Comparison

Dots & Boxes vs PondPulse

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

Head to head
About

Dots & Boxes

Features
Read full description

Play Dots & Boxes with smart AI, local multiplayer, custom grids, and a vibrant modern look. Squarify brings the classic pencil-and-paper strategy game to your iPhone and iPad. Connect the dots. Complete squares. Keep your turn. Capture more boxes than your opponents and claim victory. Whether you want a quick solo challenge or a game night with friends, Squarify gives you multiple ways to play. FEATURES โ€ข SMART AI Challenge an adaptive AI opponent with difficulty levels ranging from easy practice to demanding strategic play. โ€ข 2โ€“4 PLAYER LOCAL MULTIPLAYER Pass the device and challenge friends or family in the classic Dots & Boxes experience. โ€ข TIMED MODE Put your strategy under pressure and make every move count before time runs out. โ€ข CUSTOM GRIDS Choose your preferred board size, from quick small grids to larger boards for deeper strategic battles. โ€ข NEON VISUALS Enjoy a modern take on the classic game with vibrant neon graphics, smooth animations, and satisfying feedback. โ€ข STATS & PROGRESS Track your performance, improve your strategy, and see how your skills develop over time. CLASSIC RULES. MODERN GAMEPLAY. Dots & Boxes is easy to learn but rewards careful planning. Every line can change the game, and one completed square can start a chain reaction. Play solo, challenge friends, and see how many boxes you can capture. Download Squarify and start connecting dots. Terms of Use: https://summer-scale-458.notion.site/Terms-of-Use-for-Squarify-Cyber-Dots-Boxes-3da6bc0c0f98802e9706f0598ef993ff Privacy Policy: https://app.notion.com/p/Privacy-Policy-for-Squarify-Cyber-Dots-Boxes-3da6bc0c0f9880129881f0b566652913

About

PondPulse

Features
Read full description

Tap the pond. Ripples do the rest. PondPulse is a relaxing one-finger puzzle game built on a single rule: every splash pushes every floater one step away from it. 450 levels grow out of that one idea. HOW IT WORKS Tap open water to make a splash. Every duckling drifts one step away from where you tapped. Rocks, turtles, current arrows and colour-matched pads get in the way. Bring every duckling to a lily pad before the splashes run out - and once a duckling is home, it is home for good. A logic puzzle you win by reading the board, not by tapping fast. 450 LEVELS Nine packs, from calm to genuinely hard, three stars each, and every level machine-verified to have a real solution. The first five teach you the rule and cannot be lost. MORE THAN THE CAMPAIGN โ€ข 30 golden ponds - no splash limit, and every one hands over a prize โ€ข A daily puzzle with a streak that pays, three quests each morning, and 70 milestones to climb โ€ข Splash Rush - random boards against the clock, in three lengths โ€ข A pond of your own to decorate: water, shore, sky, 30 decorations, and four little games COLLECT 73 POND FRIENDS Koi, penguins, flamingos, axolotls, otters and more swim in place of your ducklings, on any of 30 lily pads, under 14 themes that repaint the whole game. Coins are earned by playing - there is no energy bar and nothing that expires. NEVER STUCK FOR LONG Undo is free, forever, one splash at a time. A hint lights up the next move and only ever costs you once per level. PLAYS OFFLINE, IN 16 LANGUAGES A free offline puzzle game - no wifi needed to play. English, Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish and Chinese, right-to-left ready. 300 levels, the daily puzzle, the quests and your own pond cost nothing. Optional one-time purchases open the last 150 levels and add a few extras - each bought once and kept forever, none of it needed to finish the game. Tap the pond. See where the ripples take you.

Screenshots

Dots & Boxes4 screens
PondPulse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PondPulse at none against Dots & Boxes's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Dots & Boxes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and PondPulse sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dots & Boxes ships an update every 3 weeks, PondPulse fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Dots & Boxes versus PondPulse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDots & BoxesPondPulse
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly โ€” better
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size49 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJignesh KikaniRon Golan

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Dots & Boxes

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
One-time4
  • 100 Startdust$0.99
  • 600 Stardust$4.99
  • 1500 Stardust$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Lifetime$9.99
10 purchases

PondPulse

One-time10
  • Kitsune$0.99
  • Griffin$0.99
  • Star Whale$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Sea Dragon$0.99
  • Moon Rabbit$0.99
  • 2,500 Coins$1.99
  • Autumn Gold$1.99
  • Ember Hollow$2.99
  • Opal Lagoon$2.99
  • 5,000 Coins$3.99

Questions

Is Dots & Boxes free?
Dots & Boxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PondPulse free?
PondPulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dots & Boxes or PondPulse have ads?
Dots & Boxes shows ads; PondPulse does not.
Which is updated more often, Dots & Boxes or PondPulse?
Dots & Boxes ships an update every 3 weeks, and PondPulse fortnightly. Most recently, Dots & Boxes was updated on November 5, 2026 and PondPulse on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons