# Marbly vs Pentix Nova

Marbly and Pentix Nova both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Marbly's written reviews are positive against 47% of Pentix Nova's. Pentix Nova's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 54). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Marbly sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Pentix Nova sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Marbly against 4.5 for Pentix Nova. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pentix Nova has 14K ratings behind it against 54, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Marbly's written reviews are positive against 47% of Pentix Nova's.

Marbly ships an update every 3 months, Pentix Nova weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Marbly | Pentix Nova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marbly-puzzle-game-challenge/id646308179/reviews) | **[4.5 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentix-nova-falling-blocks/id1511997699/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 54 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | **77.6% of reviews** | 47.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ANDREY NOVIKOV](https://appshunter.io/developer/418898717) | [AkaTek LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604686567) |

## What reviewers say

### Marbly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marbly-puzzle-game-challenge/id646308179)

This mobile puzzle game challenges your mind with marble-matching mechanics. Designed by the creator of Tetris, it offers hundreds of unique puzzles and daily challenges. Compete against the clock, aim for high scores, and strategize your moves to clear the board.

**Highlights:** Marble matching gameplay, Hundreds of unique puzzles, Daily puzzle challenges, Time, Score, and Moves challenges, Brain-training mechanics, Game Center leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 10 Marbly Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 25 Marbly Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 20 Marbly Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50 Marbly Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 100 Marbly Coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| Magic Sac (unlimited coins) | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Intellectually stimulating and challenging puzzles
- 😊 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Simple yet fun mechanics easy to learn
- 🎯 Good difficulty progression from easy to hard
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly and suitable for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Severe overheating issues on iPhones
- 💔 Excessive pop-up advertisements
- 💰 Aggressive in-app purchase monetization
- 🔇 Difficult to disable sound/music
- 🎮 Inconsistent and unclear scoring system

**Reported bugs**

- iPhone overheating to dangerous levels
- App crashes on startup with blue screen
- App won't open or immediately crashes to home
- Scoring system produces incorrect/inconsistent results
- Sound cannot be disabled even when turned off

**Requested features**

- Sound/music volume control option
- Clear and detailed game rules documentation
- More ways to earn coins without daily challenges
- Additional puzzle volumes and levels
- Better explanation of scoring mechanics


### Pentix Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentix-nova-falling-blocks/id1511997699)

Experience a fresh take on a classic block-dropping puzzle game. Arrange falling pieces to complete lines and clear them, aiming for high scores or completing specific objectives. Enjoy customizable controls and various difficulty levels in this reimagined brick blast experience.

**Highlights:** Arrange falling pieces to clear lines, Endless game mode, Objective-based levels, Campaign progression, Customizable controls, Stash pieces for later use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Levels | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging and fun
- 👍 Nostalgic and relaxing
- 🎮 Great Tetris variant
- 💡 Interesting new piece shapes
- 🎨 Visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Controls issues (sensitivity, responsiveness, placement of buttons)
- 💰 Intrusive ads with no ad-free option
- 🕹️ Clunky controls and frequent errors
- 🔧 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 🤯 Frustrating difficulty spikes

**Reported bugs**

- Goal line disappearing in adventure mode
- Pieces teleporting and rotating unexpectedly
- Drop button functionality issues after updates
- Game progress not saved when switching apps
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add ability to rotate pieces both ways
- Implement variable drop speed
- Provide an ad-free paid version
- Add more levels and challenges
- Improve overall control scheme


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Marbly free?

Marbly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pentix Nova free?

Pentix Nova is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Marbly or Pentix Nova?

Pentix Nova is rated higher. Marbly averages 4.4 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while Pentix Nova averages 4.5 from 14K ratings.

### Do Marbly or Pentix Nova have ads?

Both Marbly and Pentix Nova show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Marbly or Pentix Nova?

Marbly ships an update every 3 months, and Pentix Nova weekly. Most recently, Marbly was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pentix Nova on November 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*