Comparison

POOLS™ vs Blind Steps

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

Head to head
About

POOLS™

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

Highlights
  • Slow, reflective exploration
  • Atmospheric and immersive environments
  • Inspired by liminal spaces
  • Unfolding narrative through exploration
  • Six distinct chapters
  • Unique sound design
Features
Read full description

Explore, admire and listen. That’s it. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. POOLS isn’t a traditional game. it’s slow, reflective, and intentionally uneventful, perhaps a bit like virtual museum. So take your time. Breathe. POOLS unfolds slowly, rewarding patience and quiet attention. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen. Yet it can feel oppressive at times by invoking quiet fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and the strange beauty of liminal space architecture. There's no typical story. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game's world changes around you, deeper you go… Rooms look and feel… different. Base game features six chapters, each lasting 10-30 minutes. Inspired by the internet phenomena Liminal spaces, Found footage and The Backrooms, especially the Poolrooms concept. One of the original artists behind the Poolrooms concept is Jared Pike.

About

Blind Steps

Features
Read full description

Welcome to the darkness. Do you trust your memory? Blind Steps is a hardcore brain puzzle designed to test your spatial limits. Forget simple mazes; here, deep in the dark, you must rely on your instincts and "echolocation" to survive. HOW TO PLAY: - Memorize: The map flashes for a second. Lock it in your mind. - Navigate: Lights out. You are blind. - Use Echo: Tap to send sonar waves and reveal walls. - Escape: Find the exit before your energy drains. FEATURES: - Hardcore Challenge: 100+ levels that get progressively brutal. - Brain Training: Sharpen your short-term memory and logic. - Cyberpunk Vibes: Immersive audio-visual experience. - Play Offline: No internet needed. Perfect for the commute. Are you smart enough to beat the dark? Download now and prove your skills!

Screenshots

POOLS™4 screens
Blind Steps3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Blind Steps at none against POOLS™'s 1. Blind Steps also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). POOLS™'s advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Blind Steps asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

POOLS™ ships an update monthly, Blind Steps every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
POOLS™ versus Blind Steps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPOOLS™Blind Steps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.8K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.8K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB27 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperTensoriHakan Mazlum Uslu

Bugs and requests

POOLS™

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to move on iPad Pro
  • Glitches reported

Requested features

3 requests
  • Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
  • Add a multiplayer mode
  • Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)

Blind Steps

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

POOLS™

One-time1
  • POOLS: Full Game$9.99
None

Blind Steps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is POOLS™ free?
POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Blind Steps free?
Blind Steps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do POOLS™ or Blind Steps have ads?
Blind Steps shows ads; POOLS™ does not.
Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Blind Steps?
POOLS™ ships an update monthly, and Blind Steps every 5 days. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on October 31, 2026 and Blind Steps on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons