Comparison

Dark Squares vs Mongjin

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

Head to head
About

Dark Squares

Experience chess with a magical twist. Arm your pieces with weapons and spells to outmaneuver opponents. Win by capturing the king in this strategic, fast-paced adaptation.

Highlights
  • Real chess mechanics
  • Weapon and spell loadouts
  • King capture victory condition
  • Play friends online
  • Play against AI
  • Ranked online duels
  • Unlock and upgrade weapons
Features
Read full description

This is not the chess you know. Dark Squares is chess, unhinged: every piece can wield a weapon. All the strategy of chess, none of its mercy. FREEZE the knight charging at you. TELEPORT your queen across the board. BLIGHT the enemy ranks and watch them wither. ASCEND a humble pawn into royalty. And when the path is open — take the king. HOW IT PLAYS • Real chess at the core: every classic move works, every classic plan matters. • Weapons change everything: arm a loadout of spells before each battle and cast them at the perfect moment. • Win by capture: no checkmate formalities — the game ends when a king falls. MODES • Play a Friend: challenge friends directly to friendly duels — and earn XP while you're at it. • Play vs Computer: three difficulty levels, and yes — the computer casts weapons too. • Open arena: bring your full loadout against anyone online. • Normalized arena: a fair, ranked duel — both players draft from the same weapon pool, so skill alone decides it. PROGRESSION • Earn XP in every online game — win or lose. • Unlock new weapons and upgrade them to higher tiers as you climb the ladder. • Build your Armory and craft the loadout that fits your style. DARK SQUARES PRO • An optional subscription ($4.99/month, auto-renews) that instantly adds four more weapon families — Aegis, Silence, Blight and Oracle. • Pro is variety, never raw power — free weapons stay fully competitive. Dark Squares is young and evolving — your feedback shapes what comes next. Every piece, a weapon. Every move, a gambit. Welcome to Dark Squares. Privacy Policy: https://darksquares.web.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Mongjin

A two-player strategy board game where players escort their King to safety while using Guards to block opponents and open routes. Simple rules offer deep strategic decisions for quick matches, friend games, or playing against AI.

Highlights
  • Real-time online matches
  • Friend matches via room code
  • Computer opponents (Easy, Normal, Hard)
  • Local two-player mode
  • Step-by-step tutorial
  • Anonymous profiles with stats
Features
Read full description

Mongjin (몽진, 蒙塵) is an original two-player strategy board game from Korea. Escort your King to the far side of the board while your Guards open routes, block the opponent, and protect every step forward. Simple rules lead to deep decisions. A Guard that protects your King can become your sharpest attacker, and one well-timed block can decide the match. Features • Quick Match with real-time online opponents • Friend matches using a six-character room code • Computer opponents with Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulty • Local two-player matches on one device • A step-by-step tutorial for new players • Anonymous profiles with wins, losses, win rate, Elo rating, and ranking Win by reaching the goal row with your King, capturing the opposing King, or surrounding it so it cannot move. Find the balance between safety and speed, attack and defense, then lead your King home.

Screenshots

Dark Squares4 screens
Mongjin3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mongjin at none against Dark Squares's 1. Mongjin also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). Dark Squares's advantage is ads (none vs shown) 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 Squares sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Mongjin asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Squares ships an update weekly, Mongjin every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dark Squares versus Mongjin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark SquaresMongjin
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB44 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAvi KremerOin Kwon

Customer experience

Dark Squares

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mongjin

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dark Squares

Subscriptions1
  • Dark Squares Pro$4.991 Month
None

Mongjin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dark Squares free?
Dark Squares is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mongjin free?
Mongjin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dark Squares or Mongjin have ads?
Mongjin shows ads; Dark Squares does not.
Which is updated more often, Dark Squares or Mongjin?
Dark Squares ships an update weekly, and Mongjin every 3 days. Most recently, Dark Squares was updated on October 15, 2026 and Mongjin on October 17, 2026.

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