Cogs vs Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cogs
A remastered 3D puzzle game where you construct intricate machines using sliding tiles. Explore various game modes, from building step-by-step to timed challenges and move-limited puzzles.
- Build complex machines with sliding tiles
- 3D puzzle gameplay
- Inventor Mode for learning
- Time Challenge Mode
- Move Challenge Mode
- Remastered for modern devices
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Cogs is a multi-award-winning puzzle game where players build increasingly complex machines using sliding tiles 3D. Originally launched in 2009, we completely remastered Cogs from the ground up in 2025 to look beautiful on modern phones and tablets. "One of the highest quality puzzle games we've seen." – PocketGamer "The visual design and imagination of the game are stunning, with great attention to detail, and the sound effects are downright enticing." – Adrenaline Vault "A masterpiece visually, as well with the actual gameplay." – AppAdvice INVENTOR MODE Starting with simple puzzles, players are introduced to the widgets that are used to build machines — gears, pipes, balloons, chimes, hammers, wheels, props, and more. TIME CHALLENGE MODE If you finish a puzzle in Inventor Mode, it will be unlocked here. This time, it will take fewer moves to reach a solution, but you only have 30 seconds to find it. MOVE CHALLENGE MODE Take your time and plan ahead. Every tap counts when you only get ten moves to find a solution.
Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle
Engage your mind daily with a new mini crossword puzzle. This app provides a straightforward interface for quick mental challenges, offering past puzzles, streak tracking, and AI assistance for difficult clues. You can also create groups to share the fun with friends and family.
- Daily mini crossword puzzles
- Archive of past games
- Streak and best time tracking
- AI-powered clue assistance
- Group creation for friends and family
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Challenge yourself with a new mini crossword puzzle every day! Mike's Mini Crossword offers a clean, simple interface perfect for a quick mental break. Features: > - Daily puzzles > - Archive of past games > - Track your streaks and best times > - Get AI help for tricky clues > - Form multiple groups with friends and family
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle at 100% against Cogs's 55%. Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Cogs's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (33 vs 4). On 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
Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle is free to download; Cogs costs $4.99 up front. Cogs sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cogs has 33 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Cogs's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle's.
Cogs ships an update every 2 months, Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cogs | Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (33 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Lazy 8 Studios | Michael Mathieson |
Customer experience
Cogs
Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle
Bugs and requests
Cogs
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game crashes on some devices
- Levels don't load properly
Requested features
3 requests- Add a reset option
- Provide more free levels
- Improve restore purchase functionality
Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cogs
- Cogs Puzzle Pack 2$0.99
- Cogs Puzzle Pack 3$0.99
- Cogs Puzzle Pack 4$0.99
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- Cogs Puzzle Pack 5$0.99
Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cogs free?
Is Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle free?
Which has better reviews, Cogs or Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle?
Do Cogs or Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cogs or Mike's Mini Crossword Puzzle?
Other comparisons
