Most recently, CoreShift was updated on October 11, 2026 and Surakarta on October 4, 2026.

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