# Puzzled Arcade vs Tessera

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Puzzled Arcade at none against Tessera's 1. Tessera's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tessera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Puzzled Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Puzzled Arcade against 5.0 for Tessera. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Puzzled Arcade ships an update fortnightly, Tessera every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Puzzled Arcade | Tessera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzled-arcade/id6760632123/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tessera-hex-puzzle/id6763791971/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 94 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jaron Humiston](https://appshunter.io/developer/1185246423) | [Nirmal Acharya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895490830) |

## What reviewers say

### Puzzled Arcade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzled-arcade/id6760632123)

Engage in fast-paced, competitive puzzle gameplay across four distinct modes. Challenge friends, climb global leaderboards, and sharpen your skills with quick, rewarding sessions.

**Highlights:** Four distinct puzzle modes, Quick gameplay sessions, Global and mode-specific leaderboards, Friend challenge system, Progress tracking and stats, Game Center integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Tessera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tessera-hex-puzzle/id6763791971)

This is a serene puzzle game where players slide hex tiles to match three of the same color and clear them. It features 100 hand-curated levels across ten distinct worlds, designed for thoughtful, timer-free gameplay. Enjoy a quiet, minimalist aesthetic and offline play with cloud sync.

**Highlights:** 100 hand-curated levels, Sliding hex tiles with chain merges, No timers or guessing, Offline play and cloud sync, Minimalist 'Quiet Paper' aesthetic, One-time purchase, no ads or subscriptions

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tessera Full | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Puzzled Arcade free?

Puzzled Arcade is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tessera free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Puzzled Arcade or Tessera?

Puzzled Arcade and Tessera are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Puzzled Arcade or Tessera have ads?

Puzzled Arcade shows ads; Tessera does not.

### Which is updated more often, Puzzled Arcade or Tessera?

Puzzled Arcade ships an update fortnightly, and Tessera every 4 days. Most recently, Puzzled Arcade was updated on October 31, 2026 and Tessera on October 31, 2026.

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