Comparison

Ripple Effect vs Play Countdown

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

Head to head
About

Ripple Effect

A logic puzzle game where you fill rooms with numbers according to specific row and column separation rules. It offers over 500 levels across various sizes and difficulties, with features like automatic error highlighting and progress saving.

Highlights
  • Over 500 levels
  • 5 board sizes
  • 5 difficulty levels
  • Automatic wrong number highlighting
  • Autosave progress
  • Best completion time recording
  • Game Center Achievements
Features
Read full description

Ripple Effect is a logic puzzle with simple rules. The puzzle consists of a rectangular board divided into "rooms". Each room must be filled with each of the numbers from 1 to the number of cells in the room. If two identical numbers appear in the same row or column, at least that many cells with other numbers must separate them. For example, if two 4s appear in the same row, then they must be separated by at least 4 cells. **** Ripple Effect features **** # Content - 5 different sizes of board - 5 difficulty levels - more than 500 levels # Features - Highlight wrong number automatically - Autosave the process of unfinished levels - Record best completion time for each level # Challenge - Game Center Achievements - Try to complete as many levels as possible

About

Play Countdown

Features
Read full description

Solve the target. Build your streak. Make five minutes count. Countdown is a daily numbers puzzle built for quick, satisfying mental arithmetic. You get six numbers and a three-digit target. Combine them with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to reach the exact answer. Each number can only be used once, so every move matters. A new handcrafted puzzle arrives every day. Solve it over coffee, during a commute, or whenever you want a short, focused challenge. WHAT’S INCLUDED • A new handcrafted daily puzzle • Easy mode to learn the rules with gentler targets • A short interactive tutorial to master the basics quickly • Streak tracking with current, best, and top-three streaks • 24 thematic trophies to collect • Detailed stats: games played, win rate, fastest solve, and longest streak • Relax Mode to hide the timer and play without pressure • Optional daily reminders to protect your streak • Dark mode, haptics, smooth animations, and confetti on success • No ads. No tracking. No subscription. UNLOCK THE FULL GAME Upgrade once and keep everything forever. • Unlimited practice puzzles • Carefully tuned difficulty curves • Resume practice puzzles exactly where you left off • 30-day daily puzzle history • Extended statistics for deeper progress tracking HOW TO PLAY Use the six available numbers to reach a target between 100 and 999. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide to create new numbers. Every number can only be used once, and division must result in a whole number. Reach the target exactly to win. MADE FOR DAILY PLAY Countdown is designed as a calm daily brain workout: simple rules, clean interface, satisfying feedback, and enough depth to keep improving over time. Play fast against the clock, or switch to Relax Mode and take your time. Build a streak, collect trophies, replay past puzzles, and turn mental arithmetic into a small daily habit. Now reach the target. Feedback? Email dev@abaxos.com.

Screenshots

Ripple Effect4 screens
Play Countdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Play Countdown at none against Ripple Effect's shown. Play Countdown also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). Ripple Effect's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price and in-app purchases 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. Ripple Effect sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Play Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ripple Effect ships an update every 5 months, Play Countdown every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ripple Effect versus Play Countdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRipple EffectPlay Countdown
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStanley LamJoachim Dorel

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ripple Effect

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Full Version$0.99
1 purchases

Play Countdown

One-time1
  • Countdown Extended$1.99

Questions

Is Ripple Effect free?
Ripple Effect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Play Countdown free?
Play Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ripple Effect or Play Countdown have ads?
Ripple Effect shows ads; Play Countdown does not.
Which is updated more often, Ripple Effect or Play Countdown?
Ripple Effect ships an update every 5 months, and Play Countdown every 6 weeks. Most recently, Ripple Effect was updated on June 8, 2026 and Play Countdown on September 13, 2026.

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