Comparison

Tangle Maze vs Refract

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

Head to head
About

Tangle Maze

Features
Read full description

Tangle Maze is a puzzle of tangled arrows. Every piece is a winding arrow snake packed tightly into the grid. Tap one and it slides forward along its own body, then shoots straight off the board. If another piece blocks its exit, it bumps and stays put. Clear every piece to win. There are no dead ends and nothing to undo: every board can always be solved. The puzzle is finding the order, because some arrow is always holding the rest of the knot together. FEATURES - Level packs from quick warmups to dense tangles - Shape levels: boards shaped like animals, food, vehicles, and more - Daily puzzle: a fresh board every day - Zen mode: endless relaxed play with no pressure - Star ratings: solve in fewer taps to earn 3 stars - Hints for when a knot has you stuck - Smooth pan and zoom on big boards - Play offline, anywhere, no wifi needed - Free to play HOW TO PLAY 1. Look at the board: a grid full of colorful arrow pieces 2. Tap a piece to send it sliding in the direction of its arrow 3. If the way is clear, it slides off the board. If not, it bumps and stays 4. Untangle piece after piece until the board is empty If you like logic puzzles, knots, or unblock games, this one is for you. There is no timer and no way to lose. Untangling the mess is the whole game.

About

Refract

Test your reflexes in this fast-paced arcade game by matching colors to gates. As the speed increases, the track splits, requiring quick thinking and precise timing to keep your run going. Unlock achievements and compete on global leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Color matching gameplay
  • Increasing pace and difficulty
  • Split-lane gates
  • Unlockable achievements
  • Global leaderboards
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Refract is a fast, focused arcade reflex game about matching colors. Tap through six colors and match each gate before it reaches you. Every match adds to your run. One mistake ends it. As the pace climbs, trapezium gates split the track into two lanes. Read the colors, shift left or right, and keep your timing sharp. The rules are simple. The speed is not. - Match red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet gates - Tap anywhere to cycle your color; swipe or use the arrows to change lanes - Pace rises past 180 gates, with split-lane gates from 60 - Unlock 8 badges, from First Refraction to Prism Elite - Submit your score to the shared daily and all-time leaderboard - Practice in the tutorial without touching your best score - Play offline, with sound you can mute any time - Free to play, no account needed How far can you refract?

Screenshots

Tangle Maze4 screens
Refract4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Refract at none against Tangle Maze's 4. Refract also leads on ads (none vs shown). Tangle Maze's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Tangle Maze sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Refract asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tangle Maze ships an update weekly, Refract fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tangle Maze versus Refract: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTangle MazeRefract
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS1515.0
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperActivatoSurbhi Agrawal

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Tangle Maze

One-time4
  • More Hints$1.99
  • All Levels$1.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Everything$4.99
None

Refract

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tangle Maze free?
Tangle Maze is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Refract free?
Refract is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tangle Maze or Refract have ads?
Tangle Maze shows ads; Refract does not.
Which is updated more often, Tangle Maze or Refract?
Tangle Maze ships an update weekly, and Refract fortnightly. Most recently, Tangle Maze was updated on November 6, 2026 and Refract on November 6, 2026.

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