# Shapes vs Aurora Hex

Shapes and Aurora Hex both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Shapes's written reviews are positive against 84% of Aurora Hex's. Aurora Hex's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shapes sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Aurora Hex sells 5 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 — 4.7 for Shapes against 4.8 for Aurora Hex. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 568 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Shapes's written reviews are positive against 84% of Aurora Hex's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shapes | Aurora Hex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (568 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shapes-rotate-and-connect/id1329653234/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-hex-pattern-puzzles/id1459035496/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 568 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.4% of reviews** | 84.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 127 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [INFINITY GAMES, LDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088875165) | [Final Game Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1222315343) |

## What reviewers say

### Shapes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shapes-rotate-and-connect/id1329653234)

This game challenges your logic and creativity by having you rotate and assemble fragmented shards into holistic images. With thousands of levels, a mesmerizing soundtrack, and neon-infused artwork, it offers an immersive experience to combat stress and improve focus.

**Highlights:** Challenge logical skills, Improve creativity, Assemble fragmented shards, Hundreds of thousands of levels, Mesmerizing soundtrack, Neon light artwork

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Bundle 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Bundle 3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Bundle 4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Bundle 5 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧘 Highly relaxing and calming gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and aesthetics
- 🎵 Soothing background music
- 🧠 Great mental exercise and brain training
- ⏸️ No time pressure or competitive stress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads interrupting gameplay
- 💸 Ads continue even after paying for premium
- 🎚️ Inconsistent touch sensitivity and responsiveness
- 🔄 Progress loss on reinstallation
- ⚠️ Ads pop up mid-puzzle causing resets

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces don't rotate on newer iOS versions
- Touch input registers on unintended pieces
- Ads interrupt mid-puzzle and reset progress
- Poor piece responsiveness on iPhone
- Premium purchase doesn't remove ads

**Requested features**

- Toggle tile outlines option
- Ability to mute ads
- Improved touch sensitivity controls
- More challenging puzzle levels
- Progress cloud save/backup system


### Aurora Hex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-hex-pattern-puzzles/id1459035496)

A calming puzzle game where players connect matching pieces to reveal intricate hidden patterns. Enjoy thousands of unique challenges with a serene visual style and relaxing music. The difficulty gradually increases, with a helpful hint system available.

**Highlights:** Link matching pieces, Discover hidden patterns, Thousands of unique puzzles, Serene visual style, Soothing background music, Gradual difficulty curve, Hint system

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Hint Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Areas | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Hint Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Hint Pack | $13.99 | one-time |
| Huge Hint Pack | $26.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging yet enjoyable puzzles
- 🎨 Relaxing and soothing visuals
- 🧠 Engaging brain exercise
- 🕰️ Satisfying sense of progress
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty distinguishing similar patterns
- 🧭 Lack of ability to scroll when zoomed in
- 📺 Excessive ads (some non-functional)
- 🔇 Limited sound/music customization

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screen when opening the app
- Ads not working as intended
- Automatic reversion of data sharing setting

**Requested features**

- Ability to disable data sharing
- Option to remove ads for a fee
- Improved hint system to avoid identical swaps
- Ability to view full completed puzzle


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shapes free?

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

### Is Aurora Hex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shapes or Aurora Hex?

Aurora Hex is rated higher. Shapes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 568 ratings, while Aurora Hex averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Shapes or Aurora Hex have ads?

Both Shapes and Aurora Hex show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shapes or Aurora Hex?

Shapes ships an update every 2 months, and Aurora Hex every 2 months. Most recently, Shapes was updated on November 8, 2026 and Aurora Hex on November 3, 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.*