Comparison

Block the Pig vs Really Bad Chess

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

Head to head
About

Block the Pig

A turn-based puzzle game where you strategically place hexagonal blocks to trap a runaway pig. Advance through increasingly challenging mazes and compete on leaderboards. Unlock achievements and sharpen your spatial reasoning skills.

Highlights
  • Turn-based hex block placement
  • Strategic escape route blocking
  • Infinite random levels
  • Leaderboard competition
  • Achievement unlocking
  • Relaxing ambient atmosphere
Features
Read full description

Place hex blocks in the way of the fugitive pig in "Block the Pig," a turn-based puzzle game! The game rules are simple. Tap on an empty cell of the hexagon board to place a block. Before the round starts, close the shortest escape routes on the board with 3 bonus blocks. The pig will then run away from the hex maze. Place a new block after each move the pig makes, until there's no way out! As rounds advance, the hexagon maze becomes sparser and the pig blocking quest trickier. The number of puzzles in the game is infinite. Beat the top rounds of the other players in the leaderboards! Unlock achievements and improve your spatial wits for free! Features: ▶ endless random levels on a hex board ▶ relaxing ambient atmosphere ▶ cute piggy!

About

Really Bad Chess

This app reimagines chess with completely randomized pieces, offering a fresh strategic challenge. It's perfect for both seasoned players seeking a new puzzle and beginners looking to learn the fundamentals in a fun, accessible way.

Highlights
  • Randomized chess piece sets
  • AI opponent challenges
  • Ranked, Daily, and Weekly modes
  • Freeplay practice mode
  • Local multiplayer (with IAP)
  • Alternate color palettes (with IAP)
Features
Read full description

Really Bad Chess is just like chess, but with totally random pieces. Try 8 Knights, 4 Bishops, and 3 pawns — why not? As heard on NPR's Weekend Edition 5 out of 5 Stars "An essential puzzle experience for anyone even remotely interested in strategy games" - TouchArcade Whether you play chess daily, or quit just after learning the rules, this small twist will open the door to an entire new world of chess. ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? The free version of Really Bad Chess lets you compete vs. an AI in Ranked, Daily, or Weekly Challenges. Improve your skills using the included Freeplay mode. A single in-app purchase unlocks Versus Mode so you can compete against your friends locally! It also removes ads, displays captured pieces, and adds soothing alternate color-palettes to choose from. ------REALLY BAD PRESS "Makes chess fun even if you’re really bad" - The Verge "Feels more modern than chess has ever felt" - Applenapps "Really Bad Chess takes a really bad idea and somehow manages to make it a lot of fun." - Pocket Gamer "Really good fun" - MacLife ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER Chess is one of those games I always wished I enjoyed, but its commitment to beauty, elegance, and perfect balance always turned me away. Really Bad Chess removes these boring restrictions and flips chess on its head. As much as random pieces change the game in some ways, I was really surprised to notice how much the game remains the same, and how powerful some pieces are — you've never truly struggled against a pawn until you've struggled against a pawn in the back row. For chess pros, Really Bad Chess will give you a new type of challenge — the pieces & the moves are the same, but you'll have to throw out your openings and your understanding of normal patterns of play. For novice chess players (like most of us), Really Bad Chess greatly opens up the game. Instead of starting by studying openings, in your first games you'll get to discover the joy (and challenge!) of learning how to checkmate. I hope you have as much fun with Really Bad Chess as much as I did making it. -zach

Screenshots

Block the Pig4 screens
Really Bad Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Really Bad Chess at every 3 weeks against Block the Pig's every 13 months. Really Bad Chess also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 49). Block the Pig's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 46%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Block the Pig sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. 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 — 3.9 for Block the Pig against 3.8 for Really Bad Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Really Bad Chess has 1.6K ratings behind it against 49, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Block the Pig's written reviews are positive against 46% of Really Bad Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Block the Pig ships an update every 13 months, Really Bad Chess every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Block the Pig versus Really Bad Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlock the PigReally Bad Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (49 ratings) — better3.8 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better46.3% of reviews
Number of ratings491.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB125 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperVladislav AleksandrovZach Gage

Customer experience

Block the Pig

All ratings49 ratings
Positive73.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative22.4%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral2.5%
Negative22.5%

Really Bad Chess

All ratings1,633 ratings
Positive66.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative24.4%
Written reviews611 reviews
Positive46.3%
Neutral16.4%
Negative37.3%

Bugs and requests

Block the Pig

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Really Bad Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces unable to move as per chess rules
  • Game freezes and crashes
  • Incorrect checkmate detection

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add draw conditions and stalemate rules
  • Implement online/multiplayer mode
  • Provide more difficulty settings
  • Allow custom piece arrangements
  • Sync progress across devices

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Block the Pig

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
2 purchases

Really Bad Chess

One-time2
  • 100 Undos$0.99
  • Full Game Unlock$3.99

Questions

Is Block the Pig free?
Block the Pig is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Really Bad Chess free?
Really Bad Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Block the Pig or Really Bad Chess?
Block the Pig is rated higher. Block the Pig averages 3.9 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while Really Bad Chess averages 3.8 from 1.6K ratings.
Do Block the Pig or Really Bad Chess have ads?
Both Block the Pig and Really Bad Chess show ads.
Which is updated more often, Block the Pig or Really Bad Chess?
Block the Pig ships an update every 13 months, and Really Bad Chess every 3 weeks. Most recently, Block the Pig was updated on September 28, 2026 and Really Bad Chess on September 29, 2026.

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