Cardinal Chains vs Quadrata
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
Quadrata
A minimalist logic puzzle game where you control two characters simultaneously with synchronized movements. Navigate challenging levels, collect diamonds, and utilize unique mechanics to solve increasingly difficult puzzles.
- Control two characters simultaneously
- Collect diamonds
- Utilize portals and walls
- 90 levels with increasing difficulty
- 8 unique mechanics
- Unlimited undo option
- Procedural music
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Quadrata is a minimalist logic puzzle where you control two different characters with the same keys on either side and collect diamonds with a limited number of moves to finish. The difficulty of the game increases gradually, thanks to new mechanics added every 10 levels. Gameplay: - Collect diamonds by moving in 4 directions on each side - Manage your moves wisely - Use walls to your advantage - Teleport using portals - Stay away from triangles! - Sometimes you'll have to think a bit Features: - 90 levels (from simple to insufferably difficult) - 8 unique mechanics - New mechanics added every 10 levels - Unlimited undo option - Non-repetitive procedural music - No text - Minimalist interface - Simple, relaxing, peaceful puzzle experience - Smooth animations for a fluid experience Music and Sound Design by Emre Akdeniz
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Quadrata at every 5 weeks against Cardinal Chains's every 5 months. Quadrata also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Cardinal Chains's advantage is ratings volume (24 vs 1) and price ($2.99 vs $3.99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Cardinal Chains costs $2.99 and Quadrata $3.99 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 — 4.9 for Cardinal Chains against 5.0 for Quadrata. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cardinal Chains has 24 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Cardinal Chains ships an update every 5 months, Quadrata every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cardinal Chains | Quadrata |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (24 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 101 MB | 199 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Nora | Alperen Guner |
Customer experience
Cardinal Chains
Quadrata
In-app purchases
Cardinal Chains
No in-app purchases
Quadrata
No in-app purchases
