# Cardinal Chains vs Black Square Puzzle

The clearest difference is price: Black Square Puzzle at Free against Cardinal Chains's $2.99. Black Square Puzzle also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Cardinal Chains's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Black Square Puzzle is free to download; Cardinal Chains costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cardinal Chains ships an update every 5 months, Black Square Puzzle daily. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cardinal Chains | Black Square Puzzle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardinal-chains/id1339737509/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **24** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 101 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Nora](https://appshunter.io/developer/1199363689) | [ANDREY NOVIKOV](https://appshunter.io/developer/418898717) |

## What reviewers say

### Cardinal Chains

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardinal-chains/id1339737509)

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.

**Highlights:** 500 unique handcrafted puzzles, Non-decreasing sequence gameplay, Chill-out soundtrack, Minimalist design, Customizable color themes, Achievements and cloud saves

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Black Square Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-square-puzzle/id1618600000)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cardinal Chains free?

Cardinal Chains costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Black Square Puzzle free?

Black Square Puzzle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Cardinal Chains or Black Square Puzzle have ads?

Black Square Puzzle shows ads; Cardinal Chains does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cardinal Chains or Black Square Puzzle?

Cardinal Chains ships an update every 5 months, and Black Square Puzzle daily. Most recently, Cardinal Chains was updated on October 8, 2026 and Black Square Puzzle on October 14, 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.*