Comparison

Foolscap vs The Hardest

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

Head to head
About

Foolscap

Features
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A short ladder of cryptic clues every morning, five to seven of them, and after each answer you see exactly how the clue was built. Solve a rung and Foolscap opens the clue beside your answer: which words were the definition, and what the anagram, hidden word or charade did to reach it. A new ladder is composed on your iPhone each day and never repeats. Two rungs of every ladder are free, and the whole ladder is free for your first three days. Foolscap Plus opens the rest of each day's ladder and every past day. THE WHY, SHOWN EVERY TIME A cryptic clue has two halves: a straight definition, and a piece of wordplay that reaches the same answer by a different road. Most people know that in theory and still cannot see it in a live clue. So every time you solve a rung, Foolscap names the route: which words were the definition, and what the setter did to the rest. After a few mornings the patterns start to look familiar, and clues you would once have skipped begin to give way. HOW THE LADDER CLIMBS Each rung you solve hands one letter to the next rung, inked in the margin the moment you set it. Nothing you work out is wasted, and the ladder gets easier as you climb. Every ladder has a theme, named at the top of the sheet. EVERY CLUE IS CHECKED BEFORE YOU SEE IT Each clue is verified on your device before it is shown: the wordplay leads to the answer, the definition fits, and no other word also solves it. A clue that cannot be made fair is never shown, so you are not left stuck on something that was broken from the start. WHO IT IS FOR People who have always wanted to read a cryptic and never had one explained, and regular solvers who want a short, fair ladder with their coffee instead of a full grid. A ladder takes about five to twelve minutes. Stuck on a rung? Show the answer and you still get the wordplay. A QUIET DAILY RITUAL โ€ข A fresh, fair cryptic ladder every day โ€ข Every solve reveals its own wordplay โ€ข No streak counter and no timer โ€ข Calm, letterpress design made for a slow morning solve PRIVATE BY DESIGN โ€ข Composed on your iPhone. Nothing leaves your device. โ€ข No account, no email, no ads, no tracking โ€ข Works offline, including in airplane mode โ€ข The archive is recomposed on your phone when you open a day. Nothing is stored or uploaded. WHAT IS FREE AND WHAT PLUS ADDS Two rungs of every ladder are free, and the whole ladder is free for your first three days after installing. Foolscap Plus opens the complete daily ladder every day and the full archive of past days, each one recomposed on your phone when you open it. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Foolscap Plus is an auto-renewing subscription. โ€ข Annual: $59.99 per year, with a 7-day free trial โ€ข Monthly: $9.99 per month A one-time Foolscap Plus Lifetime purchase ($99.99) is also available. It is not a subscription and it never renews. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription, and turn off auto-renew, in Settings โ†’ Apple ID โ†’ Subscriptions after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://hadgerapps.github.io/foolscap/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://hadgerapps.github.io/foolscap/terms Foolscap makes no claim to improve your memory, vocabulary, or cognition. It is a calm word game, made to be enjoyed.

About

The Hardest

Features
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The hardest word games on the internet. Now in your pocket. Five original daily games. One puzzle each per day. No hints you didn't earn, no second chances you didn't deserve. MATCHSTICKS One word in the dark. Every guess tells you only how many letters match. Deduce the word before your matches burn out. GRIDLOCK Fill the mirror grid. One wrong letter locks you out for the day. INTERLOCK Find the four hidden groups. One wrong guess and you're out. That's not a typo. DOWN YOU GO A lost word game from 1951 television, revived. One phrase a day. Three misses and down you go. PINPAD Crack the vault code in six tries. Then challenge a friend to a head-to-head battle and crack it faster than they do. BUILT FOR STREAK PEOPLE Your streak is sacred. Play every day, keep the flame alive, and watch it climb through the tiers. Miss a day and live with it. CLIMB THE RANKS Global leaderboards for streaks, wins, and weekly play. A monthly championship crowns a champion every month. Everyone starts even on the 1st. PLAY WITH FRIENDS Add friends, compare records, and settle it head-to-head. Invite links make it easy to drag your smartest friend into the fire. TROPHIES Twenty-six trophies for the feats that matter. Some of them may take you a very long time. CLUB MEMBERSHIP Join the Club to unlock custom leagues, a gold member frame, and the Club badge. Membership is a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://thehardest.us/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ New puzzles every day at midnight Central. Bring your best game.

Screenshots

Foolscap3 screens
The Hardest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: The Hardest at 16.6 against Foolscap's 26.0. On price, ads, 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. Foolscap sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and The Hardest sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Foolscap versus The Hardest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFoolscapThe Hardest
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.016.6 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size5 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVassiliy ShmigirilovSuccess Media LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Foolscap

Subscriptions2
  • Foolscap Plus (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Foolscap Plus (Annual)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Foolscap Plus Lifetime$99.99
2 purchases

The Hardest

Subscriptions2
  • Club Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Club Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Foolscap free?
Foolscap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Hardest free?
The Hardest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Foolscap or The Hardest have ads?
Neither Foolscap nor The Hardest shows ads.

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