Comparison

2Back Man〜n vs Gwakkamole

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

2Back Man〜n

This game challenges your memory by requiring you to tap when the current color matches the one from two or three steps prior. It offers training modes with customizable color variations and speed to enhance cognitive skills.

Highlights
  • Color matching 'n-back' task
  • 2-back and 3-back modes
  • Training mode
  • Customizable settings
  • Memory skill enhancement
Features
Read full description

Just click when the same color as the two before has come! It is trained memory skills while playing! ・2 back・・・Click on the two previous ・3 back・・・Click in the three previous Without being misled by the cute face, and try to click only when the same color. You can practice in the training mode. By changing the settings, such as color variations and speed, it is possible to training.

About

Gwakkamole

This game trains inhibitory control, a key executive function, through engaging gameplay. Players must quickly identify and smash specific targets while avoiding others to improve cognitive skills. It's part of a research-backed suite developed by leading universities.

Highlights
  • Inhibitory control training
  • Executive function development
  • Engaging target-smashing gameplay
  • Research-backed cognitive training
  • Part of Smart Suite
Features
Read full description

Gwakkamole is a game designed to train inhibitory control, a subskill of executive functions. Inhibitory control involves being able to control one’s attention, behavior, thoughts, and/or emotions to override a strong internal predisposition or external lure, and instead do what’s more appropriate or needed (Diamond, 2013). Players need to smash avocados that have no hat or that tip their hat but avoid smashing avocados with spiky hats or with electric hats. How does this support learning? Executive functions refer to a set of top-down, goal-oriented cognitive processes that enable people to control, monitor and plan behaviors and emotions. Miyake and Friedman’s model supports a unity-and-diversity view of EF in that it incorporates the three distinct but related components of EF: inhibitory control, task-switching and updating (Miyake et al., 2000). What is the research evidence? Our research suggests that Gwakkamole is an effective way to train inhibitory control. Homer, B.D., Ober, T., Rose, M., MacNamara, A., Mayer, R., & Plass, J.L. (2019). Speed Versus Accuracy: Implications of Adolescents' Neurocognitive Developments in a Digital Game to Train Executive Functions. Mind, Brain, and Education, 13(1), 41–52. DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12189 Research has found that EF is related to performance in literacy and math along with long-term gains in school performance and academic readiness (Blair & Razza, 2007; Brock, Rimm-Kaufman, Nathanson, & Grimm, 2009; St Clair-Thompson & Gathercole, 2006; Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman, & Nelson, 2010) and that disparities in EF among preschool children from low-income versus high-income homes may contribute to the achievement gap (Blair & Razza, 2007; Noble, McCandliss, & Farah, 2007). This game is part of the Smart Suite, created by New York University’s CREATE lab in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara, and The Graduate Center, CUNY. The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A150417 to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

Screenshots

2Back Man〜n4 screens
Gwakkamole4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Gwakkamole at 4.8 against 2Back Man〜n's 4.0. Gwakkamole also leads on ratings volume (14 vs 1). 2Back Man〜n's advantage is iOS requirement (6.0 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gwakkamole holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gwakkamole has 14 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of 2Back Man〜n's written reviews are positive against 80% of Gwakkamole's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
2Back Man〜n versus Gwakkamole: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter2Back Man〜nGwakkamole
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings)4.8 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings114 — better
Update frequency—Every 39 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS6.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB169 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer2kaNew York University

Customer experience

2Back Man〜n

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Gwakkamole

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

None

2Back Man〜n

No in-app purchases

None

Gwakkamole

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 2Back Man〜n free?
2Back Man〜n is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gwakkamole free?
Gwakkamole is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 2Back Man〜n or Gwakkamole?
Gwakkamole is rated higher. 2Back Man〜n averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Gwakkamole averages 4.8 from 14 ratings.
Do 2Back Man〜n or Gwakkamole have ads?
Neither 2Back Man〜n nor Gwakkamole shows ads.

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