Comparison

8! Challenge vs Idle Elements

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

Idle Elements

Merge crystals by matching three or more to generate increasingly large numbers. Manage your elements carefully to avoid negative consequences as you play.

Highlights
  • Match 3 crystal merging
  • Idle gameplay mechanics
  • Number generation
  • Element management
  • Strategic gameplay
Features
Read full description

Line up 3+ crystals to have them merge and generate numbers... really big numbers. But, don't let any single element get too far ahead or bad things start to happen :)

Screenshots

8! Challenge4 screens
Idle Elements4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: 8! Challenge at none against Idle Elements's shown. 8! Challenge also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Idle Elements's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 97 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Idle Elements holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

8! Challenge ships an update every 97 months, Idle Elements daily. Both last shipped on September 15, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
8! Challenge versus Idle Elements: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter8! ChallengeIdle Elements
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 97 monthsDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB96 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperThang VuNigmatic Sound LLC

Customer experience

8! Challenge

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

Idle Elements

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

8! Challenge

No in-app purchases

None

Idle Elements

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 8! Challenge free?
8! Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idle Elements free?
Idle Elements is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 8! Challenge or Idle Elements?
Idle Elements is rated higher. 8! Challenge averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Idle Elements averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do 8! Challenge or Idle Elements have ads?
Idle Elements shows ads; 8! Challenge does not.
Which is updated more often, 8! Challenge or Idle Elements?
8! Challenge ships an update every 97 months, and Idle Elements daily. Most recently, 8! Challenge was updated on September 15, 2026 and Idle Elements on September 15, 2026.

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