# Devil Shard vs Ninja Chess

The clearest difference is price: Ninja Chess at Free against Devil Shard's $1.99. Ninja Chess also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Devil Shard's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (45 vs 2). On rating, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Ninja Chess is free to download; Devil Shard costs $1.99 up front. Devil Shard sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Ninja Chess sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Devil Shard against 4.5 for Ninja Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Devil Shard has 45 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Devil Shard's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ninja Chess's.

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, Ninja Chess weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Devil Shard | Ninja Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ninja-chess-unique-pixel-rpg/id6450108127/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 47 MB | 1.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Game Stew](https://appshunter.io/developer/517689895) | [Huy Bach](https://appshunter.io/developer/1649450529) |

## What reviewers say

### Devil Shard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devil-shard/id869735685)

Embark on a retro-style match-3 RPG adventure to stop a war and face a great evil. Plan strategic combos, unlock powerful allies, and collect diverse equipment. Conquer numerous enemies and stages to uncover the truth and achieve a true ending.

**Highlights:** Match-3 puzzle with RPG elements, Strategic tile swapping for combos, Unlock and summon 9 incarnations, Collect and upgrade 32 equipment, Battle 37 different enemies, Complete 8 story stages and a hidden stage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000G | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2500G | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7500G | $4.99 | one-time |
| 17500G | $9.99 | one-time |
| 40000G | $19.99 | one-time |
| 75000G | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive and engaging gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful retro pixel art style
- 🎵 Great music and audio design
- ⚡ Simple yet challenging match-3 combat system
- 📱 Perfect for quick gaming sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚙️ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 💀 Harsh death penalty resets all character progress
- 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics and aggressive monetization
- 🎲 Heavy reliance on RNG and luck
- 😤 Unfair difficulty spikes in later dungeons

**Reported bugs**

- Item selection scroll problem on iPhone 6s Plus (items display in middle of screen)
- Unable to equip, melt, or forge items on certain devices
- In-app purchase functionality broken
- Character equipment not persisting correctly
- No undo option for melted items

**Requested features**

- Swipeable match-3 controls (standard for genre)
- More customization options for character progression
- Persistent progress or checkpoints upon death
- Better equipment distribution and tile spawning
- Reduced grinding requirements


### Ninja Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ninja-chess-unique-pixel-rpg/id6450108127)

Experience a unique blend of RPG mechanics and chess strategy in a pixel art world. Guide ninja characters, engage in turn-based combat, and embark on a story-driven adventure with deep character progression.

**Highlights:** RPG meets Chess mechanics, Story-driven RPG adventure, Turn-based tactical combat, Retro pixel art graphics, Character progression and customization, PvE challenges and quests

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Star Gold Bag | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2 Star Gold Bag | $4.99 | one-time |
| 3 Star Gold Bag | $9.99 | one-time |
| 4 Star Gold Bag | $19.99 | one-time |
| 5 Star Gold Bag | $49.99 | one-time |
| 6 Star Gold Bag | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Devil Shard free?

Devil Shard costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ninja Chess free?

Ninja Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Devil Shard or Ninja Chess?

Ninja Chess is rated higher. Devil Shard averages 4.4 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Ninja Chess averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Devil Shard or Ninja Chess have ads?

Ninja Chess shows ads; Devil Shard does not.

### Which is updated more often, Devil Shard or Ninja Chess?

Devil Shard ships an update every 7 months, and Ninja Chess weekly. Most recently, Devil Shard was updated on October 13, 2026 and Ninja Chess on October 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*