Comparison

Cardinal Chains vs ECHO

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 500 unique handcrafted puzzles
  • Non-decreasing sequence gameplay
  • Chill-out soundtrack
  • Minimalist design
  • Customizable color themes
  • Achievements and cloud saves
Features
Read full description

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

About

ECHO

Features
Read full description

Your echoes are your teammates. ECHO is a time-loop puzzle: every run is recorded, and when you press ECHO, your past self replays it - step by step, loop after loop. Hold plates for each other, open doors across time, and thread paths no single runner could ever take. EASY TO LEARN, DEEP TO MASTER - 100 campaign levels across ten decades, from gentle first steps to choreographed finales - Mechanics that weave together: chained doors, counter-doors, double doors, fragile floors, beat walls, paradox boards and mirror echoes that replay your run backwards - Handcrafted signature levels where every single step must be planned FOUR WAYS TO PLAY - Campaign: 100 levels with a carefully tuned difficulty curve - Daily puzzle: one fresh board every day - keep your streak alive - Zen: endless generated puzzles in six difficulties - Time challenge: how many boards can you solve in one run against the clock? MADE WITH CARE - Completely offline: no account, no ads, no tracking, no data collection - Music is synthesized live on your device - no two sessions sound the same - Home-screen widget that grows with your streak - and hides a secret level - Game Center leaderboards and achievements - Available in 7 languages ECHO is free and complete from the first minute. The only purchases are voluntary tips for the developer - they unlock nothing. Your past self is waiting.

Screenshots

Cardinal Chains4 screens
ECHO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ECHO at Free against Cardinal Chains's $2.99. ECHO also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months). Cardinal Chains's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cardinal Chains ships an update every 5 months, ECHO every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cardinal Chains versus ECHO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCardinal ChainsECHO
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel NoraLucas Hesseldieck

In-app purchases

None

Cardinal Chains

No in-app purchases

None

ECHO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cardinal Chains free?
Cardinal Chains costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ECHO free?
ECHO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cardinal Chains or ECHO have ads?
Neither Cardinal Chains nor ECHO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cardinal Chains or ECHO?
Cardinal Chains ships an update every 5 months, and ECHO every 3 days. Most recently, Cardinal Chains was updated on October 8, 2026 and ECHO on October 5, 2026.

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