# The Istrys — user reviews > 73 indexed App Store user reviews of The Istrys by Match 2 LLC, rated 4.70/5 from 733 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-istrys/id1324155284/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-istrys/id1324155284.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 586 · 4★ 93 · 3★ 21 · 2★ 13 · 1★ 20 ## What do users think of The Istrys? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 😊 Relaxing and calming - 👍 Engaging and addictive gameplay - 💡 Variety of game modes - 🧠 Helps with memory and cognition **Cons** - 🤔 Lack of updates and new content - 🤨 Subscription model not worth it - 🐛 Orientation issues and app crashes - 🙅‍♀️ No Apple Pencil support **Commonly reported bugs** - App freezing and not loading games - Broken game modes (e.g. Dinostry) - Orientation issues after updates **Most requested features** - Option to purchase games individually - Ability to see previous scores - Customizable art styles ## Newest reviews (13 of 73) ### 3/5 — PROBLEM STILL UNSOLVED !!!!!! *2026-06-26* Annoyed this is my favourite game and still not working. Either delete or fix the problem Also add a few new levels for free, you ask a lot of money to sub ### 2/5 — W H Y ????? *2026-05-11* I was shut out of the #!#! Istry that was RIDDLED WITH ADS that I thought I paid to avoid!?!? Then it suddenly tried to hijack me for further payment!!!! I went to plain old Istray that I paid minimum but received the landscape ONLY version that is tiny and pixilated!!!! What is going on???? ### 4/5 — Please help me *2024-11-06* I am trying to cancel this subscription but there doesn’t seem to be a way!! ### 2/5 — Love this game *2024-10-25, version 1.0.1* I agree with one reviewer I like the way it was before when the first iPad came out that you can buy a game for 5.00 to 20.00 I don’t like the subscriptions of games today everything adds up through the month I would be willing to pay a one time payment of 20.00 for this game but am not willing to pay 3.99 a month like the reviewer said that at the end of the year your paying 48.00. 3.99 might sound cheap but at the end of the year it’s not. So please consider in a one time purchase of this game and I will be more than happy to purchase this game. So that’s why I give it only two stars. ### 4/5 — Dinostry is STILL BROKEN *2023-09-29* I’ve been a fan (and subscriber) for more than a year, but I’m unhappy with recent updates. The orientation “lock” doesn’t always stick, so it seems to randomly revert to portrait orientation despite the fact that I set landscape as default when I installed it. And, Dinostry, one of my most favorite games, IS STILL BROKEN. Please fix it! ### 4/5 — Love it *2023-03-18, version 1.0.0* I love this game. I’ve been playing since it was first available on Amazon. The graphics are very clean and the game itself is fun. I only like Cubistry though. The other available games hurt my eyes for some reason. The latest update messed up the orientation lock. If I switch between game modes at any point, it switches from landscape to portrait and won’t change back unless I close the app and restart it. ### 4/5 — Latest update broke this formerly great game *2023-03-12, version 1.0.0* I’ve been a fan (and subscriber) for more than a year, but I’m very unhappy with the latest update (the one that added Nutistry). The orientation “lock” doesn’t stick, so it seems to randomly revert to portrait orientation despite the fact that I set landscape as default when I installed it. And, Dinostry is STILL broken. Please fix it! ### 4/5 — Edit: Latest update broke the app *2023-03-09* The update radically changed the UI, and I figured out how to “unlock” the orientation in Settings. Now it’s pretty much back to the same game I know and love. Thanks! This latest update made it so that the app goes into portrait mode instead of just landscape, BUT it is now unresponsive to the gyroscope and accelerometer sensors, and just sticks in portrait mode, which makes your game tiny! Not fun to play this way. Going to have to give it up, and I’ve played this game for literally years. ### 4/5 — Score Ranking *2022-12-18, version 0.9.9* What happened to the ability to see your prior scores? ### 3/5 — Version 0.9.4 *2022-05-01, version 0.9.4* After downloading the 0.9.4 update, the app is now stuck “loading” when attempting to open the app. ### 2/5 — Great game *2022-04-30, version 0.9.4* I love the game but would like to purchase the whole came so I can play all puzzles but I don’t like the subscription part to open up all games. I know to you 3.99 sounds cheap but if you pay that through the year you are talking 48.00 that’s a lot when back when the first iPad came out you can purchase games between 5.00 and 20.00 when you had extra money to do so and no monthly fee. If you subscribe to every subscription there is on games then you will go broke everything adds up through the month. Don’t like how it is today I liked it better when you can just purchase games when you had extra money. These subscriptions needs to stop and go back to the way it was just purchasing games. That’s why I only give you two stars because of the subscription I will not be subscribing. Please consider on putting one purchase price on this game and I’ll be more then gladly to purchase this game but there is no way that I’ll subscribe. ### 3/5 — “Upgraded” certain games and ruined them 😥 *2021-12-31* I love the Istrys game, and would love to give it more stars. For some reason, however, the developers have decided to “upgrade” some of the games, including one of my favorites. The “upgrades” are ruining good games. My favorite was the Halloween game. It had nice, spooky, adult Halloween pictures, even if a couple were spiders — eeeeeuuuuu. When they “upgraded” it, they changed it to kiddie pictures. As they have as they’ve “upgraded” some of the others. I wrote customer service, to voice my opinion, but never received a reply. I’m used to great service with other games I play. If they want to “upgrade” to these childish puzzles, they should have left ours alone, and have either started a kiddie section, or put the “upgrades” on subscription. ### 4/5 — Hate the new updates but love the game *2021-12-02* The new update is a huge let down!! The pictures are cartoonish and when I went to play the Christmas one there were pictures of cartoon animals with birthday hats on, birthday candles, and the rest of the pictures are garish. Not at all happy with the update! Please go back to the old pictures on the cubes because it was much more realistic and not geared for kids! I would have given it a 5 star review but the pictures on the cubes are horrible! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — I love this game so much but I can’t get it to work anymore *2026-06-04* I have an older iphone that’s stuck on iOS 17 and even when downloading the last compatible version it just gets stuck on the loading screen. I love this game so much, but it’s unplayable right now :( I’d happily give it five stars but again I can’t play it properly anymore ### 1/5 — 🤔😕 *2026-06-02* What updates. My app shows no sign of an update. The subscription portion doesn’t even appear unless I open a free game first. And when you say “Anew game coming soon” it takes months for it to appear. Subscription fee is not worth it. ADIOS! Update your reviews, they’re all OLD. ### 1/5 — 🤔😕 *2026-03-10, version 1.0.1* What updates. My app shows no sign of an update. The subscription portion doesn’t even appear unless I open a free game first. And when you say “Anew game coming soon” it takes months for it to appear. Subscription fee is not worth it. ADIOS! ### 1/5 — 🤔😕 *2026-02-20, version 1.0.1* What updates. My app shows no sign of an update. The subscription portion doesn’t even appear unless I open a free game first. And when you say “Anew game coming soon” it takes months for it to appear. Subscription fee is not worth it. ADIOS! ### 1/5 — July 30 new game broke the app *2025-07-31, version 1.0.1* I’ve been a subscriber for several years, even though I don’t like many of the recently added or ’improved’ games. But the new (July 30 2025) game “Beachistry” wouldn’t load after waiting many minutes and multiple restarts. I deleted the app and downloaded it again — now it won’t run at all. I cancelled my subscription. ### 1/5 — No Pencil?? *2025-02-15, version 1.0.1* Does allow you to use your Apple Pencil??? This is the ONLY game I've come across that doesn't allow the use of the pencil! Deleting! ### 1/5 — Not without my apple pencil! *2023-03-05, version 1.0.0* Loved playing with the pencil, but suddenly it doesn't work. It's fine everywhere else. Without the pencil I can't get the accuracy to catch edges in stationary mode. ### 1/5 — Used to be a good app *2023-01-05, version 0.9.9* This app will at time lock my Air 4 up and it is very hard to get the tablet to restart. Major problem in my view. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t even start. *2022-06-27, version 0.9.5* Has not been able to get to the first screen. ### 1/5 — Spoiled *2021-12-03* Updating the Christmas game has made it fit for infants. Childish and infantile illustrations. Absolutely cheap and nasty now. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — AMAZING!!👌🏾👌🏾 *2025-08-26* This is the best game to play on road trips,and very relaxing 😌 I highly recommend this game if you’re looking for something to calm you down!<33 ### 5/5 — Love this game *2025-08-06, version 1.0.1* Absolutely love this game. Makes time pass quickly and painlessly. ### 5/5 — Love it *2024-02-15, version 1.0.1* Hooked ### 5/5 — Time travel made real! *2024-01-31* The most enjoyable and addicting way to pass time pleasantly! this is a perfect way for kids and adults to spend time, and actually seems to help memory in us older adults. It seems easy, but there can be strategy involved, too. ### 5/5 — Anti-Insomniac Therapy at it’s Finest *2023-10-31, version 1.0.1* The Istrys, I must say, appears to be the “rest-restorative”, and soothing game that my late-night & often, “overly-stress burdened” mind naturally seems to gravitate to after a long day and I am really in need of, “Decompressing”, or, (lol, “down-shifting “ thy mind 🙏), … before I can fall asleep easily that is. Especially as I am one of those who tend to enjoy having my phone in, or, close-at, hand as I bring an end to my daily grind! For me it’s the perfect, “go-to”, tool [when in the original, standard, classic] mode, for not keeping me artificially awake, (when my good sense is telling me that I really should be bringing my “Tech-aholic” day to a close for my own well-being). I would really like to see this same fantastic bedtime pass-time favorite of mine in a lighter kinda, “bare-bones” designs only, version. Possibly even under a, “newly refurbished”, Title or catch phrase that might be easier to remember how to spell and find… My bad on that part, totally! I am always forgetting it’s, (The Istrys’), name when I inevitably have to change phones and it always seems to take me forever to locate it again by description and/or the beautiful, classicly designed cube pic that is the apps flagship icon. I always seem to have those specifically unique and vibrant colors and the nostalgic cube firmly planted in my mind, however, the name Istrys oft, maddeningly, seems to elude me when in need… sorry if it has special meaning for you, the creator(s), but it just doesn’t seem to want to stick to my brain cells for some reason… 🤔). No matter what the game is called though I’m really happy it’sI was available and always free for people like me who really do need it me who really do need it sometime. Thanks :-) P.S. As an after-thought, I’m really very curious to know if the creator(s) and/or team of individuals who designed the, classic/standard/originating, design and accompanying soundtrack had any background in the psychologically grounded and apparently neurologically, visually & audibly beneficial areas of academic knowledge that the istrys seems to be so indicative of to me … Or, if this was kinda, , “just one of those incredibly gifted and talented genius trifectas of a very aesthetically pleasing designed & diligently, “mathematically precise” magnum-opus kinda software creation moments? Hmm… Also, it’s just a very satisfying, low-stress, and (by design) a mindfully chill activity for my heart rate I’ve noticed over my years of gameplay. No blood pressure medication necessary here in stationary mode! 👌👍👍 Especially since, overall, I seem to drop off into very pleasantly restful sleep at my own minds’ natural kinda “biorhythm like” pace,,, very cool dude. ✌️ One other, really nice, and quite unexpected thing I’ve observed in hindsight don’t seem to end up with any, “ill-natured” or worrisome dreams like I was prone to having on vacation in years prior… No Chamomile or Melatonin is even Required!! 😀 ### 5/5 — Keeps my brain active *2023-05-22, version 1.0.1* I love this game and this developer! I've played Cubistry for years on my Amazon Kindle from 2014 (still works) then added the Istry's when it came out. Now I can play it on my iPad too. I've interacted with the developer, they responded quickly, thanks hohng.com Pat ### 5/5 — Unattractive updates *2022-05-26* It’s the same Istrys in this latest update!!! May’s entry droidistry is the exact same as robotistry!! Come on! I’m not happy with the simplistic art of most of the updates. It seems they’ve been made for children! I loved the art in the past and wish you could give an option as to which style you want to play! ### 5/5 — Fun fun fun *2021-11-30, version 0.8.7* I love this game.love the variety ( wish there was more on free side) love the different ways to play.. relaxing not frustrating ### 5/5 — Best game ever *2021-10-15, version 0.8.5* I love this game ### 5/5 — My favorite solitaire *2021-07-18* Totally addictive. Gorgeous vivid bright colors. Match tiles on six sides of a cube with about 25 to 36 tiles on each side. Rotate the cube or play in other modes. Fun, fun, fun! You gotta try it! My favorite solitaire. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-18.*