Comparison

Strong Mind Mazes vs Dual N

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

Head to head
About

Strong Mind Mazes

This app offers clinical-grade brain training exercises designed to enhance cognitive functions like concentration, working memory, and problem-solving. It features progressive difficulty levels and over a million maze variations, built on decades of cognitive neuroscience research.

Highlights
  • Cognitive neuroscience-based training
  • Enhances concentration and attention
  • Improves working memory
  • Develops multi-variable problem solving
  • Hierarchical difficulty levels
  • Over 1 million maze variations
Features
Read full description

Clinical-grade brain training built on 40 years of cognitive neuroscience. Used by Dr. Donalee Markus with concussion and traumatic brain injury patients, NASA scientists, and corporate executives since 2003. Strong Mind Mazes is not a casual puzzle game. It is a hierarchical cognitive-restructuring exercise designed to engage neuroplasticity through deliberate, progressive challenge. The same approach featured in Clark Elliott's "The Ghost in My Brain." WHAT IT TRAINS • Concentration and sustained attention • Working memory and mental manipulation • Multi-variable problem solving • Reduced impulsivity through deliberate planning • Carryover skills that translate to daily life THE PROGRAM • 5 hierarchical difficulty levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Accelerated, Advanced, and Expert • Over 1,000,000 maze variations for ample rehearsal • A wide palette of colors, patterns, and graphics that promote engagement without overstimulation WHO IT'S FOR • Concussion and post-concussion recovery • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation • Stroke recovery • Adults seeking cognitive maintenance and resilience • Executives, professionals, and athletes wanting a sharper edge • Used by clinicians as an adjunct to standard rehabilitation THE SCIENCE Effective problem-solving and decision-making are based, at least in part, on the number of variables a problem solver can evaluate at once. With deliberate rehearsal, individuals can learn to increase that number — reducing impulsivity and developing the mental filter that supports planning before acting. This is built on a neurocognitive model emphasizing Attention, Intention, and Rehearsal — three pillars drawn from Dr. Markus's clinical practice and from her post-doctoral training under Reuven Feuerstein, the father of teachable intelligence. ABOUT THE DEVELOPER Dr. Donalee Markus earned her Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1983 and has been in clinical practice in cognitive restructuring ever since. Her work has been featured in Psychology Today, in Clark Elliott's book "The Ghost in My Brain," and in peer-reviewed publication in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. Institutional clients include NASA, the U.S. Federal Court System, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

About

Dual N

This app is a brain game designed to improve working memory and cognitive skills through a challenging memory-training exercise. It offers customizable difficulty, goal setting, and global leaderboards to track progress. An ad-free experience is available via a subscription.

Highlights
  • Working memory training
  • Customizable difficulty (N-value, interval, session length)
  • Goal setting and reminders
  • Global leaderboards
  • Multilingual support
  • Ad-free Pro version
Features
Read full description

Dual NBack – Brain Training to Improve Memory Dual NBack is a fun and challenging brain game designed to strengthen your working memory. Set goals, get reminders, and climb the global leaderboards as you sharpen your mind! What Is Dual NBack? Dual NBack is a memory-training game that presents audio (letters) and visual (positions) sequences simultaneously. Research suggests that consistent play may enhance your working memory—the ability to hold and process information briefly—and also boost short-term recall. How to Play The game starts at Level N=2, where you need to remember the position (square) and the sound (letter) from two turns back. If the current position or sound matches what was shown two turns ago, tap the corresponding button. Strong performance automatically raises your level, but you can manually adjust the difficulty whenever you like. Key Features Customizable Settings Tailor your training: tweak the N-value (number of turns to recall), the interval between sounds/blocks, and session length as you see fit. Reminders & Goals Set daily or weekly targets and enable notifications to help you practice consistently. Global Leaderboards Compare your scores with players worldwide and see how you rank as you improve. Share Function Post your results on social media or messaging apps to challenge your friends and family. Multilingual Support Currently offered in English and Japanese, with more languages on the way. Why Train Your Working Memory? Working memory stores information for a few seconds to minutes, enabling you to make decisions, perform calculations, or tackle other cognitive tasks. Playing Dual NBack regularly can help strengthen this mental capacity, potentially improving focus, concentration, and overall brain agility. Ad-Free Experience with Dual NBack Pro Enjoy a 3-day free trial of Dual NBack Pro to train with no ads or interruptions. If you choose to purchase Dual NBack Pro, the payment is charged to your iTunes account. Renewal fees are charged within 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. You can cancel your subscription anytime: Go to Settings → tap your name → Subscriptions → locate and cancel the subscription you want to end. If you don’t cancel before the trial ends, the paid subscription automatically starts. Privacy Policy: https://goukakuappli.co.jp/privacy End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Summary Strengthen Your Mind: Give your working memory a proven workout. Adapt the Difficulty: Start at N=2 or set your preferred challenge level. Stay Motivated: Leverage reminders, goals, and leaderboards to keep pushing your limits. Go Pro for No Ads: Take advantage of a 3-day free trial and upgrade to an ad-free training experience. Download Dual NBack now and take your cognitive performance to a new level!

Screenshots

Strong Mind Mazes4 screens
Dual N4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dual N at 51% against Strong Mind Mazes's 0%. Dual N also leads on price (Free vs $29.99) and rating (4.6 vs 2.3). Strong Mind Mazes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Dual N is free to download; Strong Mind Mazes costs $29.99 up front. Dual N sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Strong Mind Mazes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dual N holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dual N has 380 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Strong Mind Mazes's written reviews are positive against 51% of Dual N's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Strong Mind Mazes ships an update every 2 months, Dual N fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Strong Mind Mazes versus Dual N: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrong Mind MazesDual N
Price$29.99Free — better
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)4.6 (380 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews50.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3380 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB199 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDonalee MarkusGOKAKU SUPPLI, LIMITED LIABILITY CO.

Customer experience

Strong Mind Mazes

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Dual N

All ratings362 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.8%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews110 reviews
Positive50.9%
Neutral20.0%
Negative29.1%

In-app purchases

None

Strong Mind Mazes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Dual N

Subscriptions1
  • NBack Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pass$12.99

Questions

Is Strong Mind Mazes free?
Strong Mind Mazes costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dual N free?
Dual N is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Strong Mind Mazes or Dual N?
Dual N is rated higher. Strong Mind Mazes averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Dual N averages 4.6 from 380 ratings.
Do Strong Mind Mazes or Dual N have ads?
Dual N shows ads; Strong Mind Mazes does not.
Which is updated more often, Strong Mind Mazes or Dual N?
Strong Mind Mazes ships an update every 2 months, and Dual N fortnightly. Most recently, Strong Mind Mazes was updated on November 2, 2026 and Dual N on November 11, 2026.

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