Comparison

Queens vs Ember

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

Head to head
About

Queens

A calming logic puzzle game inspired by classic grid challenges. Solve intricate puzzles using pure deduction without any guesswork. Offers a relaxing experience with thoughtful levels and a clean design.

Highlights
  • Classic Queens-style logic puzzles
  • Inspired by Sudoku and Minesweeper deduction
  • Daily Challenge mode
  • Multiple board sizes
  • Clean and relaxing Zen design
  • Smart hint system
  • Play offline
Features
Read full description

Queens is a calm and satisfying logic puzzle game inspired by classic grid puzzles like Sudoku and Minesweeper. Enjoy a clean Queens-style challenge where every puzzle is solved through pure logic, not guessing. With simple rules, relaxing visuals, and thoughtful levels, Queens is easy to learn and rewarding to master. How to Play ● Place exactly One queen in each row. ● Place exactly One queen in each column. ● Place exactly One queen in each colored region. ● Queens cannot touch, even diagonally. ● Use logic and deduction to find the only solution. Key Features ● Classic Queens-style logic puzzles ● Inspired by Sudoku and Minesweeper-style deduction ● Daily Challenge ● Multiple board sizes ● Clean and relaxing Zen design ● Smart hint system ● Smooth controls and clear visuals ● Play offline ● No timer, no pressure ● Thousands of free puzzles Train your brain, relax your mind, and enjoy a fresh logic grid challenge every day with Queens.

About

Ember

Features
Read full description

Ember is a logic puzzle with three rules and no noise, played beside a campfire under a desert night sky. Place one flame in every row, every column and every coloured region. No two flames may touch — not even diagonally. That is the whole game. It is the puzzle known as Queens, or Star Battle: the same rules, two thousand levels deep. EVERY BOARD IS FAIR Each puzzle is checked twice before it reaches you: once to prove it has exactly one answer, and again to prove that answer can be reached by reasoning alone. You will never need to guess. Not once. TWO THOUSAND LEVELS, 6x6 TO 12x12 One ordered campaign, identical for every player, so level 400 means the same board to everyone. Board sizes mix from the very first levels and climb to sprawling 12x12 boards late on — but even the last stretch deals a small board often enough to change the rhythm. THE LAST STRETCH BITES Late levels deal Master boards, where two or three regions have to be weighed together before a single square can be crossed off. Still no guessing, ever — the proof just takes more steps. A TAP IS NOT A CHOICE Tapping a square crosses it out — a note to yourself, costing nothing. Placing a flame is a decision, so it takes a deliberate double tap. Nothing is ever crossed out for you. THREE LIVES A flame placed where one cannot go turns red, costs a life, and settles into a red cross — so a mistake still leaves you something true about the board. HINTS THAT TEACH A hint never simply hands you a square. The board dims to leave only the squares the rule is about, and states that rule in plain words. Tap Apply and the crosses go down one at a time, so you can follow the reasoning as it happens. SOUND WORTH LEAVING ON A quiet theme over falling rain, generated as it plays. It stays well back, respects the silent switch, and steps aside entirely if you are already listening to something else. YOUR PROGRESS FOLLOWS YOU Levels, stars and flawless wins save to your own iCloud, so a new phone picks up exactly where you left off. Nothing is sent anywhere else. WHAT EMBER DOES NOT DO No adverts, anywhere, ever. No subscription. No account to create. No analytics, no tracking, nothing about you collected or sold. It is a small download that plays entirely offline, with no server behind it. LEADERBOARDS, IF YOU WANT THEM Three boards — total stars, flawless wins, and how far through the campaign you have come — run on Apple's own Game Center. Decline the sign-in and nothing is ever sent; the whole game plays exactly the same either way. Every puzzle, every hint and every colour scheme is free. There is nothing to buy, nothing to unlock and nothing held back. Ember asks for no money and no attention. Designed for iPhone and iPad. Full VoiceOver support, a colour-blind mode that separates the regions by lightness rather than hue, light and dark.

Screenshots

Queens4 screens
Ember4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ember at none against Queens's 5. Ember also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Queens's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). 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. Queens sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Ember asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Queens ships an update monthly, Ember weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Queens versus Ember: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQueensEmber
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size146 MB10 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperBeijing PixelDian Technology Co., Ltd.JOEL BINES

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Queens

One-time5
  • Hint Pack 1$0.99
  • Hint Pack 2$1.99
  • Hint Pack 3$4.99
Show 2 more
  • Remove Forced Ads$6.99
  • Hint Pack 4$9.99
None

Ember

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Queens free?
Queens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Queens or Ember have ads?
Queens shows ads; Ember does not.
Which is updated more often, Queens or Ember?
Queens ships an update monthly, and Ember weekly. Most recently, Queens was updated on November 9, 2026 and Ember on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons