Comparison

PlunderChess vs Chess Classic Widget Game

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

Head to head
About

PlunderChess

This chess variant adds an exciting twist: captured pieces grant temporary, enhanced movement abilities to the capturing piece. Strategize to acquire and use these "plundered powers" for a more dynamic and fun chess experience.

Highlights
  • Captured pieces grant temporary enhanced movement
  • Colored vests indicate plundered powers
  • Practice and analysis boards
  • Live play and text chat
  • Competitive AI with 5 skill levels
  • Mate in 1 and 2 puzzle packs
  • Cross-platform online play
Features
Read full description

Introducing PlunderChess®… If Chess is fun (and it is!) then PlunderChess® is EXPONENTIALLY FUN! Imagine playing chess like you always do, however, this time, upon making a capture, the chess piece doing the kill is then allowed to "take on" added moving capabilities directly from its spoils, and use those newly acquired capabilities on one future move!... henceforth.... you have PLUNDERCHESS®! You will quickly be hooked! Features of PlunderChess® App: 1) Colored Vests overlaying 2D chess pieces to indicate plundered powers. 2) Practice board to build strategies and enhance your tactics. 3) Analysis board to test active game piece maneuvers. 4) Supports both Live play. 5) Text chat with your opponent. 6) Competitive AI opponent with 5 skill levels. 7) Mate in 1 and Mate in 2 puzzle packs 8) Cross platform online play support YouTube: Check out our YouTube video clips…. enter: plunderchess in the search field. Read what others are saying about the PlunderChess® board game: 1) Cathi, Editor for NY State Empire Chess Magazine…Product Review… “This is an amazing and exciting new game which takes off from the regular game of chess using a regular chess board. We discovered it at the famous USATE Tournament, brought it home, and it has become a favorite game at home, and among chess fans at our local chess club….” 2) Becca, 12 year old student writes… “My family and i love plunderchess!! it is the best ever!! we're always playing it! I used 2 dread it when my family played chess bc 2 me it was boring. but PLUNDERchess, now thats another story. its easy to understand and FUN!” Here are a few of the BASIC Rules of PlunderChess® Play: 1) "Plundering" occurs when a chess piece captures an opposing piece and "plunders" or "acquires" additional moving capabilities directly from the piece it just captured, hence, strengthening the capturing piece! This plundering is illustrated by the overlaying of a colored banner (called "vests") on the piece that made the capture. Image illustrations provided. 2) The added moving capability provided by a plundered vest may be used one time only on any future move. (I.e., the plundered vest may be used on it's very next move or carried around on the board and used later in the game, but only once.) 3) Plundering is optional and may be declined by the player making the capture. YES, sometimes you do NOT want to plunder a vest from the spoils of the kill!! The case for NOT plundering would be if you suspect your opponent will immediately capture you back (making a "trade") and acquire the vest you just plundered! (See rule #9) 4) When plundering is elected, a "colored vest banner" that corresponds to the moving capabilities being plundered, gets overlaid upon the chess piece that made the kill. This vest banner signifies to both players that the piece wearing it now has extra moving capabilities for one future move.

About

Chess Classic Widget Game

Play chess directly from your iOS 17 Home Screen using interactive widgets. Enjoy single-player against AI, local multiplayer, or online matches via Game Center. Features animations and sound effects for an immersive experience.

Highlights
  • Play chess on iOS 17 Home Screen widgets
  • Single-player vs AI
  • Local two-player mode
  • Online multiplayer via Game Center
  • Fun animations and sound effects
  • Unlockable themes
Features
Read full description

Play Chess right on your iOS 17 device’s Home Screen! Harnessing the power of iOS 17’s interactive widgets, this app brings a fresh twist to the classic game. Never before has it been so convenient to play Chess. Whether you’re waiting for a meeting, on your lunch break, or just relaxing at home, your next move is right at your fingertips. Engage in thrilling battles against a powerful AI opponent in the one-player mode, or challenge your friends and family in the local two-player mode, all without leaving your Home Screen. But that’s not all - with our innovative use of iOS 17’s new interactive widgets, you can even go head-to-head with players from around the world in the online two-player mode using Game Center. Immerse yourself in the game with fun animations and delightful sound effects that enhance the excitement of every move. Get ready to line up your pieces, strategize your moves, and enjoy Chess like never before. Download “Chess Classic Widget Game” today and experience the future of mobile gaming! "Chess Classic Widget Game" is part of our collection of Classic Widget Games you can play right on your iOS Home Screen or Mac desktop. Download all 6 today! Get the Classic Widget Game Pass to unlock themes and disable ads in all of the games for one low price or opt to unlock just the games you want separately. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime within your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. The privacy policy for this app is located here: https://www.cromulentlabs.com/widget-games/privacy/ The terms of use for this app are the standard Apple terms located here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PlunderChess4 screens
Chess Classic Widget Game4 screens

Verdict

The call

PlunderChess and Chess Classic Widget Game both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of PlunderChess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess Classic Widget Game's. PlunderChess also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Chess Classic Widget Game's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Chess Classic Widget Game is free to download; PlunderChess costs $0.99 up front. PlunderChess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Classic Widget Game sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PlunderChess against 4.5 for Chess Classic Widget Game. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 50 and 61 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of PlunderChess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess Classic Widget Game's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlunderChess ships an update every 6 weeks, Chess Classic Widget Game every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PlunderChess versus Chess Classic Widget Game: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlunderChessChess Classic Widget Game
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (50 ratings)4.5 (61 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5061 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWhite Horse Games, LLCCromulent Labs

Customer experience

PlunderChess

All ratings50 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.7%

Chess Classic Widget Game

All ratings61 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PlunderChess

One-time3
  • PlunderChess Chess Opponent$0.99
  • PlunderChess Puzzle Pack A$0.99
  • Plunder Chess Puzzle Pack B$0.99
2 purchases

Chess Classic Widget Game

Subscriptions1
  • Classic Widget Game Pass7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Chess Classic Widget Premium$2.99

Questions

Is PlunderChess free?
PlunderChess costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Chess Classic Widget Game free?
Chess Classic Widget Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PlunderChess or Chess Classic Widget Game?
PlunderChess and Chess Classic Widget Game are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 50 and 61 ratings respectively.
Do PlunderChess or Chess Classic Widget Game have ads?
Neither PlunderChess nor Chess Classic Widget Game shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlunderChess or Chess Classic Widget Game?
PlunderChess ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chess Classic Widget Game every 2 months. Most recently, PlunderChess was updated on October 6, 2026 and Chess Classic Widget Game on October 1, 2026.

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