# Shatterbrain vs Patience Balls

The clearest difference is update cadence: Patience Balls at every 3 weeks against Shatterbrain's every 11 months. Shatterbrain's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 68%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shatterbrain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Patience Balls sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Shatterbrain against 4.7 for Patience Balls. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 436 and 572 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Shatterbrain's written reviews are positive against 68% of Patience Balls's.

Shatterbrain ships an update every 11 months, Patience Balls every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shatterbrain | Patience Balls |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (436 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shatterbrain/id1317443919/reviews) | **[4.7 (572 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patience-balls/id1630926274/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 436 | **572** |
| Positive reviews | **86.1% of reviews** | 68.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 112 MB | 274 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Orbital Nine Games Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/887216732) | [Ricardo Mendonca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491604251) |

## What reviewers say

### Shatterbrain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shatterbrain/id1317443919)

Engage in challenging physics puzzles by drawing shapes to find solutions. Discover multiple ways to solve each level and compete on leaderboards for the best performance. This game is designed for those who enjoy brain teasers and applying physics principles.

**Highlights:** Dozens of physics puzzles, Multiple solutions per puzzle, Leaderboard competition, Draw shapes to solve, Challenging gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Relaxing challenge
- 🚀 Elegant and challenging physics-based puzzles
- 👍 Enjoyable and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Stimulates the mind
- 👍 Reasonable ad implementation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Lack of instructions or guidance
- 🔍 Difficulty progressing without 3-starring levels
- 🔍 Some levels too easy or too difficult

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing on certain levels
- Issues with drawing/controls not registering properly

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to skip levels without 3 stars
- Customizable hint/solution system


### Patience Balls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patience-balls/id1630926274)

Engage in a minimalist physics puzzle game designed for a calming and meditative experience. Solve intricate labyrinths and mazes using precision, patience, and logic. This game offers a serene escape while sharpening your reflexes and problem-solving skills.

**Highlights:** Relaxing Zen-like Gameplay, Mind-Teasing Labyrinths and Mazes, Physics-Based Challenges, Precision and Logic Puzzles, Beautiful Minimal Graphics, Unlockable Achievements, Global Leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 250 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patience Balls Premium | $1.99 | one-time |
| 400 Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads and get 1000 gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads and get 1000 gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads and get 1000 gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads and 2500 Gems | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shatterbrain free?

Shatterbrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Patience Balls free?

Patience Balls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shatterbrain or Patience Balls?

Patience Balls is rated higher. Shatterbrain averages 4.6 out of 5 from 436 ratings, while Patience Balls averages 4.7 from 572 ratings.

### Do Shatterbrain or Patience Balls have ads?

Both Shatterbrain and Patience Balls show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shatterbrain or Patience Balls?

Shatterbrain ships an update every 11 months, and Patience Balls every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shatterbrain was updated on November 4, 2026 and Patience Balls on November 7, 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.*