Comparison

Threes! vs holedown

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

Head to head
About

Threes!

A captivating number-sliding puzzle game that offers an endless challenge. Swipe to combine matching numbers, grow your score, and discover adorable characters. This is a complete, buy-once experience with no in-app purchases or ads.

Highlights
  • Number sliding puzzle gameplay
  • Endless challenge
  • Adorable characters
  • Heart-warming soundtrack
  • No in-app purchases
  • Universal app for iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

Threes is tiny puzzle that grows on you. This is the buy-once-play-forever version. ³ Apple Game of the Year 2014!! ³ Apple Design Award 2014 Winner ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ “You might as well delete Candy Crush Saga now.” ~ Pocket Gamer “It's surprisingly adorable, for a game starring numbers.” ~ Joystiq “It’s the kind of game that embosses the rules on your brain within 30 seconds, but then compels you to spend the next two hours playing.” ~ Pocket Tactics ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Explore our little game’s deep challenge and grow your mind beyond imagination. Optimized for iOS8 and human brains. Universal app for iPhone and iPads. ³ Endless challenge from one simple game mode ³ An endearing cast of characters ³ A heart-warming soundtrack ³ No IAP - Threes is a complete experience the moment you download it Honorably mentioned for Excellence in Design by the Independent Games Festival. ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ From the makers of PUZZLEJUICE: ³ Designed by Asher Vollmer ³ Illustrated by Greg Wohlwend (Ridiculous Fishing, Hundreds) ³ Scored by Jimmy Hinson (Black Ops 2, Mass Effect 2) ³ Optimized by Hidden Variable (Bag It!, Tic Tactics) ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Threes grows with you and you’ll grow with Threes.

About

holedown

Dig deep underground by strategically shooting balls to break blocks and reach planet cores. Collect crystals for upgrades and master bouncing patterns in this charming, minimalist game with an original soundtrack. Enjoy hours of gameplay with procedurally generated planets and multiple modes.

Highlights
  • Dig through six planets
  • Collect crystals for upgrades
  • Procedurally generated planets
  • Original space acid soundtrack
  • Endless play mode
  • Intuitive one-handed play
Features
Read full description

Dig deep underground by shooting balls and breaking blocks, traversing your way to the planet cores. With limited shots per round and some blocks fixed firmly to the wall, thoughtfully strategize and aim for maximum impact. Knock down as many blocks as possible while collecting crystals for upgrades and getting deeper beneath the surface. Choose your ideal upgrades such as more starting balls, more shots per round, or storing more crystals, based on your play style and overall strategy. Work your way into the procedurally generated planets with a delightful spectacle of bouncing as you get closer to the planet’s core. Balance your plan between ball bouncing patterns and unpredictable, surprising bounces in this mesmerizing and curious game oozing with charm. Immerse yourself in a world of extravagant minimalistic art while jamming out to an original space acid soundtrack as you feel the satisfaction of digging further underground. Features: • Six planets to dig through • Original soundtrack of seven diverse and space-acid themed tunes • A tight experience with 5+ hours of gameplay’ • Intuitive, one-handed play • Endless play mode • 5 achievements • 11 leaderboards • Split view support • Toggle for screen shake

Screenshots

Threes!4 screens
holedown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Threes! at every 3 weeks against holedown's every 9 months. Threes! also leads on ratings volume (3K vs 398) and chart position (#37 vs #123). holedown's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and price ($3.99 vs $5.99). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Threes! costs $5.99 and holedown $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

holedown holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Threes! has 3K ratings behind it against 398, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Threes!'s written reviews are positive against 72% of holedown's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Threes! ships an update every 3 weeks, holedown every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Threes! versus holedown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThrees!holedown
Price$5.99$3.99 — better
Rating4.0 (3K ratings)4.3 (398 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews — better71.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3K — better398
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#37 — better#123
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSirvo LLCwebbfarbror AB

Customer experience

Threes!

All ratings2,994 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.2%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews931 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral7.3%
Negative13.3%

holedown

All ratings398 ratings
Positive79.6%
Neutral9.5%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews202 reviews
Positive71.8%
Neutral14.4%
Negative13.9%

User reviews

Threes!

From 3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Addictive and engaging gameplay
  • 🎨 Charming art style and music
  • 🕹️ Simple yet challenging mechanics
  • 💰 Worth the purchase price
  • 🕰️ Great for short bursts of play

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues on some devices
  • 🔄 Repetitive gameplay can become monotonous
  • 🤖 Randomness and lack of control can be frustrating
  • 💲 Paid version has unnecessary ads and distractions

holedown

From 398 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Satisfying physics and animations
  • 🎨 Charming visuals and audio
  • 💰 Fair pricing, no ads or IAPs

Room to improve

  • 🔚 Short campaign length
  • 🔁 Lack of replayability after completion
  • 🔇 No option to disable sound effects
  • 🐛 Occasional save data loss

Bugs and requests

Threes!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch for some users
  • Unresponsive controls and swipe detection issues
  • Syncing problems with Game Center

Requested features

4 requests
  • Undo/redo functionality
  • Customizable difficulty levels
  • Ability to save/load game progress
  • Leaderboards and achievements

holedown

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Save data randomly resets
  • Gameplay freezes after certain actions
  • Sound effects not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More planets/levels
  • Diverse block types and gameplay mechanics
  • Ability to skip crystal counting animation
  • Cloud save sync between devices

In-app purchases

None

Threes!

No in-app purchases

None

holedown

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Threes! free?
Threes! costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is holedown free?
holedown costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Threes! or holedown?
holedown is rated higher. Threes! averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while holedown averages 4.3 from 398 ratings.
Do Threes! or holedown have ads?
Neither Threes! nor holedown shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Threes! or holedown?
Threes! ships an update every 3 weeks, and holedown every 9 months. Most recently, Threes! was updated on October 15, 2026 and holedown on October 13, 2026.
Which is more popular, Threes! or holedown?
Threes! currently peaks at #37 in the App Store charts, and holedown at #123. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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