Comparison

Cut the Buttons vs Ruby's Realms

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

Head to head
About

Cut the Buttons

This game challenges players to use virtual scissors to cut buttons off fabric, avoiding bolts and other obstacles. It offers unique gameplay and graphics, with modes for classic and arcade challenges. It's also recognized as a fine motor skills trainer.

Highlights
  • Unique gameplay concept
  • Hundreds of levels
  • Classic and Arcade modes
  • Fine motor skills trainer
  • Retina display support
  • Left-handed mode
Read full description

– Over 8.000.000 downloads – TOP-1 in 48 countries – TOP-5 in 82 countries A snip here, a cut there: avoid the bolts and please beware! Now make a trim, its time to start, make sure to keep your scissors sharp! Hundreds of copies of Cut the Buttons have been downloaded for educational purposes, as the game has been acknowledged by specialists as a unique fine motor skills trainer for gamers of all ages. “Beautiful . . . the innovative gameplay of Cut the Buttons raises games for iOS to a completely new level.” – iphone4c.com, China “I dare to say that in App Store there wasn’t anything like this before.” – appgefahren.de, Germany “An exciting hit in the App Store that successfully uses the full potential of multi-touch screens. This application can be put together with such “titans of casual games” as Cut the Rope and Fruit Ninja.” – mobi.ru, Russia “Who said you can no longer make anything new? Surely it wasn’t the producer of the Cut the Buttons game.” – iphonesoft.fr, France - unique gameplay concept - unique graphics - unique sound effects - Retina display support HOW TO PLAY Pick up the scissors with two fingers. Be careful. Don’t cut yourself. Cut off the game launch button by moving the scissor blades just like you would with real scissors. If you happen to be a left-handed player, you can configure the direction of the scissors within the settings menu. The scissors are highly maneuverable. You can use them to control the direction at which the buttons fall after being cut. You can also move the cup with the hand that is not controlling the scissors. CLASSIC. The game lasts until you miss three scraps of material with buttons left on them. Upon catching 100 buttons in the cup, you can either receive additional points or recover a previously lost button. ARCADE. Cut off as many buttons as you can in the allotted time and do your best to drop them in the cup. ATTENTION! Don’t cut buttons held down by bolts. Only cut buttons tied down with thread. ATTENTION! Don’t press on the display. Your hand can become tired because of excessive pressure. The fingers have to slide on the display. TIPS & TRICKS * You can hit the buttons in the main menu with a finger. * Aim to cut off more than three buttons in a single cutting movement to maximize the amount of points you gain. * Reduce the quantity of hand movements. Try to cut more than one button in a single cutting movement. Enjoy! Cut, cut, cut.

About

Ruby's Realms

Embark on a magical adventure as Ruby, searching for her lost mother in a mysterious, cursed realm. Explore hand-built levels, battle dark creatures, and uncover ancient secrets. Upgrade your abilities and customize your playstyle to overcome challenging puzzles and perils.

Highlights
  • Explore cursed realms
  • Battle dark creatures
  • Solve puzzles
  • Upgrade abilities
  • Customize playstyle
  • Collect XP orbs
Features
Read full description

Story So Far: Ruby finds herself in a shadowy, unknown land, her mind clouded with fragmented memories of the past and no clue how she arrived. She faintly recalls a desperate search for her mother, who vanished under strange and unexplained circumstances when Ruby was just a small child. Driven by that haunting mystery, she had stepped through a portal tucked beneath the ancient fortress of Vianden, a crumbling stronghold whispered to be cursed with tales of witchcraft and dark, forbidden magic. The air hangs heavy with an unnatural mist, and eerie symbols flicker faintly on the walls, glowing with a life of their own. As Ruby takes in her strange surroundings, a hooded figure emerges on a flickering screen, its face swallowed by shadows. A voice, cold and echoing as if from some otherworldly abyss, speaks: "Welcome, Ruby. Your destiny awaits." A chill grips her heart, and with a growing sense of dread, Ruby knows her journey has only just begun—dark secrets of this realm lie in wait, ready to be unraveled... ------- Discover a Cursed World of Mystery and Magic Awaken as Ruby in a shadowy realm where ancient portals hide dark secrets. Your mother vanished long ago. Now fragmented memories lead you beneath the fortress of Vianden into worlds twisted by witchcraft. Face hooded cultists casting spells. Battle skeletons rising from the ground. Dodge possessed birds in the gloom. Collect glowing XP orbs from defeated foes to grow stronger, and purchase upgrades from your ol' pal, Skully the barman. ------- Gameplay That Hooks You In Explore hand-built levels packed with puzzles and perils. Leap platforms, blast enemies with magic flames, and discover secrets. Each realm brings fresh challenges. Green swamps ooze with toxic sludge. Orange factories rumble with crushers and blades. Blue depths demand swimming through hidden caves. Pink alien zones twist with bizarre life. ------- Progression and Allies Gather upgrade points from blue orbs dropped by enemies or hidden sacks. Spend them at Skully's shop. This skeleton bartender becomes your buddy. He pops up on screens with tips and upgrades like extra health or faster shots. Level up to tackle tougher spots. Feel Ruby grow from lost explorer to realm-shaking force. Custom upgrades fit your playstyle. Go for speed, agility or raw power. Friendly skeletons add light moments in the dark world. Replay levels for missed collectibles. Chase full completion.

Screenshots

Cut the Buttons4 screens
Ruby's Realms4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Cut the Buttons at Free against Ruby's Realms's $1.99. Cut the Buttons also leads on ratings volume (79 vs 2) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). Ruby's Realms's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and review sentiment (100% vs 66%). On 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

Cut the Buttons is free to download; Ruby's Realms costs $1.99 up front. Cut the Buttons sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Ruby's Realms asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ruby's Realms holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cut the Buttons has 79 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Cut the Buttons's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ruby's Realms's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cut the Buttons ships an update every 3 months, Ruby's Realms every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Cut the Buttons versus Ruby's Realms: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCut the ButtonsRuby's Realms
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.0 (79 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings79 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS7.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB237 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpen Name LLCChilling Moose

Customer experience

Cut the Buttons

All ratings72 ratings
Positive68.1%
Neutral16.7%
Negative15.3%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive65.9%
Neutral13.0%
Negative21.1%

Ruby's Realms

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Cut the Buttons

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Scissors sometimes unresponsive or glitchy
  • Difficulty accurately cutting buttons due to control issues
  • Bucket/collection mechanic not functioning as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • More game modes and challenges
  • Ability to customize scissors/aesthetics
  • Improved controls and responsiveness
  • Option to play in portrait mode

Ruby's Realms

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Cut the Buttons

One-time7
  • 20 Extra lives$0.99
  • Golden theme$0.99
  • Techno theme$0.99
Show 4 more
  • Glass theme$0.99
  • Retro theme & No ads$0.99
  • Auto-cup$1.99
  • Mega Pack$4.99
None

Ruby's Realms

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cut the Buttons free?
Cut the Buttons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ruby's Realms free?
Ruby's Realms costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cut the Buttons or Ruby's Realms?
Ruby's Realms is rated higher. Cut the Buttons averages 4.0 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while Ruby's Realms averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Cut the Buttons or Ruby's Realms have ads?
Neither Cut the Buttons nor Ruby's Realms shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cut the Buttons or Ruby's Realms?
Cut the Buttons ships an update every 3 months, and Ruby's Realms every 3 days. Most recently, Cut the Buttons was updated on October 22, 2026 and Ruby's Realms on October 26, 2026.

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