Comparison

CloseTheBox vs Phase Star

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

Head to head
About

CloseTheBox

A classic dice game where players roll dice to cover numbered tiles. The goal is to close all nine tiles to "shut the box." Offers realistic 3D dice, satisfying animations, and offline play.

Highlights
  • Realistic 3D dice physics
  • 9 numbered tiles with animations
  • Hall of Fame and leaderboards
  • Help mode for possible moves
  • Offline play
  • Universal app support
Features
Read full description

Will YOU close the box? #1 in Top Free, Game, Board, and Dice Categories! (Denmark) #2 in Top Free, Game, Board, and Dice Categories! (Austria) Top 10 in the Board Category in Italy, Canada, & UK. Roll the dice, close the tiles, and try to shut all 9 — it sounds simple, but only a handful of players ever make it. Over 10 million games have been played. Think you can beat the odds? 100% free. No ads during gameplay. Just you, the dice, and the box. HOW TO PLAY Swipe to roll two dice, then tap tiles that add up to your total. Close all 9 tiles to shut the box and earn your spot in the Hall of Fame! When tiles 7, 8, and 9 are closed, switch to a single die for better odds. FEATURES - Beautiful 3D dice with realistic physics - 9 numbered tiles with satisfying animations - Hall of Fame — sign your name and join thousands of winners worldwide - Game Center leaderboards and achievements - Help mode shows you all possible moves - Works offline — play anytime, anywhere - Universal app for iPhone and iPad - Free to play with no ads during gameplay LANGUAGES Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. A CLASSIC PUB GAME Shut the Box has been played in pubs and homes for centuries. Our digital version captures the charm of the original wooden box game, complete with the thrill of watching those dice tumble across the felt. Download now and see if YOU can close the box! -Séraphin

About

Phase Star

A relaxing card game where players match cards by color and number to complete phases. It features mind-blowing levels and a minimalistic visual design. No internet connection is required to play.

Highlights
  • Mind-blowing levels
  • Minimalistic visual design
  • Astonishing animation
  • No internet connection required
  • Free to play
Features
Read full description

HOW TO PLAY PHASE STAR? Every Phase has its own sets of cards to match their colors and numbers. Find the right match and throw the card! The Phase is finished! 'Runs' consist of 3 or more cards in numerical order. The cards do not have to be the same colors. 'Sets' consist of two or more cards of the same number. The cards do not have to be the same colors. 'Color Sets' consists of two or more cards of the same color. Features · Mind-blowing levels · Stunning minimalistic visual design · Astonishing animation · No internet connection required · Free to Play! Enjoy!

Screenshots

CloseTheBox3 screens
Phase Star4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CloseTheBox at 56% against Phase Star's 13%. CloseTheBox also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.3) and ads (none vs shown). Phase Star's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CloseTheBox holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CloseTheBox has 3.7K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of CloseTheBox's written reviews are positive against 13% of Phase Star's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CloseTheBox ships an update every 8 months, Phase Star every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CloseTheBox versus Phase Star: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCloseTheBoxPhase Star
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.7K ratings) — better2.3 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews55.7% of reviews — better12.5% of reviews
Number of ratings3.7K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 8 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB111 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeraphin HochartRootcraft

Customer experience

CloseTheBox

All ratings3,659 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive55.7%
Neutral12.2%
Negative32.2%

Phase Star

All ratings10 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

CloseTheBox

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game not registering valid moves
  • App crashes after winning
  • Upside-down orientation on some devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Option to pay for ad-free version
  • Ability to change moves
  • Rotate screen orientation
  • Show scores instead of just win/lose

Phase Star

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CloseTheBox

No in-app purchases

None

Phase Star

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CloseTheBox free?
CloseTheBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phase Star free?
Phase Star is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CloseTheBox or Phase Star?
CloseTheBox is rated higher. CloseTheBox averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Phase Star averages 2.3 from 10 ratings.
Do CloseTheBox or Phase Star have ads?
Phase Star shows ads; CloseTheBox does not.
Which is updated more often, CloseTheBox or Phase Star?
CloseTheBox ships an update every 8 months, and Phase Star every 9 months. Most recently, CloseTheBox was updated on October 1, 2026 and Phase Star on September 7, 2026.

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