I am probably in the minority here, but I do not see or experience the same frustrations you are experiencing when using the Mobile Android app Game Review.
The difference between your experience and mine is I use a cheap 10 inch Android tablet capable of switching between Portrait and Landscape screen orientation. Switching between Portrait and Landscape mode when using the Mobile Game Review solves most of the problems and annoyances you are experiencing.
I am very happy with the new Game Review on the Mobile Android app, and I am hoping a future release of the app will give us Android users the Coach audio commentary just like the mobile Web has now.
FYI. Chess.com asked for my detailed feedback on the problems with the New Game Review.
I took the time to try to write out my concerns.
I thought it could be helpful to share them here, so they get a broader airing.
(note: I am talking about the ANDROID mobile version of the chess.com app)
Best, Nick
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Thanks for reaching out.
*0. Introductory comment about listening and asking for more feedback*
I and many other users have already given a lot of feedback both privately and on the chess.com forums (and many on Reddit), so while I appreciate the sentiment of your messages, I want to make two points.
When you say words to the effect (1) "please tell me your feedback, we are open to it", and (2) "chess.com does listen to feedback", my experience over the last four months make me feel (1) it is becoming extractive and disingenuous to keep asking me and other users to re-explain, especially when there are so many forum comments that have made the same points and (2) so far the feedback from me and others has not been taken on board so it seems a bit weird to have mine and others feedback ignored and then be told "chess.com does listen".
That said, I will repeat and go into detail in the interests of assuming the best and doing my part to communicate clearly.
I am going to communicate my concerns in two ways: (1) as a chess player, and (2) in the concepts of user interface and game design. Please excuse any repetition. I hope the benefits of clarity outweigh the costs of repetition.
I would also like to add, that after giving feedback in September, and being told "tough, deal with it" by your official support (in nice language, but that was the message), I went and learnt how to download old version of the app, and ran those for 3 months. However, your system basically forces users to update and not use verisons of the app more than three months old, and so, in the last few weeks I have been forced to update to the new Game Review. I was seriously hoping and believing that three months would be long enough for Chess.com to get the message from users about how bad the New Game Review is, and thought I could wait for feedback to have an impact.
However, nothing changed, and this is why I am taking this opportunity to provide detailed feedback and pushback.
*1. My Concerns, Expressed as a Chess Player*
The main issue is that you can't get an overall picture of your game where you can see the moves in relation to the whole.
*1.1 Old Game Review*
The old game review would present a summary screen that allowed you to simultaneously, and as the first thing you got from the Game Review, see the following:
*1. Evaluation Graph*. The graph of evaluation (i.e. who is winning after each move)
*2. Count of Moves by Quality*. The number of moves of different quality for each player (best moves, good moves, etc.)
*3. All Moves in Two Columns*. The list of all moves in two columns, with colours for mistakes and blunders and great moves.
*4. Approximate ELO and Suggested Lessons*. And end with both the approximate ELO of each player, and recommended lessons.
*5. The Board*. The board itself, which would display the move and a best move arrow for any particular move, so you could select the move from the list of *All Moves in Two Columns*, and (1) there would be a *vertical line* in the *Evaluation Graph* to show where in the game this was and whether this represented a critical turning point in the overall evaluation of the game, or if you were already lost or winning at this point; and (2) *The Board* would show your move, the best move, and generally also the *Continuation of Moves* for *Your Move*, and *The Best Move*.
This presented an *Integrated Picture of the Entire Game*. It allowed you to see each move (*The Board*, *The Continuation of Moves for Your Move* and *The Best Move*) in context of the entire game (the *Vertical LIne* in the *Evaluation Graph*; the *All Moves in Two Columns*).
It also allowed you to *navigate quickly and easily*, by clicking on any move at any point in the game and instantly go there. The *All Moves in Two Columns* was thus acting as an *Index* and *Navigation Tool*. Removing it was like removing the table of contents and index from a book, and expecting anyone to be able to find things within the book by flipping through every page.
*1.2 New Game Review*
*1.3 Metaphor: Driving a Car*
To use a metaphor, the old game review was like driving a car, while having Google Maps open, and also having a drone flying overhead, and broadcasting you a picture of the larger scene to a monitor in your car, and having a fantastic dashboard with the speed, rpm, fuel, and a nice clear windscreen you can look out and see the road in front of you.
The new game review is like being strapped to the front of the car and made to look at the 1 metre in front of you, and then be expected to drive.
*1.4 Examples*
Just take the following examples of things I might want to do:
*1.4.1 Key Move in Game*: What was the key move in the game that changed the evaluation from winning to loosing or loosing to winning? OLD GAME REVIEW: First screen, click on the move you think it is, check that the line on the Eval Bar is at the point where the Bar changes permanently, and then look at the Board and flick through the moves a bit before and a bit after, and look at the continuation of moves for your move and the best move, and you have a complete picture. NEW GAME REVIEW: You can't see the whole of game eval bar at the same time as looking at moves. You can't see all the moves while looking at board. Scroll slowly through horizontal moves. Watch the move by move eval bar. Try to work out when it changes, and if it changes permanently - so you need to scroll quite a way ahead to work this out - and then you can probably work it out, which move is the one that really changed things.
*1.4.2 Look Over My Blunders*. I want to quickly look through my blunders. *Old Game Review*: First screen, click on the move, instantly taken to it. *New Game Review*: Load first screen, click on the button to move to the proper game analysis, slowly scroll through the horizontal list of moves, try to work out which one was critical, stop there and look at the move.
*1.4.3 Look at Two Moves - One at Beginning of Game - One at End*. Look at my blunder on move 5 and opponents blunder on move 35. *Old Game Review*: First screen, click on move 5. Look at it. Click on move 35. Look at it. *New Game Review*: Load first screen, click to move through to proper game analysis. Slowly scroll through horizontal list of all moves. Find move 5, and hope I am looking at the right move because I can't see the overall evaluation graph. Look at it. Scroll slowly to move 35, hope I am looking at right move. Look at it.
*2. My Concerns, Expressed in Terms of User Interface and Game Design*
I want to try to be clear about what I am saying, by communicating basically the same information above, but in the terms of User Interface Design, and Game Design.
*2.0 Summary in UI Design Language*
The old Game Review worked well because it prioritized contextual awareness, navigation, integration of information, and task efficiency, creating a user-friendly and educational experience. The new Game Review, however, fragments these elements. This fragmentation makes navigation inefficient and reduces clarity, which undermines its purpose: to help players analyze and improve their games with ease and confidence.
*2.1 Contextual Awareness and Global View*
The old Game Review gave you a complete, global view of the game. It seamlessly combined the evaluation graph, move lists, and board so that players could understand how the game progressed. For example, you could immediately identify turning points by looking at changes in the evaluation graph and correlating them with moves from the two-column list.
In the new Game Review, this context is fragmented. The evaluation graph disappears when you begin looking at moves, making it hard to connect specific moves with the overall flow of the game. Without this "drone view," it’s much harder to understand the broader impact of mistakes or blunders.
*2.2 Ease of Navigation and Accessibility*
The old Game Review made navigation simple. The two-column list of moves acted as an index that let you jump to any move instantly. For example, you could click directly on move 5 to see your early blunder, then click on move 35 to analyze a key turning point later in the game.
The new Game Review replaces this with a horizontal scrolling list that shows only about five moves at a time. Moving between different parts of the game now requires tedious scrolling, which makes analyzing the game feel slow and frustrating.
*2.3 Integration of Related Information*
The old Game Review integrated information beautifully. You could view your move, the engine’s recommended move, and the continuation for both—all on one screen. This made it easy to understand why a move was good or bad and how the game could have unfolded differently.
The new Game Review scatters this information across different screens. And the analysis board is not a substitute, because it doesn't not show both your move and the best move at the same time, forcing you to toggle back and forth between moves to piece things together. This lack of integration makes the review process feel clunky and unintuitive.
*2.4 Efficiency and Task Completion*
The old Game Review supported efficient workflows. Whether you wanted to analyze blunders, compare moves across the game, or identify critical turning points, you could do so quickly and easily. Suggested lessons and ELO approximations added further value by providing clear, actionable insights.
The new Game Review adds unnecessary complexity. Tasks like finding blunders or identifying key moves now require multiple steps, such as scrolling horizontally through a long list of moves. The removal of suggested lessons further reduces the educational value of the tool.
*2.5 Visual Clarity and Layout*
The old Game Review displayed all the essential information—evaluation graph, move list, and board—together in a clean, compact layout. The vertical two-column move list made it easy to see both players’ moves, with clear color coding for mistakes and blunders.
The new Game Review hides the evaluation graph during move analysis, and the horizontal scrolling move list feels cramped and inefficient. This design choice sacrifices clarity and makes it harder to get a quick overview of the game.
*2.6 Educational Utility*
One of the old Game Review’s strengths was its educational focus. Suggested lessons offered tailored advice for improvement, and the integrated display made it easy to learn from your mistakes.
The new Game Review removes these lessons and scatters the information needed for analysis, making it harder to understand the game as a cohesive narrative. This reduces the tool’s value as a learning resource.
*3. Conclusion*
Thanks for getting in touch. I hope this is useful.
Warm and sincere regards,
Nick