Comparison

8! Challenge vs HexThrees

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

Head to head
About

8! Challenge

A brain-teasing puzzle game where you fill a 4x4 board with dice numbered 1-6. Rows or columns summing to 8 merge and disappear, requiring strategic play to avoid filling the board and losing.

Highlights
  • 4x4 board puzzle
  • Dice merging mechanic
  • Strategic gameplay
  • Brain training
  • Simple rules, challenging play
Features
Read full description

Fill a 4x4 board with dice. Whenever a row or column adds up to exactly 8, it clears. That's the whole rule. Staying alive is the hard part. Each turn you get a die (sometimes a double) and choose where to drop it. Every placement changes what the rows and columns add up to, so one careless move can lock the board up fast. Think a few steps ahead, set up chains, and keep cells open for whatever comes next. HOW TO PLAY • Drag the die from the stand onto any empty cell • A row or column that totals 8 clears and scores • Double dice take two cells at once, so place them with care • The game ends when the board is full and nothing adds up POWER-UPS Running out of room? Spend the coins you earn from each game on three tools: • Hammer: knock a single die off the board • Bomb: clear a 3x3 area in one go • Trash: throw away a die you don't want WHY PEOPLE KEEP PLAYING • Quick rounds that fit into a coffee break, or long runs when you're chasing a best score • Simple arithmetic that still makes you think, a nice little workout for your brain • One-handed play, no timer, no pressure • Works offline, so it's good for commutes and flights • A short tutorial gets you going in under a minute 8! Challenge is free to play and supported by ads.

About

HexThrees

A relaxing puzzle game where you swipe tiles to merge them based on Fibonacci and power-of-two rules. Expand your game field for endless play and enjoy satisfying haptic feedback on compatible devices.

Highlights
  • Swipe to move tiles
  • Merge tiles by Fibonacci and power-of-two rules
  • Expandable game field for endless play
  • Satisfying haptic feedback
  • Relaxing gameplay
Features
Read full description

Swipe. Merge. Get bonus. Relax. Easy mind puzzle. Swipe to move tiles, merge them by basic rules, collect bonuses and avoid locks. Expandable game field, which makes process nearly endless! Perfect to distract your mind or keep your hands busy while listening to music or podcast. If your device equipped with haptic engine, you can feel realistic movement of every tile, making gameplay a unique satisfying experience. Simple, but challenging rules: - new cells combined by Fibonacci numbers - once cell reach level 8, use power of two! Easy to learn, easy to master. Just keep swiping!

Screenshots

8! Challenge4 screens
HexThrees3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: HexThrees at none against 8! Challenge's shown. HexThrees also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 97 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

8! Challenge ships an update every 97 months, HexThrees every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
8! Challenge versus HexThrees: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter8! ChallengeHexThrees
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 97 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThang VuIlja Stepanow

Customer experience

8! Challenge

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

HexThrees

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

8! Challenge

No in-app purchases

None

HexThrees

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 8! Challenge free?
8! Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HexThrees free?
HexThrees is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do 8! Challenge or HexThrees have ads?
8! Challenge shows ads; HexThrees does not.
Which is updated more often, 8! Challenge or HexThrees?
8! Challenge ships an update every 97 months, and HexThrees every 5 months. Most recently, 8! Challenge was updated on October 2, 2026 and HexThrees on September 27, 2026.

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