Comparison

Marple vs PiKuBo

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

Head to head
About

Marple

This logic puzzle game challenges players to deduce the correct order of 20 tiles using a set of clues. It offers millions of unique puzzles and includes a tutorial and hint system to guide players through the deduction process.

Highlights
  • Logic and deduction gameplay
  • 20 tiles arranged in 4x5 grid
  • Multiple clue types (In between, Left of, Same column, Next to)
  • Over 1 million unique puzzles
  • Tutorial mode
  • Hint system with explanations
  • Graphical help with beginner tips
Read full description

AWARDED "BEST PUZZLER" IN MACWORLD'S "THE BEST GAMES OF 2008"! NOMINEE FOR "BEST PUZZLE GAME" IN "2008 BEST APP EVER AWARDS"! RATED "BETTER" IN APPREVIEW! Getting tired of Sudoku? Why not try Marple? Marple is a game of logic and deduction. The playing field consists of 20 tiles arranged in 4 rows of 5 columns each and a set of clues. The goal of the game is to figure out the correct order of those 20 tiles using the given clues by process of elimination. There are four different types of clues: "In between", "Left of", "Same column" and "Next to". "In between" clue tells that the middle tile has to be located in between the other two. It however does not tell the order of the other two tiles or how far they are from the middle one. "Left of" clue tells that the left tile has to be located left of the right tile. It however does not tell how far apart they are. "Same column" clue tells that the two tiles have to be on the same column. "Next to" clue tells that the two tiles are adjacent to each other. It however does not tell the order of the two tiles. Features: * 1,000,000 fiendishly clever puzzles to play so don't expect to run out of them any time soon! At 3 minutes / puzzle, 1 hour / day = ca. 137 years of puzzles! * Tutorial mode * Hint system that highlights a clue that you should be concentrating on next and also explains exactly what you should be doing next. * Graphical help with beginner tips

About

PiKuBo

Engage in a unique 3D puzzle game where you reveal shapes by strategically removing blocks from a cube. Enjoy hundreds of logic-based puzzles with adaptive controls and soothing music. Unlock more challenges through in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of 3D nonogram puzzles
  • Logic-based solving, no guesswork
  • Adaptive one-handed controls
  • Customizable markers with four colors
  • Soothing bossa nova background music
  • Portrait and landscape viewing modes
  • Family sharing for level packs
Features
Read full description

Dive into the delightful world of PiKuBo, a captivating puzzle game that brings the excitement of cubic nonograms to your iOS device. With a unique twist on a beloved classic, PiKuBo challenges you to carve out shapes from a larger cube by removing unnecessary blocks. You can think of it as a 3D Minesweeper. • Interactive Puzzle Fun: Engage with over 500 puzzles, each offering a cute shape to uncover. • Adaptive Controls: Whether you’re right-handed or left-handed, our controls are designed for easy, one-handed play. • Progress at Your Pace: Save your progress effortlessly and return to solve puzzles whenever it suits you. • No Guesswork Needed: All puzzles are solvable through logic alone—perfect for puzzle purists! • Customizable Markers: Use up to four paint colors to mark and manage your strategy without losing track of your solution. • Immersive Experience: Enjoy soothing bossa nova tunes that enhance your puzzle-solving ambiance, whether at home or on the go. • Flexible Viewing: Choose between portrait or landscape modes to suit your play style. • Shared Fun: Purchase level packs once and share them with your entire family group. • Visual Rewards: Relish the thumbnails of completed puzzles, a colorful testament to your puzzle prowess. Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, PiKuBo is the perfect game to relax and test your brain. Start solving today! NOTE: The first pack, which consists of 31 puzzles and 5 tutorials, is provided for free. The rest of the packs are available as in-app purchases within the game.

Screenshots

Marple4 screens
PiKuBo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Marple at none against PiKuBo's 13. Marple also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. PiKuBo sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Marple asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Marple holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 95 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Marple's written reviews are positive against 87% of PiKuBo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Marple ships an update every 2 months, PiKuBo every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Marple versus PiKuBo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarplePiKuBo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (53 ratings) — better4.6 (95 ratings)
Positive reviews85.4% of reviews86.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5395 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB97 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMikko KankainenDaniel Benito

Customer experience

Marple

All ratings48 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews144 reviews
Positive85.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative10.4%

PiKuBo

All ratings95 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive86.6%
Neutral7.5%
Negative6.0%

User reviews

Marple

From 53 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great logic game
  • 🚀 Engaging and challenging
  • 💡 Unique puzzle concept
  • 👍 Addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Polished and well-designed

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔧 Needs better tutorial/instructions
  • 🔧 Difficulty level could be improved
  • 🔧 Outdated UI elements
  • 🔧 Clues can be confusing

PiKuBo

From 95 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Innovative 3D nonogram puzzle concept
  • 🎮 Engaging and addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Intuitive and well-designed user interface
  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and visual presentation
  • 💰 Affordable pricing for puzzle packs ($0.99 each)

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Timer system feels rushed and stressful
  • ❤️ Heart/lives system frustrating for some players
  • 🐛 Occasional accidental block touches
  • 🔧 Controls reset when rotating puzzle
  • 💸 Pricing model requires multiple purchases for full content

Bugs and requests

Marple

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes on launch for some users
  • Buttons/UI elements not fully visible
  • Clues get cut off on certain devices
  • Incorrect/missing puzzle solutions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add undo/redo functionality
  • Implement save/restore progress
  • Introduce different difficulty levels
  • Optimize for larger screens (iPad)
  • Improve color contrast and readability

PiKuBo

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • In-app purchase error preventing pack purchases
  • Purchase not received after payment
  • Support email bouncing back
  • Color contrast issue in Pack 12 (blue on blue)
  • Inability to expose enough blocks at certain angles for decision-making
Show 2 more
  • Mark/delete button deactivates when rotating puzzle
  • Cooldown timer on mark/delete buttons causes frustration

Requested features

15 requests
  • More puzzle packs released more frequently
  • Undo button for accidental moves
  • Save progress mid-puzzle
  • Ability to move puzzle around (pan feature)
  • Full 360-degree rotation capability
Show 10 more
  • Bundle purchase option for all puzzle packs at discount
  • Larger puzzles optimized for iPad
  • Difficulty-specific puzzle packs (all expert level)
  • Remove or improve timer system
  • Remove or improve heart/lives system
  • Persistent mark/delete selection across rotations
  • Three-state axis selector for slider control
  • Double-tap to start puzzle instead of GO button
  • Flatten rate option to purchase all future content
  • Webpage explaining all settings and features

In-app purchases

None

Marple

No in-app purchases

13 purchases

PiKuBo

One-time13
  • Puzzle Pack 02$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 03$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 14$0.99
Show 10 more
  • Puzzle Pack 13$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 12$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 11$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 10$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 09$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 08$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 07$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 06$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 05$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack 04$0.99

Questions

Is Marple free?
Marple is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PiKuBo free?
PiKuBo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Marple or PiKuBo?
Marple is rated higher. Marple averages 4.8 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while PiKuBo averages 4.6 from 95 ratings.
Do Marple or PiKuBo have ads?
Neither Marple nor PiKuBo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Marple or PiKuBo?
Marple ships an update every 2 months, and PiKuBo every 5 weeks. Most recently, Marple was updated on October 31, 2026 and PiKuBo on October 30, 2026.

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