Comparison

Flow vs HydroValve

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

Head to head
About

Flow

Features
Read full description

Flow is the calm, minimalist way to connect the dots. Draw lines between matching colors to fill every cell on the board — no crossing, no gaps. One simple rule, hundreds of satisfying puzzles. Relax and get into the flow: no ads, no in-app purchases, no timers, no accounts, no tracking. Just you and the grid. CONNECT-THE-DOTS PUZZLES FOR EVERY MOOD • 100+ handcrafted levels, from easy 5×5 boards to expert 11×11 • Level packs: small, medium, big, master • A fresh daily puzzle with streaks to build the habit • “Flawless” mode — solve in one clean stroke per color for a gold star MADE TO FEEL GOOD • Smooth drag controls with satisfying haptics • Smart hints when you’re stuck • Undo, redo, and instant restart • Three beautiful themes: cream, dark, vivid • English & Russian support • Plays 100% offline Whether you love pipe and line puzzles, numberlink, sudoku, or nonograms, or you just want a quiet brain teaser to unwind — Flow turns a single rule into hours of relaxing logic. Download Flow, connect the dots, and find your flow.

About

HydroValve

Features
Read full description

Route water from SUPPLY to every DRAIN — through pipes that stay EMPTY while you build. There's no preview and no undo once the valve opens: trace the flow in your head, commit, and watch your route hold… or leak. Every leak drains the same shared tank. At 0%, the run is over. SURVIVAL — Permadeath against a build clock. At zero, the valve opens itself. Learnable, fixed levels: every scene is the same every run — master them. CHALLENGE — The plumbing is already installed… and sabotaged. Find and fix every fault before you commit. CAMPAIGN — Descend through six facilities. Saves after every level, but once open, the valve NEVER shuts. LIVING MACHINERY — Treatment units scrub fouled water. Gate valves ship shut. Welded faults resist repair. Cracked floors bleed your reserve. Deep levels stack everything at once. KEEP IT PURE — Water fouls as it travels. Run it too far unwashed and it clogs — then bursts. Route through purifiers, or drop portable filters where you need them. WORLD RECORDS — Post your best runs to a live worldwide leaderboard. Three letters, your level, your time. No account, no sign-up. PERFECT ROUTING — Every clear is graded against par. Zero waste earns three stars. Six facilities. Twenty achievements. One shared tank. Hold the pressure.

Screenshots

Flow4 screens
HydroValve4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flow at none against HydroValve's 1. Flow also leads on ads (none vs shown). HydroValve's advantage is update cadence (daily vs weekly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. HydroValve sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Flow asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flow ships an update weekly, HydroValve daily. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 1 level
Flow versus HydroValve: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlowHydroValve
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg GrinevichAbsoluteNoobStudio

In-app purchases

None

Flow

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

HydroValve

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Flow free?
Flow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HydroValve free?
HydroValve is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Flow or HydroValve have ads?
HydroValve shows ads; Flow does not.
Which is updated more often, Flow or HydroValve?
Flow ships an update weekly, and HydroValve daily. Most recently, Flow was updated on October 16, 2026 and HydroValve on October 9, 2026.

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