Shogi - Japanese Chess | Game Brain

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Shogi - Japanese Chess is a single player casual strategy game. It received positive reviews from players.

Japanese Chess. It is a Shogi app for people who want to start a Shogi.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,612 reviews

music19 positive mentions

monetization92 negative mentions

The app is fun and engaging, making it easy for beginners to learn Shogi.
The gameplay is smooth, and the option to see the piece movements helps new players understand the game better.
The app provides a good challenge with various AI levels, making it enjoyable for both beginners and experienced players.

The English translation is often poor, making it difficult for non-Japanese speakers to understand the rules and piece movements.
There are frequent ads, especially when trying to undo moves, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
The app limits online play to only a few matches per day unless users pay for a subscription, which can be frustrating.

monetization
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
1%
96%
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users expressing frustration over the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, particularly unskippable ones that disrupt gameplay. While some appreciate the option to play for free with ads, there is a strong desire for a one-time purchase option to remove ads entirely, as the current subscription model is seen as excessive. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, the aggressive ad placement and limitations on online play without spending money detract from the user experience.
- “Just recently bought a shogi board and wanted to get some real applicable lessons and training while I wait for it to arrive - in-depth lessons and a killer AI; lots of fun! I do wish there was a way to buy a no-ads option without a subscription service, but I suppose you can't have everything.”
- “Those do the job; I wish there was a no-ads version.”
- “It's an amazing game with no ads.”
- “Shogi is done perfectly and you can play against AI with a lot of difficulty levels, but there are too many unskippable ads that you will be watching, and heavy restrictions on online play without spending money. Besides ads, there is a premium membership to play online more than three times, so I'll rate it 2 stars.”
- “Recurring subscription fees to bleed customers dry ad infinitum, without any possibility to buy the software once and for all to get rid of the pestering advertisements.”
- “There's too many ads - an ad to retract a move, an ad after ending a game, an ad to get a hint, plus a banner ad on the home screen.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and enjoyable qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and helping players focus. However, many users express frustration over the lack of an option to mute the in-game music, which prevents them from listening to their own playlists. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated, the desire for more variety and control over the music settings is a common theme in the reviews.
- “The music and atmosphere of the game is good.”
- “Very calm and observing, and I really like the music because it helps you focus more and forget about the bad things in life.”
- “I love the way the music relaxes the mind.”
- “The app is great for first-time players; however, I couldn't find an option that allows me to mute the in-game music, which means I couldn't listen to my own music in the background.”
- “Need option to turn music on/off.”
- “Pretty easy and fun, not a fan of the background music.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
26%
13%
Overall, the gameplay is praised for its smoothness, engaging mechanics, and accessibility for beginners, making it enjoyable and challenging. However, some users express frustration with intrusive ads and monetization strategies that hinder the experience. The game introduces unique tactical elements not found in traditional chess, enhancing its intensity and appeal.
- “This app is fantastic for familiarizing yourself with how the pieces move and the other game mechanics involved.”
- “I personally feel as though it requires more tactical thinking as there are moves and gameplay mechanics not found in chess which make the game more interesting and intense.”
- “The gameplay itself is smooth and the graphics clean.”
- “Decent gameplay, but it covers the screen in ads, pesters you to pay them money for custom cosmetics, and limits your daily amount of online games.”
- “I hate this type of mechanics and in my opinion must be removed (making online free for all and without waiting).”
- “The gameplay is fine, your business model sucks.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
Overall, the graphics of the game are generally well-received, described as nice, decent, and sharp, contributing positively to the overall experience. While some users appreciate the aesthetic and smooth animations, a few express a desire for improvements, particularly in making piece movements more accessible through visual symbols. The combination of good graphics and soothing background music enhances the gameplay, making it enjoyable for players.
- “The gameplay itself is smooth and the graphics are clean.”
- “However, the graphics and such are quite amazing.”
- “The graphics are very sharp and accurate.”
- “Great app, best shogi game ever; just need to improve graphics, thank you guys.”
- “The game would be more open to the public if the piece movement had a graphic user interface symbol of the piece movements instead of language characters only specific to one group.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The app suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent crashes and random freezes reported during gameplay, particularly in practice mode. Users express frustration over the need to reset the app after encountering these bugs, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “This app is so buggy... I put it on my phone and made one move in practice mode, and it crashed.”
- “The AI in practice mode sometimes freezes, and the app needs to be reset.”
- “It freezes randomly, and it's tiring.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The app generally runs smoothly without involuntary ads; however, users have noted that the CPU optimization is lacking, leading to delays of over a minute for moves.
- “The app runs smoothly.”
- “The app runs smoothly.”
- “The CPU is unoptimized and can take more than a minute to make a move.”
- “I didn't encounter any involuntary ads, but the optimization issues are frustrating.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with users highlighting the quality of the music and its effective contribution to the overall experience. The combination of atmospheric soundscapes and functional programming enhances immersion.
- “The music and atmosphere of the game are captivating.”
- “The game features a great functional program complemented by atmospheric music.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the game's variety in replayability, highlighting the inclusion of different types of bots and multiple game modes that enhance the overall experience.
- “The different types of bots and game modes really bring variety and enhance replayability.”
- “Each playthrough feels unique thanks to the diverse game modes available.”
- “The variety of challenges keeps me coming back for more, ensuring high replayability.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The limited variety in gameplay mechanics leads to a repetitive experience.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its hilariously broken English translation, which adds an unexpected comedic element to the experience.
- “The English translation is hilariously broken!”
- “The game's humor is spot-on, with clever jokes that had me laughing out loud.”
- “I love the quirky characters and their witty banter; it adds so much charm to the game!”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that the game demands a significant amount of grinding, suggesting that progression heavily relies on repetitive tasks.
- “Combining one and two, you get a game that requires a huge amount of grinding.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the grinding mechanics to be overly repetitive, which detracted from the overall experience.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story in Yakuza 2 is engaging and intricately woven, with side missions like shogi adding depth and variety to the narrative experience. Players appreciate how these elements enhance the overall storytelling, making it more immersive.