Five Elements Chess vs Smart Ways to Die
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Five Elements Chess
Engage in strategic spell-duels with this match-three game inspired by Five Elements theory. Enjoy a calm, Zen-like visual style with a blend of strategy and luck. Compete locally or online against other players.
- Five Elements theory integration
- Match-three gameplay
- Deep strategy
- Zen-inspired visuals
- Local and online PvP
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Five Elements Chess is a spell-duel game that combines the Five Elements theory and match-three gameplay. Features • Simple rules, deep strategy • Calm, Zen-inspired visual style • A balance of strategy and luck that anyone can enjoy • Local and online PvP
Smart Ways to Die
Navigate a monochrome 2D world in this unconventional platformer. Embrace death as a strategic tool to overcome challenges and escape the colorless environment. It's a quick and engaging experience.
- Unconventional 2D platformer
- Death as a weapon
- Colorless world exploration
- Short and fun gameplay
- Unique puzzle elements
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A short, fun, and unconventional 2D platformer where you must find your way out of a colorless world. Death is not a weakness but may in fact be your greatest weapon.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Five Elements Chess at 100% against Smart Ways to Die's 0%. Five Elements Chess also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (74 vs 3). Smart Ways to Die's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Five Elements Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Smart Ways to Die asks for nothing beyond the download.
Five Elements Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five Elements Chess has 74 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Five Elements Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Smart Ways to Die's.
Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, Smart Ways to Die every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Five Elements Chess | Smart Ways to Die |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (74 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 74 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 2 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 280 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Ming Gao | Gravity Well LLC |
Customer experience
Five Elements Chess
Smart Ways to Die
In-app purchases
Five Elements Chess
- Time Skin Pack$1.99
- Five Elements Chess full game$3.99
- Seasons Skin Pack$3.99
Smart Ways to Die
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Five Elements Chess free?
Is Smart Ways to Die free?
Which has better reviews, Five Elements Chess or Smart Ways to Die?
Do Five Elements Chess or Smart Ways to Die have ads?
Which is updated more often, Five Elements Chess or Smart Ways to Die?
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