# Number Locks vs The Past Within

The clearest difference is price: Number Locks at Free against The Past Within's $2.99. Number Locks also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 89%). The Past Within's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 52 months) and ratings volume (7.4K vs 1). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Number Locks is free to download; The Past Within costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Number Locks against 4.9 for The Past Within. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Past Within has 7.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Number Locks's written reviews are positive against 89% of The Past Within's.

Number Locks ships an update every 52 months, The Past Within every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Number Locks | The Past Within |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-locks/id1180420632/reviews)** | [4.9 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-past-within/id1642601792/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **7.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 88.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 52 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#8** |
| Size | 15 MB | 379 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Anup Parekh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1134987754) | [Rusty Lake](https://appshunter.io/developer/979777164) |

## What reviewers say

### Number Locks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-locks/id1180420632)

A challenging numeric puzzle game designed to test your mental agility. Solve increasingly difficult boards by subtracting tiles, aiming for the fewest moves to unlock new levels and rewards.

**Highlights:** Numeric subtraction puzzles, Increasingly challenging levels, Solve for minimum moves, Unlock new dimensions, Swipe to move tiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Past Within

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-past-within/id1642601792)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Puzzle, #15 Top Paid · Adventure, #81 Top Paid · Games, #126 Top Paid (US App Store)

Embark on a cooperative point-and-click adventure where players explore different time periods and dimensions. Work with a friend, communicating what you see to solve intricate puzzles and uncover mysteries. This unique experience requires both players to own the game and communicate externally.

**Highlights:** Co-op only gameplay, Explore past and future, Solve puzzles together, Two distinct perspectives (2D/3D), Cross-platform play, Replayable with new solutions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun co-op experience
- 🤝 Excellent for bonding with friends/family
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and art style
- 🕹️ Clever and challenging puzzles
- 🔗 Ties in well with Rusty Lake universe

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Game is too short
- 💬 Requires communication with another player
- 🐛 Some technical issues like no sound or crashes
- 🤔 Puzzles can be one-sided for one player

**Reported bugs**

- No sound in the game
- Crashes after Chapter 1 title screen
- Downloading issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- More chapters/levels
- Single-player mode option
- Ability to switch roles/perspectives
- Online/remote co-op functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Number Locks free?

Number Locks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Past Within free?

The Past Within costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Number Locks or The Past Within?

Number Locks is rated higher. Number Locks averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while The Past Within averages 4.9 from 7.4K ratings.

### Do Number Locks or The Past Within have ads?

Neither Number Locks nor The Past Within shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Number Locks or The Past Within?

Number Locks ships an update every 52 months, and The Past Within every 2 weeks. Most recently, Number Locks was updated on October 22, 2026 and The Past Within on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*