Comparison

BYOPuzzles vs Mental Exercise

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

Head to head
About

BYOPuzzles

This app strengthens concentration, memory, and creativity through unique kaleidoscope puzzles. It enhances visual imagery skills, aiding in complex problem-solving and abstract thinking. By analyzing and reorganizing visual elements, users can foster innovation and improve their ability to generalize problem-solving strategies.

Highlights
  • Build custom kaleidoscope puzzles
  • Strengthen concentration and memory
  • Enhance visual imagery skills
  • Improve complex problem-solving
  • Catalyze creativity
  • Develop abstract thinking
Features
Read full description

Build Your Own Puzzles from the pictures that matter to you. BYOPuzzles turns any photo into a set of kaleidoscopes. Your photo is cut into pieces, and each piece is mirrored into a beautiful kaleidoscope. Your challenge: study the highlighted piece of your photo, then find the kaleidoscope that was made from it. It looks simple. It takes real attention. BYOPuzzles was created by Donalee Markus, Ph.D., founder of Designs for Strong Minds®. BYOPUZZLES EXERCISES • Visual discrimination • Concentration and focus • Working memory • Analytical reasoning HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick a photo. Take a photo, choose one from your photo library, or browse our image collection. 2. Choose your level. Beginner (4 pieces), Intermediate (8 pieces) or Expert (12 pieces). 3. Study the purple piece. If you need a little help drag the magnifying to a piece or a kaleidoscope to see details up close. 4. Find the kaleidoscope created from that piece, and tap "That's My Answer." 5. See your results. Every puzzle is shown with the kaleidoscope you chose. Fix any you missed, then try another level. MAKE IT PERSONAL Use photos of family, friends, pets and favorite places. Familiar, meaningful pictures make each puzzle more engaging, and a great way to share a moment together. OR CHOOSE FROM OUR COLLECTION More than 500 images in categories including Illustrations, Trees, Gardens, Art Appreciation, Underwater Life, Tea, National Parks, Volcanoes, Space and Food. You can also explore 3D objects from The Metropolitan Museum of Art: rotate and zoom any object, then freeze a frame to make it a puzzle. DESIGNED TO BE EASY TO USE • Large, high-contrast text and buttons • Clear feedback: green for correct, orange for "take another look" • A narrated How to Play video • Works on iPhone and iPad Whether you play for a few minutes a day, or share it with someone you care for, BYOPuzzles gives your mind a focused, rewarding workout with pictures you love. Designs for Strong Minds® · Clinically applied neuroscience

About

Mental Exercise

A classic card game offering endless levels and a zero-pressure experience for brain training and relaxation. Collect puzzle pieces by clearing games to unlock beautiful artwork. Features unlimited hints, undo, and a magic wand booster.

Highlights
  • Endless solitaire levels
  • Zero-pressure gameplay
  • Unlimited hints
  • Easy undo function
  • Magic Wand booster
  • Jigsaw puzzle collection
  • Unlockable artwork
Read full description

Classic Gameplay, Endless Challenges Welcome to Mental Exercise: Solitaire! This is a classic card game designed for you to train your brain and relax your mind anytime, anywhere. - Endless Levels, Non-stop Fun: The game features infinite levels for you to play, ensuring your solitaire journey never ends. - Zero-Pressure Experience, Practice at Will: There is no time limit for any match. With zero pressure, you can practice freely and challenge yourself to enjoy the purest card game experience. Easy to Play with Powerful Boosters Whether you are a solitaire master or a beginner, you can find your own pace here. To make your gameplay smoother, we provide powerful tools to assist you: - Unlimited Hints: Stuck on a move? One tap to get hints and find your way forward. - Easy Undo: Made a mistake? Undo your last move at any time and try again. - Magic Wand: A powerful booster that helps you resolve difficult situations and clear tough layouts. Collect Jigsaw Puzzles, Unlock Beautiful Pictures In addition to the brain-training fun of solitaire, there is an exciting collection feature waiting for you: - Earn "Shovels": Successfully clear a solitaire game to get an exclusive Shovel item. - Search for Puzzle Pieces: Use your shovels to find hidden jigsaw puzzle pieces. - Complete Beautiful Images: Collect all the pieces to piece together stunning and delightful artwork. Download Mental Exercise: Solitaire now to start your journey of infinite solitaire challenges and puzzle collection!

Screenshots

BYOPuzzles4 screens
Mental Exercise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BYOPuzzles at 100% against Mental Exercise's 0%. BYOPuzzles also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Mental Exercise's advantage is price (Free vs $29.99) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 months). On in-app purchases 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

Mental Exercise is free to download; BYOPuzzles costs $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BYOPuzzles holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mental Exercise has 19 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of BYOPuzzles's written reviews are positive against 0% of Mental Exercise's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BYOPuzzles ships an update every 6 months, Mental Exercise every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
BYOPuzzles versus Mental Exercise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBYOPuzzlesMental Exercise
Price$29.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.7 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings319 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size467 MB191 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDonalee MarkusRAHMAN BIN ADEN

Customer experience

BYOPuzzles

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mental Exercise

All ratings19 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

BYOPuzzles

No in-app purchases

None

Mental Exercise

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BYOPuzzles free?
BYOPuzzles costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mental Exercise free?
Mental Exercise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BYOPuzzles or Mental Exercise?
BYOPuzzles is rated higher. BYOPuzzles averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Mental Exercise averages 4.7 from 19 ratings.
Do BYOPuzzles or Mental Exercise have ads?
Mental Exercise shows ads; BYOPuzzles does not.
Which is updated more often, BYOPuzzles or Mental Exercise?
BYOPuzzles ships an update every 6 months, and Mental Exercise every 2 days. Most recently, BYOPuzzles was updated on October 14, 2026 and Mental Exercise on October 10, 2026.

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