ESP Trainer vs Pine Tar Poker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ESP Trainer
Enhance your psychic abilities with this ESP trainer. Developed under a NASA program, it helps you improve clairvoyant skills through interactive color-square guessing games. Experience multi-sensory feedback and learn to recognize intuitive impressions.
- Color-square guessing game
- Multi-sensory feedback (chime, vibration, visual)
- Score tracking and encouragement
- Optional 'Pass' button for non-forced choices
- Reinforcement for skill learning
- Develop intuitive awareness
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The ESP trainer was developed under a NASA program by Russell Targ at Stanford Research Institute. We have found that people are able to improve their ESP scores by using a machine just like this and get in touch with the part of themselves that is psychic. This is often called a clairvoyant ability, and can enhance your life in many surprising ways. The player is presented with four colored squares. For each trial, one has been selected at random by the ESP Trainer. Your task is to choose the correct square. If you succeed, you will hear a chime, feel a vibration, and see a large color picture. Otherwise, the system lights up the correct square, and you proceed with the next trial. The score indicator at the top counts the number of correct choices. Words of encouragement appear as you achieve the scoring levels of 6, 8. 10, 12 or 14 hits. After 24 trials you may begin a new game. The game offers multi-sensory feedback, reinforcement, and an opportunity to Pass, meeting all the requirements needed for learning this skill. ESP Trainer improves your ability to recognize your intuitive impressions, and it can bring you to a level of intuitive awareness beyond anything you've experienced before. The purpose of the trainer is to allow you to become aware of what it feels like when you psychically choose the correct square. When you don't have that special feeling, we encourage you to press the Pass button. (So this is not a "forced choice" test.) In a year long NASA program with 145 subjects (under Contract 953653 NAS7-100) many were able to significantly improve their scores. Four of the subjects improved their scores at the hundred-to-one level or better. This approach has been used with surprising success on Wall Street. But of course, past results are no guarantee of future performance. Because you are learning a new skill, slower is better than faster. If you find yourself frequently scoring 12 or more, write to the developer at his web site www.espresearch.com. This game can provide the first steps toward experiencing and developing the psychic abilities hidden within us all. software by Levity Novelty LLC
Pine Tar Poker
Experience a unique card game with a touch of the supernatural. Gather your deck and paper to learn a new way to play, where a little bit of magic might just tip the scales in your favor and bring a smile to your face.
- Unique card game mechanics
- Supernatural elements
- Learn to play easily
- Focus on entertainment
- Potential for magical advantages
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Welcome partner. We don't have much around here, but we still like a lil entertainment every now and then. Grab that deck a cards and the paper there, let me teach ya a game. Now this here game ain't gonna get ya in touch with the rhythm of the universe, but it might just put a smile on yer face. If ya think magick might help ya win... well partner, ya just might be right...
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pine Tar Poker at every 3 days against ESP Trainer's every 14 months. Pine Tar Poker also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (91% vs 75%). ESP Trainer's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 11.0). On ratings volume, ads, 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
ESP Trainer costs $0.99 and Pine Tar Poker $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pine Tar Poker holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 293 and 140 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of ESP Trainer's written reviews are positive against 91% of Pine Tar Poker's.
ESP Trainer ships an update every 14 months, Pine Tar Poker every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ESP Trainer | Pine Tar Poker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (293 ratings) | 4.9 (140 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.2% of reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 293 — better | 140 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #23 | #13 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 250 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Russell Targ | Bird Cartel LLC |
Customer experience
ESP Trainer
Pine Tar Poker
User reviews
ESP Trainer
From 293 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and effective
- 🤩 Helps develop intuition
- 🧠 Trains psychic abilities
- 🎯 Accurate feedback on performance
- 🌟 Impressive high scores possible
Room to improve
- 🔇 Loud, annoying sound effects
- 🔍 Lack of performance tracking/history
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🤔 Questionable scientific validity
Pine Tar Poker
From 140 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Addictive gameplay loop
- 💡 Unique poker/Yahtzee mechanics
- ✨ Engaging story and atmosphere
- 🎨 Charming art style
- 🎮 High replay value
Room to improve
- ⏳ Story is too short
- 🎶 Music can be repetitive
- ❓ Some mechanics unclear
- 📱 No cloud save feature
- 🔥 Device runs hot
Bugs and requests
ESP Trainer
Reported bugs
3 issues- Freezing or crashing on some devices
- Inconsistent responsiveness of color squares
- Inability to disable sound effects
Requested features
4 requests- Volume/sound control options
- Performance tracking and statistics
- More difficulty levels or game modes
- Integration with other mindfulness apps
Pine Tar Poker
Reported bugs
1 issue- Device overheating on iPad Pro 12.9
Requested features
6 requests- Add more content (scratch offs, dice, roulette)
- More explanation for items/mechanics
- Option to turn off upgrades/powers
- Cloud save feature
- More story content
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- Hint for broken rune stone activation
In-app purchases
ESP Trainer
No in-app purchases
Pine Tar Poker
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ESP Trainer free?
Is Pine Tar Poker free?
Which has better reviews, ESP Trainer or Pine Tar Poker?
Do ESP Trainer or Pine Tar Poker have ads?
Which is updated more often, ESP Trainer or Pine Tar Poker?
Which is more popular, ESP Trainer or Pine Tar Poker?
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