Comparison

Ember vs Mongjin

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

Head to head
About

Ember

Features
Read full description

Ember is an abstract strategy board game where every player picks a spot at the same time. Players score by controlling territory on the board. HOW IT WORKS Each turn, every player picks an open spot. All picks are revealed together. Spots you control add pressure to the eight spots around them. When enough pressure builds on an open spot, you gain control of it. Pressure only spreads a limited distance from the spots you place. A spot outside that range stays under your control but does not add more pressure. If two or more players pick the same spot, Static controls it instead. Static uses the same pressure rules as everyone else, but it cannot win. WAYS TO PLAY Play against the computer at three AI difficulty levels: Halo (Novice), Vega (Skilled), and Titan (Expert). Play online with a friend by sharing a link. Play ranked online multiplayer with 2, 3, or 4 players. Ranked results affect your Elo rating and your place on the leaderboard. Solve puzzles that use the same pressure rules as regular games. Watch live games. BOARD TYPES Every board is a 16x16 grid. Open has no walls or special scoring. Walls has fixed spots that no player can control. Zones gives each player a scoring map only they can see. Every spot you control is worth 1 point. A spot inside one of your zones is worth 3 points. Ember is free and has no ads or in-app purchases. You only need an account for ranked games.

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 (๋ชฝ์ง„, ่’™ๅกต) 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 โ€ข Quick Match with real-time online opponents โ€ข Friend matches using a six-character room code โ€ข Computer opponents with Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulty โ€ข Local two-player matches on one device โ€ข A step-by-step tutorial for new players โ€ข 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

Ember4 screens
Mongjin3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ember at none against Mongjin's shown. Ember also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Mongjin's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ember ships an update every 10 days, Mongjin every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 4 level
Ember versus Mongjin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmberMongjin
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetizationโ€”Ad-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size9 MB44 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperRyan SeekelyOin Kwon

In-app purchases

None

Ember

No in-app purchases

None

Mongjin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mongjin free?
Mongjin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ember or Mongjin have ads?
Mongjin shows ads; Ember does not.
Which is updated more often, Ember or Mongjin?
Ember ships an update every 10 days, and Mongjin every 3 days. Most recently, Ember was updated on October 31, 2026 and Mongjin on October 31, 2026.

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