HSK Hero vs Repeat Sequence
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HSK Hero
Master thousands of Chinese words and characters with an interactive and gamified approach. Prepare for HSK exams or improve Mandarin fluency with offline access and native audio pronunciation.
- Learn all HSK vocabulary (HSK 1-6)
- Effective recall and recognition learning method
- Native Mandarin audio for pronunciation
- Gamified learning with quizzes and challenges
- Offline study mode
- Smart flashcards with spaced repetition
- Progress tracking
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Learn Chinese characters with a game you'll want to keep playing. HSK Hero now covers the new HSK 3.0 syllabus: all nine levels, HSK 1 to HSK 7–9, with 11,000 words and over 3,000 characters. See the meaning, hear the word, then find its characters on the grid. It's fast, it's fun, and it makes you recall each word instead of just recognizing it. Learners around the world have been playing HSK Hero since 2016. THE NEW HSK 3.0, LEVELS 1 TO 9 • Every word of the new syllabus: HSK 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the advanced 7–9 band • Short packs, most useful words first, grouped into units on the big levels • Simplified and traditional characters, switch any time • Pinyin with tone colors, English meanings and clear audio for every word A GAME THAT TEACHES • Find the characters on a 2×2, 3×3 or 4×4 grid as little martial-arts heroes leap onto your tiles • Stuck on a word? Tap Learn: see its characters shown on the board, then the board shuffles and it's your turn • Write your answers by hand right on the game board, or tap the tiles: your choice • Every word climbs four stages, from Learning to Familiar, Strong and finally locked in • Missed words return in Review, and a Smart Pack mixes reviews with new words • A Daily Challenge to play and share with friends WRITE CHARACTERS BY HAND • Brush practice with stroke order for every character, with a real ink brush and Apple Pencil pressure • Guided, Trace or Recall: follow numbered strokes, trace an outline, or write from memory • Live coaching on stroke order, direction and proportion, plus the parts each character is built from • A daily writing goal, practice by HSK level, and a copybook of every character in your own hand HEAR EVERY WORD • Audio mode says each word as it appears: turn off English and pinyin for pure listening practice • Slow pronunciation whenever you need it A WORLD TO PLAY IN • Ten painted Chinese landscapes, from Guilin and the Great Wall to the lakes of Jiuzhai • Seasons, weather, day and night, and calm birdsong if you like it • 20 celebrations, red seal stamps and 87 badges for streaks, festivals and the 24 solar terms • Color themes, light and dark mode, iPhone and iPad FREE TO START Play the first packs of every level, the Daily Challenge, and a free Brush round every day. HSK Hero Pro unlocks all 11,000 words, unlimited writing practice, every theme and more: monthly, yearly with a free week, or once for life. No ads. No account. Works offline. Your progress stays on your device. Questions or ideas? Write to handtechnics@gmail.com. I read every message. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.handtechnics.com/hskhero_privacy.html 加油!
Repeat Sequence
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How long a sequence can your memory hold? Repeat Sequence is a fast, addictive memory game that tests your pattern recall, focus and reflexes. Numbered squares flash on the grid for a few seconds — then vanish. Tap them back in the exact order you saw them. One wrong tap breaks the chain. Every round gets harder: less time to memorize, more to remember, and no second chances. HOW TO PLAY • Squares appear on the grid, each numbered by its position in the sequence • Memorize the order before they disappear • Tap every square in sequence — no hesitation, no mistakes • Survive as the timer speeds up and the grid fills up WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • Simple rules, endless difficulty ramp • Trains working memory, attention and reaction speed at the same time • Round history to track your progress and beat your record • Quick one-minute rounds — a perfect brain workout on the go • Clean, distraction-free design: pure you vs. the grid A WORKOUT FOR YOUR MIND Repeating longer and longer sequences strengthens your working memory — the same skill you use to remember directions, names, PINs and daily to-dos. A few minutes a day is all it takes to keep your mind sharp. WHO IS IT FOR? Fans of brain training, pattern puzzles, Simon-style challenges and concentration games. Students, professionals, seniors — anyone who loves a simple-looking game that quietly destroys you at round 12. Think you can keep up? Download now and find out! Subscriptions Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: HSK Hero at none against Repeat Sequence's shown. HSK Hero also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Repeat Sequence's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. HSK Hero sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Repeat Sequence sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
HSK Hero ships an update fortnightly, Repeat Sequence every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HSK Hero | Repeat Sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (173 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 173 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 160 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Handtechnics | Ivan Gastilovic |
Bugs and requests
HSK Hero
Reported bugs
5 issues- Sound feature not working despite being advertised
- App incompatible with iPad Mini 6
- Invalid support email address
- Accidental purchase without clear confirmation dialog
- Missed characters completely hidden instead of faded
Requested features
12 requests- Review mode for missed characters after each session
- Ability to toggle between simplified/traditional on any screen
- Audio pronunciation for pinyin and word intonation
- Dictionary lookup or character breakdown feature
- Detailed results showing correct and incorrect answers
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- Practice mode focused on frequently missed characters
- Reverse mode: identify pinyin given Chinese characters
- Radical practice sections
- Smaller level chunks for better daily practice sessions
- Character stroke sketching feature
- Integration with dictionary apps like Pleco
- Limit on wrong attempts before revealing correct answer
Repeat Sequence
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
HSK Hero
- Pro Monthly: All HSK 3.0 Words$9.991 Month
- Pro Yearly: All HSK 3.0 Words$49.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime: All HSK 3.0 Words$99.99
Repeat Sequence
- 1 Month No Ads$0.991 Month
- 6 Months No Ads$4.996 Months
- 1 Year No Ads$8.991 Year
Questions
Is HSK Hero free?
Is Repeat Sequence free?
Do HSK Hero or Repeat Sequence have ads?
Which is updated more often, HSK Hero or Repeat Sequence?
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