Comparison

Zen Falling Blocks vs Tesserae!

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

Head to head
About

Zen Falling Blocks

Features
Read full description

It's a puzzle game with zen! [How to play] Move blocks up, down, left, and right to make three or more of them disappear. Each time you move them, a leaf is consumed. When you run out of the leaves, the game is over. Leaves will be replenished when six or more blocks are erased or erased in succession. Press and hold blocks to use a special skill.

About

Tesserae!

A minimalist puzzle game focused on calm, strategic tile-matching. Swipe, jump, and combine tiles across handcrafted boards to clear the grid. Offers a distraction-free experience with no ads or timers.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Handcrafted puzzle boards
  • Strategic tile combination
  • Multiple solution paths
  • Leaderboard scoring
  • iCloud sync
  • Game Center achievements
Features
Read full description

Tesserae is a minimalist, color-matching puzzle game designed for calm focus and strategic play. Swipe, jump, and combine tiles across handcrafted boards to clear the grid — one satisfying move at a time. Built with an minimalist-style design philosophy, Tesserae is clean, modern, and distraction-free: no ads, no timers, no noise. Just pure puzzle-solving. Features • Elegant Design – Modern, tactile, minimal-inspired interface. • Challenging Levels – Multiple handcrafted boards with increasing complexity. • Strategic Depth – Different tile types (primary, secondary, tertiary) each with unique move rules. • Replayability – Multiple solution paths and leaderboard scoring. • iCloud Sync (Tesserae+): Pick up where you left off across all devices. • Game Center (Tesserae+): Unlock achievements and compete on leaderboards. • No Ads. No Distractions. Just puzzles and you. Unlock the full experience with Tesserae+: • Access to all levels and difficulty tiers (Easy → Diabolical). • iCloud sync across iPhone and iPad. • Game Center achievements and leaderboards. • A one-time purchase that supports continued development (no subscriptions, no ads). Whether you’re looking for a quick brain teaser or a deep puzzle challenge, Tesserae delivers a beautifully simple yet strategically rich experience.

Screenshots

Zen Falling Blocks3 screens
Tesserae!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Tesserae! at none against Zen Falling Blocks's shown. Tesserae! also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Zen Falling Blocks's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, 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. Zen Falling Blocks sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Tesserae! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zen Falling Blocks ships an update every 2 months, Tesserae! weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Zen Falling Blocks versus Tesserae!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZen Falling BlocksTesserae!
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMihoko ArakiTap Things, Inc.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Zen Falling Blocks

One-time2
  • Infinite Life$0.99
  • Zen with no ads$0.99
1 purchases

Tesserae!

One-time1
  • Tesserae+ Upgrade$2.99

Questions

Is Zen Falling Blocks free?
Zen Falling Blocks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tesserae! free?
Tesserae! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Zen Falling Blocks or Tesserae! have ads?
Zen Falling Blocks shows ads; Tesserae! does not.
Which is updated more often, Zen Falling Blocks or Tesserae!?
Zen Falling Blocks ships an update every 2 months, and Tesserae! weekly. Most recently, Zen Falling Blocks was updated on October 17, 2026 and Tesserae! on October 7, 2026.

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