Last updated on January 23rd, 2026 at 04:36 am
SakataGo – Strategy Game Review
SakataGo is a Strategy/Education/Board game from Torsten Hefer, first launched in 20th January 2026.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 0+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes SakataGo Stand Out
SakataGo – Play Go offline with KataGo
Bring one of the world’s strongest Go AI engines, KataGo, directly to your iPhone or iPad — fully offline, no internet or servers required. Play, analyze, and improve your Go game anywhere, against AI opponents ranging from advanced beginner to professional and superhuman levels.
Key Highlights:
- Fully offline KataGo AI – play anywhere, anytime
- Adjustable AI strength: from 6‑kyu to full KataGo strength
- Realistic board and stones: Hyuga Kaya board with slate and clam shell stones
- Game analysis and hints: review moves, estimate territory, and check win rates
- SGF support: open, share, and store Go game files easily
Play & Learn
SakataGo combines the KataGo engine with powerful analysis tools:
- Step through games forward and backward, get AI hints, and see territory and win rate estimates
- Store up to ten positions in a review stack and cycle through them
- Continue playing from any review position, keeping the reviewed game stored or in the clipboard
- Choose between human imitation levels (6‑kyu to 9‑dan amateur) or full KataGo strength, based on the latest neural network models (2025)
- Switch opponent strength, AI player and think times during a game to test different reactions
User Settings:
- AI Player (white, black, or none)
- Handicap and Komi adjustments
- Choice of Japanese or Chinese rules
- AI think time and hint calculation time
- Optional on-screen win rate and score display
- Select between two KataGo neural net models (small and large)
- Switch sound on or off
Realistic Design
- Enjoy a beautiful, natural board and stone setup, with slight imperfections for a realistic feel.
- SakataGo’s easy-to-use interface focuses on essentials so you can focus on playing and improving your game.
Game Sharing & SGF Support
- Open SGF files from the Files app, from the clipboard or via Share Extension
- Share games or positions via clipboard or compatible apps, or save to file
- Note: variants in SGF files are not supported; SakataGo’s main focus is offline AI gameplay and review. However, by using SakataGo's review stack and clipboard functionalities, you can easily play out variants and return to former positions.
Why "SakataGo"?
The app name was chosen both in honor of Eio Sakata (坂田 栄男, 1920-2010) and KataGo (*2019), combining the names of one of the leading professionals of the 20th century with today's leading Go playing AI.
This Strategy game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 20th January 2026
Recent improvements include:
Added Japanese and Korean language support
Download & Availability
SakataGo is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
App Details
- Version: 1.1
- Size: 559.42 MB
- iOS: 18.6 or later
- Languages: EN, JA, KO
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Torsten Hefer
Last updated: 20th January 2026 | Genre: Strategy, Education | Developer: Torsten Hefer