Comparison

Rek vs Magic Chess

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

Head to head
About

Rek

Engage in a strategic two-player board game based on ancient Cambodian traditions. Capture your opponent's King through unique 'Rek' moves or by trapping their units. Explore different playstyles, including the challenging 'Min Rek Chanh' mode.

Highlights
  • Two-player board game
  • Ancient Khmer strategy
  • Capture opponent's King
  • Unique 'Rek' capture mechanic
  • Two distinct playstyles
  • Strategic planning required
Features
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Rek is popular Ancient Khmer Board Game played by two people on the board of 8X8 squares. The Cambodian transitive verb “Rek” means ‘carry on one’s shoulder a pole at each end of which is a container, bundle or object. It was pointed out that the game was popular among military troops. Today, it is also played by Cambodian women. Objective The object of the game is to “capture” instead of checkmate the opponent’s King. All units may be captured in two ways : 1- when they are “Rek” by an enemy unit in the analogy that they are the containers carried away by that enemy unit. This later way of capture actually bears the name of the game. 2- when they are tightly surrounded or trapped by the enemy units and thus have no legal move. It also has two different forces of 32 units in total . Each side starts with a force of 16 units: One King and 15 Men. All the Men have the same value and physical shape. And they all, including the Kings, move like the Boat or Rook. Another Style of Play​ (Taunt enemry to Rek) The Rek also has its own special style of play. It is named “Min Rek Chanh” (Not Rek Lose if opponent taunt). The object of the game is still the same, capturing the opponent’s King. But, there is only one legal way to capture the enemy units, including the King: “Rek” them two at a time. The Kings may not move at all, not even a square. They are “palace kings”! Other setting features and opening setup are the same as those of the regular Rek. The unique characteristic of this style of play is that a player’s order of Rek to the other must be honored, otherwise the latter loses and the game is over. So, strategic and deliberate sacrifices are the mind set behind winning the game. Usually the game is over when one player orders a “right” series of the opponent’s consecutive moves to ‘Rek’ his units which ultimately will lead to the capture or Rek of the opponent’s King in return. BUT, if he orders the wrong series of the opponent’s moves, he ends up losing his force without any desirable consequence. Thus the game demands a long-term and coherent strategic planning to get the right orders of move. In this kind of play, you are in a more dangerous situation for preserving too many own units, but if you do not have enough of them to design your scheme of making a right series of the opponent’s moves, it is not good either.

About

Magic Chess

Engage in a casual yet strategic PvP game featuring beloved heroes. Recruit, merge, and strategize to build the ultimate lineup. Outwit up to seven opponents using unique commander skills and powerful cards to achieve victory.

Highlights
  • MLBB.US heroes integration
  • Casual PvP strategy gameplay
  • 8-player showdowns
  • Unique commander skills
  • Strategic card system
  • Team up with friends
Features
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A New Strategy Game from the MLBB.US Team! Welcome to Magic Chess: Go Go US, the ultimate strategy game combining MLBB.US heroes with fresh and casual gameplay. It's not about fast mechanics, but about wisdom and a touch of luck! Play anywhere, anytime, and have fun with friends! New Battleground for MLBB.US Heroes: Strategy Fully Upgraded Lead your favorite MLBB.US heroes in an all-new way. Recruit, merge, and strategize to form the ultimate lineup. 8-Player Showdown: Outwit to Become the Champion Face off against 7 others in a tactical battle of wits. Want more fun? Team up with friends and show them who the real strategist is! Unique Commander Skills: Your Tactical Edge Each Commander brings exclusive skills that let you create bold, personalized strategies to dominate the game. Powerful Cards: Key to Lucky Comebacks Pick from various Go Go Cards at key stages to maximize your advantage and turn the table. Every card could be the key to winning this thrilling chess battle! Join MCGG US now and master the board with strategy and style! Customer Service Email: mcgg-us@skystone.games Official Website: https://us.skystone.games

Screenshots

Rek1 screens
Magic Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rek at 4.0 against Magic Chess's 3.4. Rek also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and review sentiment (50% vs 19%). Magic Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 4). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Magic Chess sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Rek asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rek holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Chess has 1.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Rek's written reviews are positive against 19% of Magic Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rek ships an update every 3 weeks, Magic Chess monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Rek versus Magic Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRekMagic Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better3.4 (1.5K ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better19.4% of reviews
Number of ratings41.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB350 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperNora KySkystone Games Pte. Ltd.

Customer experience

Rek

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Magic Chess

All ratings1,527 ratings
Positive56.9%
Neutral5.8%
Negative37.3%
Written reviews391 reviews
Positive19.4%
Neutral7.2%
Negative73.4%

Bugs and requests

Rek

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Magic Chess

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Account connection issues
  • Delayed iOS release causing missed content

Requested features

4 requests
  • Bring back old chess graphics
  • Integrate with main Mobile Legends game
  • Improve synergy system
  • Restore missing skins and content

In-app purchases

None

Rek

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

Magic Chess

One-time11
  • 50 Diamonds$0.99
  • Skin Special Pack$0.99
  • Lukas's Battle Bounty$0.99
Show 8 more
  • Weekly Card$1.99
  • 150 Diamonds$2.99
  • 250 Diamonds$4.99
  • 500 Diamonds$9.99
  • 1000 Diamonds$19.99
  • 1500 Diamonds$29.99
  • 2500 Diamonds$49.99
  • 5000 Diamonds$99.99

Questions

Is Rek free?
Rek is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Magic Chess free?
Magic Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rek or Magic Chess?
Rek is rated higher. Rek averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Magic Chess averages 3.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Rek or Magic Chess have ads?
Rek shows ads; Magic Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Rek or Magic Chess?
Rek ships an update every 3 weeks, and Magic Chess monthly. Most recently, Rek was updated on October 21, 2026 and Magic Chess on October 30, 2026.

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