Comparison

Joining Hands vs Diagonal Duel

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

Head to head
About

Joining Hands

A charming and innovative puzzle game where players drag and drop characters to connect them all by holding hands. With over a hundred levels, it offers a relaxing yet challenging experience suitable for all ages.

Highlights
  • Drag and drop Peablins to hold hands
  • Leave no hand behind
  • No time limits, enemies, or pressure
  • Retina quality graphics
  • Over a hundred levels
  • Game Center leaderboards
Read full description

A handtastic puzzle that leaves no hand behind! Full of charm, innovation and originality, but very easy to learn! Starts off as enjoyably mellow, with the later levels offering a perky challenge for those who yearn it. REVIEWS "With a simple premise of leaving no hand untouched, this game gradually increases in difficulty while never losing its undeniable charm." - USA Today "Joining Hands offers a new idea, and one that works really well on the iPhone or iPad's touchscreen." - pocketgamer.co.uk "Rounding out this delightful title are Retina quality graphics, plus enjoyable animations, sounds, and music." - appadvice.com "Joining Hands will have a place on my iPad and iPod touch for quite some time." - gamezebo.com 4.5/5 "The gameplay is virtually flawless and the concept is fresh and habit forming." - sahgeekmom.com 4.5/5 "All in all, Joining Hands is a unique puzzler that’s ideal for people who like to ponder. It’s packed with hours of content, polish and charm. I highly recommend it." - thesmartphoneappreview.com - Featured in the "Innovative Gameplay" category on the iTunes App Store! MEET THE PEABLINS Enter the Whispering Woods and meet the Peablins! Peablins are curious little creatures sharing a common belief: Hold hands with your friends and the Bogeyman won't dare to show up. It has worked as long as anyone can remember, so it must be true. Join the Peablins on their quest to find all their siblings and cousins! GAMEPLAY Drag and drop Peablins so that everyone is holding hands. Some Peablins have more hands than others... Leave no hand behind! FEATURES - No time limits, no enemies, no pressure - Innovative, elegant and easy to learn - Fun and suitable for all ages - Supports the 2012 iPad (3rd gen) Retina display - Several kinds of Peablins requiring unique approaches - Hilarious sound effects - More than a hundred levels - Compete with your friends on Game Center leaderboards Trailer: http://youtu.be/40SfoJU0-ig Gameplay intro: http://youtu.be/PrmN8AJBiZ8

About

Diagonal Duel

Engage in a strategic board game similar to Connect Four, but with a unique 45-degree rotated board. Challenge a computer opponent, play with a friend on the same device, or compete in online ranked matches.

Highlights
  • 45-degree rotated board gameplay
  • Play against AI (levels 0-100)
  • Local two-player mode
  • Online ranked matches
  • Similar to Connect Four
Features
Read full description

Diagonal Duel against a level 0-100 computer, with two players on the same device, or in ranked online games! Diagonal Two Squared is a game similar to Connect Four but essentially with the board rotated at 45 degrees. This allows for play on two "sides" from the start instead of the original game, on which you only play only along the bottom. The app allows for two players to play on the same device, to select a level from 0 to 100 computer to play against, or to play against random opponents.

Screenshots

Joining Hands4 screens
Diagonal Duel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Diagonal Duel at Free against Joining Hands's $2.99. Diagonal Duel also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months). Joining Hands's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (95% vs 86%). On rating, ratings volume, in-app purchases and 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Diagonal Duel is free to download; Joining Hands 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 — 4.8 for Joining Hands against 4.8 for Diagonal Duel. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 20 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Joining Hands's written reviews are positive against 86% of Diagonal Duel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joining Hands ships an update every 9 months, Diagonal Duel every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Joining Hands versus Diagonal Duel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoining HandsDiagonal Duel
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (34 ratings) — better4.8 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews94.8% of reviews — better85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings34 — better20
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer10tons LtdBrian Savidge

Customer experience

Joining Hands

All ratings34 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive94.8%
Neutral4.6%
Negative0.6%

Diagonal Duel

All ratings20 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

Joining Hands

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and updates
  • Hint/skip level option
  • Difficulty settings
  • Achievements/leaderboards

Diagonal Duel

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Joining Hands

No in-app purchases

None

Diagonal Duel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Joining Hands free?
Joining Hands costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Diagonal Duel free?
Diagonal Duel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Joining Hands or Diagonal Duel?
Joining Hands is rated higher. Joining Hands averages 4.8 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Diagonal Duel averages 4.8 from 20 ratings.
Do Joining Hands or Diagonal Duel have ads?
Diagonal Duel shows ads; Joining Hands does not.
Which is updated more often, Joining Hands or Diagonal Duel?
Joining Hands ships an update every 9 months, and Diagonal Duel every 2 weeks. Most recently, Joining Hands was updated on October 11, 2026 and Diagonal Duel on September 27, 2026.

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