Eat Chess vs Notation Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Eat Chess
This game combines chess mechanics with a merge puzzle on a compact 4x4 board. Strategically move pieces to merge them into higher-level ones, managing board space and building combos. It offers both solo challenges with various time controls and local multiplayer on a single device.
- Chess merge puzzle gameplay
- Compact 4x4 board
- Solo play with time controls
- Local versus multiplayer
- Castle Swap mechanic
- Combo multipliers
- Apple Watch support
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Royal Merge is a chess merge puzzle played on a compact 4×4 board. Pick one piece, move it by simplified chess rules, and merge it with a matching piece of the same type and level. Pawns become Knights, then Bishops, Rooks, Queens, Kings, and higher-level Pawns. The board fills fast. A quiet setup move can matter as much as the merge it opens. HOW IT PLAYS Select a piece. Legal squares light up. Move to an empty square, merge with a match, or use Castle Swap when a same-level King and Rook line up with a clear path. Every legal move into empty space and every Castle Swap adds a new Pawn. Pawn Spawn adds a Pawn on every second merge. Royal Reserve drops a Level 1 Pawn, Knight, Bishop, or Rook after every five successful actions. Every arrival can help, and every arrival takes space. Back-to-back merges build a combo multiplier. A move into empty space or a Castle Swap breaks the chain, so timing matters. SOLO Play without a clock, add a Player Clock, set an Increment, or cap the run with a Turn Limit. Official Solo runs can count toward local records, Game Center leaderboards, and achievements. Solo also includes Hint. It points out possible moves, costs part of your current score, and never plays the move for you. VERSUS Two players share one board on the same device. Player 1 starts. After each legal action, the turn passes and the board switches to the active player's chosen chess set. Pieces are shared, not owned. The active player scores only when they make a merge. Versus supports per-player clocks, Increment, a shared Game Clock, and Turn Limit. If a timed player clock hits zero, Clock Collapse keeps 20% of that player's score, resets the clock, and leaves that player on turn. The match continues. COSMETIC OPTIONS Start with free chess sets and the Quiet Royal theme, or add optional cosmetic sets, themes, and the Royal Patron badge. Purchases do not change movement, scores, spawns, hints, timers, Castle Swap, leaderboards, or match results. APPLE WATCH Play Solo or Battle from the Watch app with the same 4×4 board, local save and resume, time controls, Solo undo, direct tap controls, optional Digital Crown selection, ten free board presets, and ten free piece styles. Watch play is standalone and does not require an iPhone connection.
Notation Chess
Practice chess visualization and play games using only standard notation, directly from your Apple Watch. This app offers adjustable difficulty and engine settings, with the ability to review moves and peek at the board when needed.
- Play chess on Apple Watch
- Practice with standard chess notation
- Adjustable difficulty and engine settings
- Review move history
- Peek at the board feature
- Undo moves
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Play notation-first chess on the go, directly from your Apple Watch. Notation Chess is designed for players who want to practice visualization and play without relying on a full board view. Choose your color and difficulty, select moves using standard chess notation, and review your move history as the game progresses. The app is powered by the lightweight Chal chess engine, with adjustable search depth and move variety settings. When you need a quick visual reference, use Peek at Board to check the current position. You can also undo moves and start a new game at any time. Features - Play chess on the go from Apple Watch - Practice using standard chess notation - Powered by the Chal chess engine - Choose your color and difficulty level - Review the complete move history - Peek at the board when needed - Undo moves - Adjust engine search depth and move variety
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notation Chess at none against Eat Chess's 4. Notation Chess also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Eat Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Notation Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Eat Chess against 5.0 for Notation Chess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | Eat Chess | Notation Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Lew | Zheng Liang |
Customer experience
Eat Chess
Notation Chess
In-app purchases
Eat Chess
- Chess Sets Pack$1.99
- Themes Pack$1.99
- Royal Bundle$2.99
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- Royal Patron$9.99
Notation Chess
No in-app purchases








