Comparison

Zotz! vs Ishido

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

Head to head
About

Zotz!

This game offers a unique perceptual challenge, training your brain and eyes with a simple card-matching mechanic. Customize colors, fill types, and card layouts to your preference. Enjoy a pressure-free experience with no timer or score.

Highlights
  • Perceptual practice
  • Brain and eye training
  • Customizable attributes
  • No timer or score
  • Simple card challenge
Features
Read full description

Zotz! is an enjoyable time-waster, a form of perceptual practice, good for training the brain and the eyes; there is no timer and no score, no pressure, just a simple challenge waiting for you whenever you like. The game supposes a deck of cards, where each card has four attributes, and each attribute on any given card has one of three possible values: Number (one, two, or three), Color (red, blue, or green), Fill (solid, hazy, or empty), and Shape (diamond, oval, or rectangle). All you have to do is to spot, amongst the visible cards, any three cards which, for each attribute, are either all identical or all different. Colors, middle fill type, and number of cards in the layout can all be customized. Full instructions, with examples, are included.

About

Ishido

A meditative puzzle game where players match stones based on color and symbol to clear a board. It offers both strategic point-scoring and a relaxing, mindful experience.

Highlights
  • Match stones by color and symbol
  • Strategic point scoring
  • Meditative gameplay mode
  • 72 unique stones
  • 8x12 game board
  • Next stone preview
Features
Read full description

WELCOME TO ISHIDO An ancient puzzle that will test your meditative and strategic powers. Balance the yin & yang of patience vs. the quick score. Your goal is to empty the pouch, but plan ahead to find the elusive 4-way. You must match 72 stones on a board of 96 squares. You can play for points or relax and meditate over each move. OVERVIEW Ishido is a board game where you attempt to match stones according to their colors and patterns. THE GAME BOARD * The Game Board is eight squares high by 12 squares wide. * Stones come in sets of 72 stones. Each stone has two attributes: A color and a symbol. There are six symbols and six colors in each stoneset, thus creating 36 unique stones. Each stone comes in a pair, hence 72 stones in each stoneset. * The Within consists of the interior squares. * The Beyond consists of the squares at the outer edges of the board. * The Touchstone displays the next stone to be played. * The Scoreboard shows both the number of points scored, and the number of combination matches achieved. * The Pouch shows the number of stones remaining to play.

Screenshots

Zotz!1 screens
Ishido1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Zotz! at 5.0 against Ishido's 2.9. Zotz! also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 43%). Ishido's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (12 vs 4). On price, 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

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

Zotz! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Zotz!'s written reviews are positive against 43% of Ishido's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zotz! ships an update every 11 months, Ishido every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on June 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Zotz! versus Ishido: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZotz!Ishido
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better2.9 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings412 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatt NeuburgDarin Koenig

Customer experience

Zotz!

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Ishido

All ratings12 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral25.0%
Negative41.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral28.6%
Negative28.6%

In-app purchases

None

Zotz!

No in-app purchases

None

Ishido

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zotz! free?
Zotz! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ishido free?
Ishido is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Zotz! or Ishido?
Zotz! is rated higher. Zotz! averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Ishido averages 2.9 from 12 ratings.
Do Zotz! or Ishido have ads?
Neither Zotz! nor Ishido shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zotz! or Ishido?
Zotz! ships an update every 11 months, and Ishido every 2 weeks. Most recently, Zotz! was updated on June 1, 2026 and Ishido on June 1, 2026.

Other comparisons