Comparison

Curio Shelf vs Teach the Thief

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

Head to head
About

Curio Shelf

Features
Read full description

Arrange each item. Read every clue. Bring the whole cabinet into harmony. Curio Shelf is a cozy spatial-logic puzzle set inside a quiet countryside garden shop. Place a collection of curious objects on a compact shelf, then rearrange them until every item's clue is satisfied. SOLVE 25 CAREFULLY CRAFTED CABINETS Each cabinet adds new items and new ways to think about space. Keep a seed jar beside the fern, separate things that should not touch, find the right row or corner, and work out which object belongs above, below, left, or right of another. EVERY MOVE IS AN EXPERIMENT Drag an item straight onto the shelf, or tap to select and place it. Invalid arrangements are allowed and clearly explained, so you can test an idea, move things around, undo for free, or restart whenever you like. There are no timers, lives, or penalties for taking your time. EARN THREE STAMPS Complete every cabinet, then refine your solution. Place each item efficiently to earn up to three stamps. If you want a nudge, an optional rewarded hint can reveal one correct item placement without finishing the whole puzzle for you. UNLOCK ENDLESS SHELF Finish all 25 cabinets to open an ever-changing mode filled with newly generated arrangements. Every Endless Shelf puzzle is checked for a valid solution before you play. A SMALL SHOP TO SETTLE INTO - Enjoy hand-painted garden-shop scenes, gentle motion, cozy sounds, and responsive haptics - Save your best stamps and settings on your device - Play the core game offline; an internet connection is used for ads - Adjust music, sound effects, haptics, and reduced motion - Play in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, or Simplified Chinese Curio Shelf is free and contains ads. Optional rewarded ads can reveal a hint. No account or sign-in is required. Every item has its place.

About

Teach the Thief

Engage in a series of clever heists by matching treasures based on color or shape. Plan your moves carefully to collect valuable items while avoiding protected pieces. Customize your character with various outfits as you progress through challenging puzzles.

Highlights
  • Match treasures by color or shape
  • Plan heists to avoid protected items
  • 50 bite-sized puzzle levels
  • Character customization with outfits
  • No timers or account required
  • Undo, restart, and hint options
Read full description

Meet Pip: small paws, big plans, and a weakness for shiny things. In Teach the Thief, every heist starts with two choices. Pick two treasures that share a color, a shape, or both, then watch Pip scoop up everything that matches. The trick? Make every grab count—and leave the protected treasure alone. A LITTLE CHOICE. A BIG HAUL. Match different shapes of the same color to collect that color. Match the same shape in different colors to collect that shape. Match both to narrow the haul. Preview exactly what Pip will steal before you commit. 50 HEISTS TO OUTSMART Explore a playful museum map full of bite-sized puzzles. Plan around protected pieces, preserve useful pairs, and clear each board within your grabs. LEARN WITH PIP A hands-on Level Zero tutorial walks you through the basics. Experiment with free undo, restart, and hints as you find your way to the perfect heist. DRESS FOR THE JOB Earn Rose after Heist 4 and Midnight after Heist 15. Or give Pip a new look with optional King, Wizard, Pirate, Astronaut, Detective, and Chef outfits. Your equipped outfit follows Pip throughout the game, from peeking over the board to taking a well-earned nap. PLAY AT YOUR PACE No timers. No account required. Just you, Pip, and one more clever little heist. Teach the Thief is free to play with ads after Heist 3 and later heists. A one-time No Ads purchase removes ads. Additional outfits are optional one-time purchases.

Screenshots

Curio Shelf4 screens
Teach the Thief4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Curio Shelf at none against Teach the Thief's 7. Curio Shelf also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and ads 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. Teach the Thief sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Curio Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Curio Shelf versus Teach the Thief: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCurio ShelfTeach the Thief
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteven WemyssVinicios Cunha

In-app purchases

None

Curio Shelf

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Teach the Thief

One-time7
  • King Pip$0.99
  • Wizard Pip$0.99
  • Pirate Pip$0.99
Show 4 more
  • Astronaut Pip$0.99
  • Detective Pip$0.99
  • Chef Pip$0.99
  • No Ads$4.99

Questions

Is Curio Shelf free?
Curio Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Teach the Thief free?
Teach the Thief is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Curio Shelf or Teach the Thief have ads?
Both Curio Shelf and Teach the Thief show ads.

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