Comparison

Threes! vs Rules!

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

Rules!

Engage in a fast-paced, challenging, and fun puzzle game with a hundred levels. Features a daily brain workout for Apple Watch and animated stickers. Offers multiple game modes and unique mechanics.

Highlights
  • Daily Apple Watch brain workout
  • Animated sticker pack
  • Beginner, Expert, or Timeless game modes
  • Multi-touch interface
  • Color perception assistance
  • Surprising new game mechanics
Features
Read full description

• Includes a daily brain workout mini-game for Apple Watch • Includes animated sticker pack • App Store – Best Apple Watch Game of 2015 • App Store – Best of 2014 • German Developer Award 2014 – Best mobile Game • German Video Game Award 2015 – Best mobile Game • Pocket Gamer Awards 2015 Finalist Best Casual/Puzzle Game & Most Innovative Game RULES! is a cute puzzle game that's challenging, fast-paced and fun. • Choose your preferred type of game: Beginner, Expert or Timeless • “What’s presented here is a stylish, original, clever puzzle game that I’m having trouble putting down long enough to write this review.” ~ Gamezebo “A delightfully constructed memory test that grows in complexity and appeal the deeper in you go.” ~ Pocket Gamer “The Coding Monkeys have never released anything that wasn’t utterly brilliant, therefore Rules shall almost certainly be brilliant.” ~ Pocket Tactics Follow RULES! into a hundred level-deep maze of cuteness and order: • Multi-touch interface at its finest • Color perception assistance mode • Whales, Unicorns, Robots and Squirrels! • A plethora of surprising new game mechanics

Screenshots

Threes!4 screens
Rules!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Threes! at 3K against Rules!'s 67. Threes! also leads on chart position (#20 vs unranked) and review sentiment (79% vs 69%). Rules!'s advantage is rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and price ($2.99 vs $5.99). On update cadence, ads, 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

Threes! costs $5.99 and Rules! $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rules! holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Threes! has 3K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Threes!'s written reviews are positive against 69% of Rules!'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, Rules! monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Threes! versus Rules!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThrees!Rules!
Price$5.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.0 (3K ratings)4.2 (67 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.5% of reviews — better68.5% of reviews
Number of ratings3K — better67
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#20 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.2
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSirvo LLC137b

Customer experience

Threes!

All ratings2,994 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.2%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews930 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral7.3%
Negative13.2%

Rules!

All ratings67 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral14.9%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews181 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral14.9%
Negative16.6%

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

Rules!

From 67 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Challenging and fun game
  • 👍 Gorgeous design and smooth UI
  • 👍 Great brain workout
  • 👍 Addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Fair monetization with no ads or IAPs

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Very short time limit
  • 🔁 Having to restart from level 1 after losing
  • 🎨 Colorblind-unfriendly
  • 🤔 Repetitive gameplay with same rule order

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

Rules!

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues, especially on Apple Watch
  • Unresponsive tapping on certain tiles

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to save progress and continue from last level
  • Randomized rule order
  • Difficulty settings with longer time limits
  • Colorblind accessibility options
  • More game modes and challenges

In-app purchases

None

Threes!

No in-app purchases

None

Rules!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Threes! free?
Threes! costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rules! free?
Rules! costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Threes! or Rules!?
Rules! is rated higher. Threes! averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Rules! averages 4.2 from 67 ratings.
Do Threes! or Rules! have ads?
Neither Threes! nor Rules! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Threes! or Rules!?
Threes! ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rules! monthly. Most recently, Threes! was updated on September 24, 2026 and Rules! on September 22, 2026.

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