Comparison

On the line vs Blackbox

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

Head to head
About

On the line

Control your finger in a thrilling endless runner where you must stay on a constantly generated line. Unlock new game modes and challenges by completing objectives. Compete with friends on global leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Finger as main character
  • Generated mazes
  • Score comparison with monuments
  • Unlockable game modes
  • Game Center leaderboards
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

On the line is a fast paced endless runner and for the first time your finger is the main character! It’s never been so easy to play, you just have to hold your finger on the screen and try to stay on the line as long as possible… - Generated maze, each time you play it's different. - Compare the distance travelled with world famous monuments heights. - Complete monuments to unlock new game modes, objectives and background colors. - Compare your score with friend on the game center leaderboard

About

Blackbox

This puzzle game challenges you to solve intricate problems without touching the screen. It utilizes minimalistic visual cues, sonic interfaces, and haptic feedback to guide you through unique challenges that require thinking outside the box. Discover a new way to interact with your device and prove your cleverness.

Highlights
  • Touchless gameplay
  • Minimalistic visual clues
  • Sonic interfaces
  • Haptic feedback
  • External puzzle solving
  • Easter eggs
Features
Read full description

So you think you understand this thing you’re holding? Think again. Stop tapping. Stop swiping. In fact, stop touching the screen at all. To crack Blackbox’s puzzles you’ll need to find solitude and stillness, climb mountains, call on friends, get in tune with the cosmos, and think outside the box. Minimalistic visual clues make for incredibly satisfying “Aha!” moments, while sonic interfaces provide an extra level of guidance and nuance that makes Blackbox accessible with or without vision. Thoughtful haptic feedback, Easter eggs on Easter eggs, and solutions that can’t be found beneath the glass of your screen redefine what a puzzle can be. You’ll never see your device the same way again. Think you’re clever? Prove it. (Blackbox is a living game under active development by Ryan McLeod. When not eating burritos or drinking coffee, he’s busy designing and developing new Blackbox challenges.) ■

Screenshots

On the line4 screens
Blackbox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Blackbox at Free against On the line's $0.99. Blackbox also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (109K vs 140). On the line's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.6). On rating, 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

Blackbox is free to download; On the line costs $0.99 up front. On the line sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Blackbox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for On the line against 4.8 for Blackbox. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackbox has 109K ratings behind it against 140, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of On the line's written reviews are positive against 93% of Blackbox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

On the line ships an update every 4 months, Blackbox every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
On the line versus Blackbox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOn the lineBlackbox
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (140 ratings)4.8 (109K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.6% of reviews92.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings140109K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#173#34 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB209 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperKevin ChoteauShapes and Stories LLC

Customer experience

On the line

All ratings140 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews156 reviews
Positive77.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative15.4%

Blackbox

All ratings109,239 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews4,745 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.9%

User reviews

On the line

From 140 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
  • 🎵 Excellent soundtrack and audio design
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive mechanics
  • 🎯 Perfect for casual gaming and time-filling
  • 💡 Innovative and unique concept

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Hit detection inaccuracy
  • 🎨 Lacks Retina display support
  • 😴 Becomes repetitive over time
  • ⚠️ Aggressive music (subjective)
  • 🎮 Limited obstacle variety

Blackbox

From 109K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Unique and creative gameplay
  • 🤔 Challenges users to think outside the box
  • 😄 Humorous and witty comments
  • 🔑 Utilizes phone features in innovative ways

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Extremely challenging puzzles
  • 💰 Expensive for additional content
  • 🤖 Concerns about app accessing device permissions
  • 🚗 Puzzles requiring travel/location are inaccessible for some

Bugs and requests

On the line

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • False collision detection when finger not touching edges
  • Moving obstacles don't accelerate with game speed
  • Game continues when paused, causing unfair deaths
  • Progress lost after app updates
  • Game runs extremely slow after recent updates
Show 5 more
  • Long UDK startup animation delay
  • Lag occurring around 160cm mark
  • Download failures on certain devices
  • Leaderboard shows 'No Items' instead of rankings
  • Inconsistent obstacle speed in extreme mode

Requested features

8 requests
  • More diverse obstacle patterns and track pieces
  • Retina display support for sharper graphics
  • Adjustable game screen size for different devices
  • Additional measurement units besides centimeters
  • Ability to skip certain level designs
Show 3 more
  • Pink background option
  • Faster game speed progression
  • Better visual feedback for failed attempts

Blackbox

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Hints not working as expected
  • Progress reset after app update

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to earn hint credits through watching ads
  • Include more free puzzles
  • Improve accessibility for users with limited mobility
  • Provide better guidance and instructions for puzzles

In-app purchases

1 purchases

On the line

One-time1
  • Unlock all game modes$1.99
10 purchases

Blackbox

One-time10
  • Tiny Hint Pack$1.19
  • Small Hint Pack$2.39
  • Erudite Pack$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Push Pack$2.99
  • Coffee for Ryan$4.49
  • Basic Pack$4.99
  • Medium Hint Pack$5.00
  • All Knowing Pack$7.99
  • Large Hint Pack$10.00
  • Extra Large Hint Pack$20.00

Questions

Is On the line free?
On the line costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Blackbox free?
Blackbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, On the line or Blackbox?
Blackbox is rated higher. On the line averages 4.7 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while Blackbox averages 4.8 from 109K ratings.
Do On the line or Blackbox have ads?
Neither On the line nor Blackbox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, On the line or Blackbox?
On the line ships an update every 4 months, and Blackbox every 9 days. Most recently, On the line was updated on October 24, 2026 and Blackbox on October 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, On the line or Blackbox?
On the line currently peaks at #173 in the App Store charts, and Blackbox at #34. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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