holedown vs Simple Match 3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
holedown
Dig deep underground by strategically shooting balls to break blocks and reach planet cores. Collect crystals for upgrades and master bouncing patterns in this charming, minimalist game with an original soundtrack. Enjoy hours of gameplay with procedurally generated planets and multiple modes.
- Dig through six planets
- Collect crystals for upgrades
- Procedurally generated planets
- Original space acid soundtrack
- Endless play mode
- Intuitive one-handed play
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Dig deep underground by shooting balls and breaking blocks, traversing your way to the planet cores. With limited shots per round and some blocks fixed firmly to the wall, thoughtfully strategize and aim for maximum impact. Knock down as many blocks as possible while collecting crystals for upgrades and getting deeper beneath the surface. Choose your ideal upgrades such as more starting balls, more shots per round, or storing more crystals, based on your play style and overall strategy. Work your way into the procedurally generated planets with a delightful spectacle of bouncing as you get closer to the planet’s core. Balance your plan between ball bouncing patterns and unpredictable, surprising bounces in this mesmerizing and curious game oozing with charm. Immerse yourself in a world of extravagant minimalistic art while jamming out to an original space acid soundtrack as you feel the satisfaction of digging further underground. Features: • Six planets to dig through • Original soundtrack of seven diverse and space-acid themed tunes • A tight experience with 5+ hours of gameplay’ • Intuitive, one-handed play • Endless play mode • 5 achievements • 11 leaderboards • Split view support • Toggle for screen shake
Simple Match 3
This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.
- No ads or subscriptions
- Hundreds of unique tiles
- Customizable appearance
- Daily levels with leaderboards
- Zen Mode for relaxation
- Satisfying visual effects
- Achievements and boosters
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Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Simple Match 3 at 4.8 against holedown's 4.3. Simple Match 3 also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (90% vs 72%). holedown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On ratings volume, ads, monetization model and chart position 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
holedown costs $3.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. holedown asks for nothing beyond the download.
Simple Match 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 399 and 247 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of holedown's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.
holedown ships an update every 9 months, Simple Match 3 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | holedown | Simple Match 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (399 ratings) | 4.8 (247 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.8% of reviews | 90.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 399 — better | 247 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #103 | #55 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 463 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | webbfarbror AB | Mulberry Tree Games, LLC |
Customer experience
holedown
Simple Match 3
User reviews
holedown
From 399 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying physics and animations
- 🎨 Charming visuals and audio
- 💰 Fair pricing, no ads or IAPs
Room to improve
- 🔚 Short campaign length
- 🔁 Lack of replayability after completion
- 🔇 No option to disable sound effects
- 🐛 Occasional save data loss
Simple Match 3
From 247 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
- 👍 Calming and Engaging
- 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
- 👍 Customizable Tiles
- 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
- 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
- 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
- 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
- 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System
Bugs and requests
holedown
Reported bugs
3 issues- Save data randomly resets
- Gameplay freezes after certain actions
- Sound effects not working properly
Requested features
4 requests- More planets/levels
- Diverse block types and gameplay mechanics
- Ability to skip crystal counting animation
- Cloud save sync between devices
Simple Match 3
Reported bugs
5 issues- Levels with Missing Obstacles
- Reward Box Tapping Issue
- Inconsistent Star Rating System
- Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
- Crashes on Opening
Requested features
6 requests- Level Editor
- Endless/Survival Mode
- Improved Power-Up Interactions
- Hints or Shuffle Option
- Landscape Support for iPad
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- iCloud Sync Across Devices
In-app purchases
holedown
No in-app purchases
Simple Match 3
- Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99
Questions
Is holedown free?
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Which has better reviews, holedown or Simple Match 3?
Do holedown or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Which is updated more often, holedown or Simple Match 3?
Which is more popular, holedown or Simple Match 3?
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