Ruya vs Cardinal Chains
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ruya
Engage in a tranquil puzzle experience by matching cute characters across surreal dreamscapes. Decorate your character and immerse yourself in an ethereal soundtrack and calming visuals for a meditative flow.
- 64 handcrafted puzzles
- Match cute characters
- Decorate with flowers
- Heartwarming visual narrative
- Binaural beats sound options
- 8 surreal dreamscapes
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A game of tranquillity through the art of matching cute characters in Ruya’s world of dreams. Visit surrealist landscapes, decorate yourself in flowers and introspect. A calming minimal experience with juicy interactions and cool colour combinations to make you feel at ease. The ethereal dreamlike soundtrack will tickle your senses and pull you into a state of peaceful flow. ====== "Ruya is full of love. Every little detail in the game, each animation, all of the meanings behind everything shows this. Its a relaxing puzzle game I love playing when I want to unwind." - Jupiter Hadley "Ruya is different. Ruya is calm and quiet and meditative. Ruya might be a game about matching things, but it's something more than that." 8/10 - Pocket Gamer "Ruya is a fantastic gem of a puzzle game for those seeking a zen like experience." 9.1/10 - AppAdvice ======= FEATURES ◆ Challenge yourself with 64 handcrafted puzzles. ◆ Swipe, slide, pop and release cute characters to progress and unfold Ruya's memories. BEAUTIFUL & HEARTFELT ◆ Decorate Ruya in flowers as you play, and shake them off at the end of each level to purify Ruya's mind. ◆ A heartwarming illustrated visual narrative that will have you smiling. SOUND ◆ Tweak binaural beats, allowing you to sink into a state of deep relaxation. ◆ The sound of rain, falling snow and whistling wind will help you to immerse in 8 surrealist dreamscapes. ======= **Tranzfuser Winner 2016** **Game of The Show, Game Anglia 2017** **They Delivered, UK Games Fund Awards 2019** **Best Visual Art, UK Games Fund Awards 2019 - Nominee** **Causal Connect Europe 2018 - Official Selection** **Causal Connect USA 2018 - Official Selection** **14th IMGA Global - Nominee** **Causal Connect Europe 2018 - Official Selection** **Causal Connect USA 2018 - Official Selection** **Causal Connect Asia 2017 - Official Selection**
Cardinal Chains
A minimalist puzzle game where players link numbers in non-decreasing sequences to fill a monochrome grid with color. It offers a relaxing experience with a handcrafted soundtrack and elegant design, free from timers or ads.
- 500 unique handcrafted puzzles
- Non-decreasing sequence gameplay
- Chill-out soundtrack
- Minimalist design
- Customizable color themes
- Achievements and cloud saves
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Cardinal Chains is a minimalist puzzle game centering on the concept of non-decreasing sequences. Each puzzle begins with a monochrome grid of numbers, plus a few colored cells marked with an X. Starting at these cells, you must link up numbers in non-decreasing order until the whole grid is filled with color. • 500 unique, carefully handcrafted puzzles of varying difficulty, each with a single solution • Beautiful, lengthy chill-out soundtrack created by accomplished professional artists • Minimalist, elegant design without timers, ads, purchases or other hassles - just pure gameplay • Several built-in color themes, including colorblind options. Or... • ...make your own color themes - right from within the game! • Features achievements and cloud saves
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Ruya at every 2 months against Cardinal Chains's every 5 months. Ruya also leads on ratings volume (220 vs 24) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Cardinal Chains's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Ruya costs $1.99 and Cardinal Chains $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 — 4.8 for Ruya against 4.9 for Cardinal Chains. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ruya has 220 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Ruya's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cardinal Chains's.
Ruya ships an update every 2 months, Cardinal Chains every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ruya | Cardinal Chains |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (220 ratings) | 4.9 (24 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 88.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 220 — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 96 MB | 101 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Miracle Tea Studios | Daniel Nora |
Customer experience
Ruya
Cardinal Chains
Bugs and requests
Ruya
Reported bugs
6 issues- Game freezes or locks up after completing levels
- Level completion not registered despite correct play
- Cannot interact with game pieces after level reset
- App crashes when switching between apps
- Infinite loop on final rounds of levels
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- Game stuck on completion screen without progressing
Requested features
4 requests- Longer game with more levels and worlds
- iCloud/cloud save support for multiple devices
- More content and expansion of existing game
- Sequel or additional games from developers
Cardinal Chains
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ruya
No in-app purchases
Cardinal Chains
No in-app purchases
