Chess Variants Studio vs Oddfish
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Variants Studio
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Play any of nine variants of chess with 8 levels, 1200-2100, against the custom Pulsar engine. Review games with variant engine analysis. Styles supported are Chess960, Crazyhouse, Atomic, Losers, Giveaway, Three Checks, Advanced Pawns, Reversed Pawns and Random Pieces. The rules are included in-app. No signup. Ad Free. Works Offline. The playing program is one i've designed and tested at different levels on internet chess servers in order to come up with the ratings on the board. Ratings range from 1200 to 2100 or 2200 depending on variant. Try the app for free. There's 10 free plays of pure variants like atomic, crazyhouse and loser's and 10 free plays of chessic variants like chess960 and 30 free views of played games with analysis. A single one-time purchase unlocks unlimited play and variant engine analysis. Played games are logged and can also be viewed/analyzed. When reviewing the player's games, users can override the moves and start making their own moves. Back up to main line to undo. If the user goes looks at the Moves while reviewing, the game can be copied to the clipboard. The app comes with two skin themes, a reddish wood and a teal. Also here are multiple board and piece choices to choose from in settings.
Oddfish
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Chess, but a little stranger. Oddfish starts with serious Stockfish chess, then changes one rule at a time. RattleFish loses confidence when you play well. GluttonFish grows stronger when you feed it pieces. Restfish makes moved pieces take a nap. Twenty-nine modes across six families turn a familiar board into something wonderfully peculiar. MEET GIL A small gold fish with opinions explains every mode, reacts to the game, and reviews the aftermath. PLAY YOUR WAY • Classic chess or 28 strange variations • Adjustable engine strength • Game history and PGN import • Optional move evaluation and hints • Carefully designed for iPhone and iPad Six modes—including Classic, RattleFish, FumbleFish, Restfish, GluttonFish, and ChapelFish—are free. A single Full Oddfish purchase unlocks every remaining mode. No subscription. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything runs on your device. Oddfish has no accounts, ads, analytics, or tracking and does not collect personal data. Stockfish plays the chess. Oddfish supplies the personality problem.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Oddfish at daily against Chess Variants Studio's every 9 days. Chess Variants Studio's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Chess Variants Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Oddfish sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chess Variants Studio ships an update every 9 days, Oddfish daily. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Variants Studio | Oddfish |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 110 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Adams | JOHN EBENEZER JOHNSON |
In-app purchases
Chess Variants Studio
- Unlimited Plays and Views$3.99
Oddfish
- Full Oddfish$4.99
Questions
Is Chess Variants Studio free?
Is Oddfish free?
Do Chess Variants Studio or Oddfish have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Variants Studio or Oddfish?
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