CheckMate Chess vs Sandtopia
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CheckMate Chess
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Every move tells a story. CheckMate Chess is a calm, single-player puzzle game built from checkmates that really happened on the board. No talking, no clutter — just you, the position, and the moves that finish the game. And remember: every game here ends in mate. The puzzles live in worlds; each world works one idea, and the difficulty climbs step by step. You feel yourself getting sharper. WATCH, THEN DO The legendary worlds open with "Watch, then do": first you watch the combination play out on the board, then it's your turn — you land the same blow and bring the king down yourself. WHAT'S INSIDE - Mate-in-1 and mate-in-2 worlds that build real pattern memory. - Legendary mate worlds — Anastasia's, Boden's, Smothered, Arabian and the back-rank mate — taught move by move. - Defend or Die: you're losing; first find the one saving move, then the mate. - Boss Fight: a boss at the top of every world — and every level pushes you a little harder than the last. - Daily Mate: a fresh puzzle every day, and a streak to keep alive. - Survival: full board, three lives, a five-second clock, mate after mate. - Pocket Mode: 250 few-piece quick mates for a fast session. - A rating that grows with you, and a coach that reads your stats and tells you what to play next. - Stats & Collection: total stars, streaks, badges, mates by piece. - A clean board you play by tap or drag. - Hint tokens for when you're stuck — your first solve of the day puts one back in your wallet. - Clean, fast solves earn stars. - Hearts that refill over time, and a vault that banks your spares. - Plays in nine languages: English, Türkçe, Deutsch, Русский, Español, Português, Français, Polski, Italiano. PLAY ANYWHERE Fully offline — no account needed, your progress lives on your device. Or create a free account: your progress backs up to the cloud, and your new coach is waiting. FAIR AND QUIET Rewarded ads are entirely optional: only if you choose to watch one, it banks a hint token or refills your hearts. Nothing is pushed on you, nothing interrupts a puzzle. No in-app purchases.
Sandtopia
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Sandtopia is a falling sand block puzzle. Drop a block into the glass box and it breaks apart into sand. When sand of one colour reaches from the left wall to the right wall, it sweeps away in a single stroke, everything above it collapses, and the chain combo keeps going. One good placement can change the whole screen. ■ Simple rules Pick one of three cards and drop it where you want. There is no rotation. You only choose the spot. The run ends when the sand touches the red line. Watch an ad to clear the sand at the bottom and keep playing. The higher your score, the more colours appear, and the harder the box gets to read. A shape that reaches only one wall glows to hint the way. ■ Daily Challenge and rankings Everyone gets the same card order each day. Take up to three runs, keep your best score, and compete inside a group of fifty players who played that same day. Every score is re-simulated on our server from your moves, so the board stays honest. Weekly and country leaderboards too. ■ Make it yours Change the look with sand skins and glass box themes. Collect them from capsules or buy them directly, and take the season pass for a new set of rewards every month. ■ Made for - Fans of block puzzle, drop puzzle, colour match and sand blast chain games - Short one-handed sessions of casual brain training - A relaxing, satisfying puzzle that also works offline - Competing with friends on the same daily board No account needed to start. Link Apple or Google only when you want your progress to follow you to another device. Rankings use an anonymous nickname. Capsule odds are published in the shop and at https://thingineeer.github.io/sandtopia/odds/. The season pass is a monthly subscription you can cancel any time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://thingineeer.github.io/sandtopia/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://thingineeer.github.io/sandtopia/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CheckMate Chess at none against Sandtopia's 9. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Sandtopia sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. CheckMate Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | CheckMate Chess | Sandtopia |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily | — |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | OMUR KOCA | MyeongJin Lee |
In-app purchases
CheckMate Chess
No in-app purchases
Sandtopia
- Season Pass$4.991 Month
- Season Pass Plus$9.991 Month
- 100 Gems$0.99
- No Ads$3.99
- 550 Gems$4.99
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- Starter Pack$5.99
- 1,200 Gems$9.99
- 3,000 Gems$19.99
- 8,000 Gems$49.99








