Press – Goban3D

Everything you need to write about Goban3D. Screenshots are high-resolution originals — right-click to download. For anything not covered here, email Adam.Gibbons@Goban3D.com or call +44 7517 049577.

Fact Sheet

App: Goban3D — a fully accessible 3D Go app for iOS and macOS
Developer: Adam Solomon Gibbons, solo developer, Exeter, UK
Price: Free to play; £6.99/year to remove ads; additional texture packs via in-app purchase
Status: Public beta via Apple TestFlight
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac (native Catalyst)
Website: goban3d.com
Contact: Adam.Gibbons@Goban3D.com
LinkedIn: Adam Gibbons
Social: X · Instagram · Bluesky · Mastodon · YouTube

Short Description

Goban3D brings the ancient game of Go to iOS — beautifully rendered in 3D, or as a clean 2D board when you need it. Built from the ground up with accessibility, performance, and the spirit of the game in mind. It appears to be the only digitally accessible Go app in the world.

Key Features

Stunning 3D board powered by RealityKit with physically-based materials — 60 fps animations
Low-power 2D mode drawn in SwiftUI — switches instantly
100% accessibility coverage: VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, Voice Control, Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Sufficient Contrast, Differentiate Without Color
High contrast mode for low vision
Haptic feedback and sound effects
iPhone (3.5" to 6.9"), iPad (9.7" to 13"), and Mac (native Catalyst)
4 board textures and 8 stone textures included free
Minimap on smaller iPhones for full 19×19 play with 44pt tap targets

Developer Bio

Adam is a self-taught iOS developer and Go player based in Exeter, UK. After receiving dyslexia support from primary school through college, he studied computer science at Kingston University, where he first encountered Go — building a homemade board with his roommate from a piece of wood and glass stones. His final year project was a computer vision algorithm that could read a Go board from a photograph with 87%+ accuracy.

After a long period of unemployment following health difficulties, the COVID lockdown became a turning point. Starting from zero knowledge of Apple's development technologies, Adam taught himself iOS development through Apple's documentation and WWDC sessions. Two years later, Goban3D is his first shipped product — built around the conviction that Go should be playable by everyone regardless of ability.