Comparison

The First Ascent vs Inkboxes

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

Head to head
About

The First Ascent

Features
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“The first ascent” is an immersive climbing adventure where players scale treacherous mountains, sheer cliff faces, and mysterious vertical landscapes in their quest to reach the top. From dark caves to outer space, each level introduces new challenges and environmental hazards like hotwind, falling blizzards, mostly unstable obstacles. Strategic planning, quick reflexes, and precision are the keys to reaching the summit. Upgrade your character and unlock new climbers with unique skills, and collect the useful items along your route. Whether you're racing the clock or exploring at your own pace, "The first ascent" promises a vertical adventure like no other.

About

Inkboxes

This game reimagines a classic pencil-and-paper box-claiming challenge with a digital twist. Enjoy various game modes, customizable boards, and a sharp AI opponent, all playable offline. It offers a visually appealing experience with themes and animations, and tracks your progress privately on your device.

Highlights
  • Classic and reimagined game modes
  • Customizable board sizes
  • Challenging AI opponent
  • Pass & Play multiplayer
  • Two visual themes
  • Progress tracking
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Claim boxes. Build chains. Outsmart the Inkmaster- AI. Inkboxes takes the classic pencil-and-paper game and turns it into a beautiful, fast, on-device experience. Connect the dots, claim boxes, chain combos, and outsmart a razor-sharp AI — no account, no sign-up, no internet required. FOUR WAYS TO PLAY • Classic — the timeless rules, refined. • Blitz — race the clock in a timed showdown. • Power-Up — special moves that shake up the board. • Streak — line up your marks N-in-a-row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). PLAY YOUR WAY • Board sizes from 3×3 up to 10×10 — plus a custom grid. • Face a sharp AI across four difficulties: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert. • Or go head-to-head in Pass & Play on a single device. BEAUTIFUL BY DESIGN • Two hand-crafted themes: warm Paper (light) and vivid Neon (dark). • Satisfying haptics, chain-celebration bursts, and smooth animations. • Universal — looks stunning on iPhone and iPad, portrait or landscape. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Wins, losses, streaks, boxes claimed, and best times. • Eight achievements to unlock as you master the board. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT • Everything lives on your device. No accounts, no tracking, no data collection. Rediscover the game everyone knows — reimagined for your pocket. — Remove Ads is available as an auto-renewing subscription: • Yearly — $12.99/year • Monthly — $2.99/month Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your device's Account Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://neoninkbox.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://neoninkbox.com/privacy

Screenshots

The First Ascent4 screens
Inkboxes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The First Ascent at none against Inkboxes's 2. The First Ascent also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Inkboxes's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 months). 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. Inkboxes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. The First Ascent asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The First Ascent ships an update every 5 months, Inkboxes every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
The First Ascent versus Inkboxes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe First AscentInkboxes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size134 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChi NguyenECOMXCHANGEMV PRIVATE LIMITED

In-app purchases

None

The First Ascent

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Inkboxes

Subscriptions2
  • Remove Ads (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Remove Ads (Yearly)$12.991 Year

Questions

Is The First Ascent free?
The First Ascent is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Inkboxes free?
Inkboxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The First Ascent or Inkboxes have ads?
Inkboxes shows ads; The First Ascent does not.
Which is updated more often, The First Ascent or Inkboxes?
The First Ascent ships an update every 5 months, and Inkboxes every 8 days. Most recently, The First Ascent was updated on September 20, 2026 and Inkboxes on September 8, 2026.

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