Comparison

Master Solitaire vs The Guides

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

Head to head
About

Master Solitaire

Explore a vast collection of 34 solitaire card games, including unique original titles. Enjoy a variety of gameplay styles and difficulty levels with features like multiple undos and auto-move options.

Highlights
  • 34 solitaire card games
  • Five original games
  • Easy-to-read cards
  • Double-tap to move
  • Multiple undos
  • Auto-move to foundations
  • Win/Loss statistics
Features
Read full description

Master Solitaire is a collection of 34 different solitaire card games, including five original games created for this app. A wide variety of solitaire games is included with different styles of play and different difficulty levels. There is a solitaire game here for everyone to enjoy! Games Included: Aces Up, Agnes, Alhambra, Baker's Dozen, Bouquet, Bristol, Calculation, Canfield, Duchess, Easthaven, Eight Off, Forty Thieves, Gaps, Golf, Interregnum, Klondike (Deal 1), Klondike (Deal 3), Lady of the Manor, Octave, Osmosis, Osmosis (Easier), Parallels, Pyramid, Salic Law, Scorpion, Shamrocks, Spider, Windmill and Yukon. And, introducing five original games created for Master Solitaire: Blank Slate, Cascade, Collapse, Skillet and Willow. FEATURES: - Easy-to-read cards with face card pictures and the correct number of spots on number cards - Double-tap to move cards - Undo multiple moves - Auto move cards onto foundations - Win/Loss and Average Score statistics for every game - Complete in-game rules for every game

About

The Guides

Embark on a journey of challenging codes, puzzles, and interactive ciphers that test your wit and imagination. Unravel a fragmented story by finding clues and patterns, utilizing integrated decoding tools and a distress support system.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of challenging codes and puzzles
  • Interactive ciphers
  • Fragmented story to unravel
  • Integrated decoding tools (Morse, binary)
  • Screenshot saving for clues
  • Distress support system
Features
Read full description

Featured by Apple in: 15 Most Mind-Bending Puzzlers, 15 Most Mysterious Games, The Best Games You’ve Never Played, Challenge Your Brain, Best New Games * * * * * “Best Mobile Games of 2015” — CNET “Best iOS Games of 2015” — Apple ‘N’ Apps “Best One Handed Mobile Games for Long Commutes” — Appcessories * * * * * Consisting of hundreds of extremely challenging codes, puzzles and interactive ciphers, The Guides is a journey that will challenge your wit, stretch your imagination and test your ingenuity in unique and innovative ways. Simply stated, they’re not easy. Progressing will be difficult, but you have the appropriate tools at your disposal. Everything you need to proceed is — or has been — provided. Look for clues and patterns to build on what you have learned. Remember what you have seen as for no detail is too subtle or insignificant. As you explore deeper, you’ll begin to unravel the enigma of The Guides. Peculiar, isn't it? • • • • • • • "From the word 'Go'... it tells you nothing. And you have to work it out for yourself. And that, my friends, that is cool." James Gilmour for App Spy "The Guides gets under your skin... you’ll find yourself thinking about it outside of the game and coming back for more." Jennifer Allen for 148apps "The Guides is one of the year’s most interesting puzzle games. It’s a beautifully designed toy box filled with an enormous variety of code-breaking ciphers and visual riddles..." Owen Faraday for Pocket Tactics "It's brilliant, uncompromising, satisfying, and one of the best games I have ever played on my phone... quite possibly on any platform." chanandler of App Army for Pocket Gamer • • • • • • • • Four Sections and 100 pages embedded with countless challenges. • Meticulously designed interactive puzzles and ciphers with each being more unique than the last. • Piece together the fragmented story to reveal the source of the messages. • Various game mechanics such as the code interface screen and the title bar to provide added layers of support. • Integrated decoding tools — including morse, binary and many more — to assist you on your journey. • Ability to save screenshots to keep track of invaluable clues and notes. • A distress support system is available if you find yourself stuck, but use sparingly, for your transmissions are limited. Official Site: theguidesapp.com General Inquiries: info@theguidesapp.com Twitter: twitter.com/theguidesapp Facebook: fb.com/theguidesapp Instagram: instagram.com/theguidesapp

Screenshots

Master Solitaire4 screens
The Guides4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Master Solitaire at Free against The Guides's $2.99. Master Solitaire also leads on iOS requirement (6.0 vs 8.0). The Guides's advantage is ratings volume (731 vs 3). On rating, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Master Solitaire is free to download; The Guides costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Master Solitaire against 4.8 for The Guides. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Guides has 731 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Master Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 88% of The Guides's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Master Solitaire ships an update every 3 months, The Guides every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Master Solitaire versus The Guides: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMaster SolitaireThe Guides
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.7 (3 ratings)4.8 (731 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews87.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3731 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better8.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael Smith2 Fountains LLC

Customer experience

Master Solitaire

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

The Guides

All ratings731 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral0.5%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews220 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative8.2%

Bugs and requests

Master Solitaire

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

The Guides

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Puzzle solutions not being accepted correctly
  • App crashes or freezes when switching between puzzles

Requested features

3 requests
  • More frequent updates and new content
  • Improved UI and accessibility options
  • Hint system or gradual difficulty scaling

In-app purchases

None

Master Solitaire

No in-app purchases

None

The Guides

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Master Solitaire free?
Master Solitaire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Guides free?
The Guides costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Master Solitaire or The Guides?
The Guides is rated higher. Master Solitaire averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while The Guides averages 4.8 from 731 ratings.
Do Master Solitaire or The Guides have ads?
Neither Master Solitaire nor The Guides shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Master Solitaire or The Guides?
Master Solitaire ships an update every 3 months, and The Guides every 4 months. Most recently, Master Solitaire was updated on October 6, 2026 and The Guides on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons