8! Challenge vs Idle Elements
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 4x4 board puzzle
- Dice merging mechanic
- Strategic gameplay
- Brain training
- Simple rules, challenging play
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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.
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.
- Match 3 crystal merging
- Idle gameplay mechanics
- Number generation
- Element management
- Strategic gameplay
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
8! Challenge ships an update every 97 months, Idle Elements daily. Both last shipped on September 15, 2026.
| Parameter | 8! Challenge | Idle Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 97 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Thang Vu | Nigmatic Sound LLC |
Customer experience
8! Challenge
Idle Elements
In-app purchases
8! Challenge
No in-app purchases
Idle Elements
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is 8! Challenge free?
Is Idle Elements free?
Which has better reviews, 8! Challenge or Idle Elements?
Do 8! Challenge or Idle Elements have ads?
Which is updated more often, 8! Challenge or Idle Elements?
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