Comparison

Chess Variants Studio vs Oddfish

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

Head to head
About

Chess Variants Studio

Features
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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.

About

Oddfish

Features
Read full description

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

Chess Variants Studio4 screens
Oddfish4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Chess Variants Studio versus Oddfish: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Variants StudioOddfish
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB110 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael AdamsJOHN EBENEZER JOHNSON

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Variants Studio

One-time1
  • Unlimited Plays and Views$3.99
1 purchases

Oddfish

One-time1
  • Full Oddfish$4.99

Questions

Is Chess Variants Studio free?
Chess Variants Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Oddfish free?
Oddfish is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Variants Studio or Oddfish have ads?
Neither Chess Variants Studio nor Oddfish shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Variants Studio or Oddfish?
Chess Variants Studio ships an update every 9 days, and Oddfish daily. Most recently, Chess Variants Studio was updated on October 12, 2026 and Oddfish on October 17, 2026.

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