Mr Chess vs Really Bad Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mr Chess
Experience the classic board game with a minimalist interface that gets you straight into the action. Play against AI at various difficulty levels or challenge a friend. Offers a premium subscription for an ad-free experience.
- Minimalist interface
- 1 or 2 player modes
- Adjustable AI difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard)
- Switch modes mid-game
- Castling move
- Premium subscription for ad-free play
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From the developers who brought you Mr Word and Mr Draughts, Mr Chess is a brilliant implementation of the classic board game. Taking away all the unnecessary stuff, Mr Chess takes you straight into the game you love. There are no menus, not even a start button, you're just straight in. Click the small "i" button to access options, which are 1 or 2 player, and Easy, Medium or Hard (1 player only). You can switch between 1 and 2 player mode at any time and even change difficulty level in the middle of a game (great if you are struggling to beat Mr Chess). Playing against Mr Chess in 1 player mode, Easy level is perfect for beginners. Medium provides a challenge for most normal players, and Hard will defeat all but the best players. Now with Castling! Note, when castling, move your king, and your rook will move automatically. Mr Chess is beautifully designed and very minimalist, in keeping with the Mr Board Game philosophy. Enjoy! Mr Chess now offers Premium Subscription. Once subscribed, all advertising is removed from the app, allowing you to enjoy the classic board game with zero distractions. Mr Chess Premium Subscription is an auto-renewing subscription, at a cost of £0.49/$0.49 with a duration of 1 year. Please click "remove ads" to purchase a subscription. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed, and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings on your device after purchase. Please visit https://www.gileschanot.com/privacy-policy for our privacy policy. Please see terms of service at https://www.gileschanot.com/terms.
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.
- Randomized chess piece sets
- AI opponent challenges
- Ranked, Daily, and Weekly modes
- Freeplay practice mode
- Local multiplayer (with IAP)
- Alternate color palettes (with IAP)
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mr Chess at 4.7 against Really Bad Chess's 3.8. Mr Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Really Bad Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 24). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Mr Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.49 per year and Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Mr Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Really Bad Chess has 1.6K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Mr Chess's written reviews are positive against 46% of Really Bad Chess's.
Mr Chess ships an update every 6 months, Really Bad Chess every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mr Chess | Really Bad Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (24 ratings) — better | 3.8 (1.6K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 46.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24 | 1.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 125 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Truncated Tales Limited | Zach Gage |
Customer experience
Mr Chess
Really Bad Chess
Bugs and requests
Mr Chess
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
Mr Chess
- Premium - Zero Ads$0.491 Year
Really Bad Chess
- 100 Undos$0.99
- Full Game Unlock$3.99
Questions
Is Mr Chess free?
Is Really Bad Chess free?
Which has better reviews, Mr Chess or Really Bad Chess?
Do Mr Chess or Really Bad Chess have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mr Chess or Really Bad Chess?
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