Comparison

Values at Play vs Shape Sketch

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

Head to head
About

Values at Play

This app helps users practice identifying and analyzing values in art. It offers tools to create value studies, inspect specific color values, and find areas matching a chosen value. Users can import their own images for practice.

Highlights
  • Create value studies from images
  • Import custom images
  • Inspect Denman Ross and RGB values
  • Find points matching selected values
  • Colorized value studies
  • Full-screen value study viewing
Features
Read full description

Use "Values at Play" to practice seeing values in art. Practice with one of the images included in the app or import your own image. Values at Play includes: VALUE STUDY Create a Value Study for any image. Choose the number of values to include in the study, and the value study will be created within seconds! View the value study full-screen, and easily toggle between it and the original image. Create "colorized" value studies. IMAGE INSPECTOR Use Image Inspector to find the Denman Ross Value and RGB value of any point on an image. VALUE FINDER Find all the points on an image with the value you've selected. VALUES-TAC-TOE Drag the cross hair to a precise location on the image you've selected. Do you know the value at that point? If so, you're on your way to a "Values-Tac-Toe." If not, keep practicing.

About

Shape Sketch

Features
Read full description

Designed specifically for artists, illustrators, and art enthusiasts to help you master the art of shape simplification. Shape Sketch instantly transforms complex scenes into clear value structure diagrams, allowing you to observe how light influences form definition and enhance your painting and compositional reference skills. Core Features: ① Generate 2-5 step Notan compositions in real-time from camera preview with customizable colors ② Import and analyze images from your photo library ③ Customize precise threshold ranges and apply coloring to individual value levels ④ Desaturation and horizontal flip functions to assist compositional observation ⑤ Intuitive professional interface, and all processes completed offline on your device Use Cases: ① Composition studies and value planning before painting ② Shape analysis tool for visual art education ③ Reference for painting material collection, photography framing, and composition Support Email: hi@fuercat.com

Screenshots

Values at Play4 screens
Shape Sketch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Values at Play at 15.0 against Shape Sketch's 17.6. On price, update cadence, ads 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. Values at Play sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shape Sketch sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Values at Play ships an update every 5 months, Shape Sketch every 9 months. Both last shipped on September 16, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Values at Play versus Shape Sketch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterValues at PlayShape Sketch
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeil Daly川 丁

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Values at Play

One-time1
  • Values at Play Unlimited$4.99
1 purchases

Shape Sketch

One-time1
  • Shape Sketch Pro$3.99

Questions

Is Values at Play free?
Values at Play is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shape Sketch free?
Shape Sketch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Values at Play or Shape Sketch have ads?
Neither Values at Play nor Shape Sketch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Values at Play or Shape Sketch?
Values at Play ships an update every 5 months, and Shape Sketch every 9 months. Most recently, Values at Play was updated on September 16, 2026 and Shape Sketch on September 16, 2026.

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