The Devil's Calculator vs Glyn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Devil's Calculator
This math puzzle game challenges you to decipher obscure operators on a calculator. Solve algebraic puzzles by working backward to understand the functions and purge the calculator of its demons. It's an addictive and educational experience with user-created levels and DLC.
- Obscure operator deciphering
- Algebraic puzzle solving
- User-created levels
- DLC levels by mathematicians
- Graphing mechanics
- Hand-drawn artwork
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An evil calculator has its normal arithmetic operators replaced with sadistically obscure functions. Using logic and algebraic puzzle solving, you must work backwards to interpolate them and purge the calculator of its demons. Non-profit and open-source, The Devil's Calculator is a highly original indie game that's as addicting as it is educational. Accessible to numberphiles and math novices alike, the first 20+ levels are 100% free to play and enjoy along with several DLC levels, authored by famous mathematicians like Alex Bellos, Grant Sanderson, James Grime, Tony Padilla and James Tanton! The game was named a fan favorite of GDWC, and one of the top 10 indie games of 2019 by PAX. Each level has you decipher the function of a mysterious operator and use it to calculate the number of the beast to progress. Advanced graphing mechanics, countless features and simple, yet innovative level design provide considerable depth to the gameplay. Players unlock the ability to create their own levels and play challenges others have created - including free DLC levels crafted by the game's creators, educators and mathematicians. With hand drawn artwork and a charming story, the Devil's Calculator is a genuinely fun and gratifying puzzle experience. The game was celebrated at the MOVES conference by the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City. Cinq-Mars Media is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization developing technology to support scientific research related to human safety and education, and to make such technology and research available on a charitable basis.
Glyn
Engage in a unique puzzle game that challenges you to count to four. Enhance your observation abilities while enjoying a charming retro pixel art aesthetic and a calming zen soundtrack. This game offers a simple yet deeply rewarding experience.
- Unique counting puzzle mechanics
- Observation skill enhancement
- Charming retro pixel art
- Soothing zen soundtrack
- Simple to learn, satisfying gameplay
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Discover a one-of-a-kind puzzle experience! Count to 4, sharpen your observation skills, and dive into a world of charming retro pixel art, all set to a soothing zen soundtrack. Simple to learn, yet deeply satisfying—are you ready for the challenge?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: The Devil's Calculator at Free against Glyn's $1.99. The Devil's Calculator also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Glyn's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
The Devil's Calculator is free to download; Glyn costs $1.99 up front. The Devil's Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Glyn asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Devil's Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 246 and 92 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 85% and 86% positive.
The Devil's Calculator ships an update every 10 days, Glyn every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Devil's Calculator | Glyn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (246 ratings) — better | 4.6 (92 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.4% of reviews | 85.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 246 — better | 92 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 190 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cinq-Mars Media | EMMANUEL ROUX |
Customer experience
The Devil's Calculator
Glyn
User reviews
The Devil's Calculator
From 246 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Most creative idea ever
- 🧠 Genius puzzle design
- 👍 Fun and educational
- 🚀 Brilliant game concept
- 🤓 Great for math lovers
Room to improve
- 😠 Tedious late puzzles
- 🐛 Calculator responsiveness issues
- 🐛 Wolfram graphing feature doesn't work
- 🐛 Progress saving issues
- 🐛 Calculator malfunction
Glyn
From 92 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and fun gameplay
- 🎶 Soothing and good music
- 🧠 Engaging and makes you think
- ✨ Amazing improvements in updates
- ⏳ Great time passer
Room to improve
- ❓ Confusing to play initially
- 🖱️ Hitbox of dots could be increased
- 💻 How to play instructions on webpage
- 😵💫 Webpage font and spacing hard to read
- ❌ Unable to progress past practice levels
Bugs and requests
The Devil's Calculator
Reported bugs
9 issues- Some late puzzles with the third operator get too tedious with too much trial and error
- The built-in calculator needs some work and button responsiveness isn’t always the best.
- The graph to wolfram alpha function doesn’t seem to work.
- There’s unfortunately an exploit I accidentally discovered that allows you to bypass any level.
- The “real” calculator malfunctions when you want to use the answer you got previously, like if I input “330 * 2”, getting 660, then pressed “+6” on the next row, instead of showing 660 + 6 = 666, it’d show 2+6 = 8
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- Lost progress again from 38 to 33. iPhone XS Max, iOS 12.4.1.
- My progress seems to be undone somewhat arbitrarily. I was working through the 50s, and when I booted up the game today, my progress had reset to level 35.
- The wolfram graphing feature doesn’t work.
- There’s a problem with DLC LEVEL 6 however.
Requested features
3 requests- Update the app
- Fix DLC Level 6
- More levels
Glyn
Reported bugs
7 issues- Constantly froze and had to be crashed closed on iPad
- Game resets if left too long in the background when app switching
- Bug where clicking the 4 dots button sometimes leads to game over screen
- Error message every time the app is opened
- 4 dots difficulty says game over and exits
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- Doesn't open, just shows a logo
- When opening, something pops up and closing it closes the game
Requested features
20 requests- Increase hitbox of dots
- Add a notation to mark a dot as 'empty'
- Implement a save feature
- Add timed games
- Add daily challenges
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- Option to see associated dots change color when clicking a number
- Add more themes
- Option to hold and drag to fill in dots
- Cap levels for a gamemode
- Gamemode where you lose if you overload a square
- Restore option for store function
- Option to mark dots that shouldn't be lit
- More color schemes
- Option to turn off background animation or choose different background
- Modern puzzle design option (black lines, white background)
- Make timer optional
- Expand beyond 4x4 square to larger boards or different shapes
- More high stakes competitive play with reduced time
- Optional disruptive spells
- Make tutorial button more visible
In-app purchases
The Devil's Calculator
- Full Version of Game$2.99
Glyn
No in-app purchases
