Comparison

Colorbs vs Cardinal Chains

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

Head to head
About

Colorbs

A minimalistic puzzle game blending falling blocks and match-3 mechanics. Strategically move rows to match three or more orbs before they stack too high. Enjoy endless gameplay with achievements and leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Minimalistic design
  • Falling blocks and match-3 blend
  • Strategic row movement
  • Endless gameplay
  • Achievements and leaderboards
  • Challenge friends
Features
Read full description

Colorbs is a puzzle game that will play with your brain and strategic thinking, carefully designed by one person in minimalistic style and vibe. Featured by Apple in "Best New Games" worldwide! It is a nice blend between "falling blocks" and "match-3" games. Move rows and match orbs in groups of three or more. Then wait for new blocks coming from the top of the screen. Do not allow your orbs stack too high! Colorbs is completely free to play. Features: - Endless gameplay - 9 colors, 10 orb types, 11 figures - Achievements - Leaderboards - Challenge your friends on Game Center - Universal app (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) Try also my other games: Commander Pixman, Matchblocks and Boxed Ball! www.one-minute-games.com @oneminutegames

About

Cardinal Chains

A minimalist puzzle game where players link numbers in non-decreasing sequences to fill a monochrome grid with color. It offers a relaxing experience with a handcrafted soundtrack and elegant design, free from timers or ads.

Highlights
  • 500 unique handcrafted puzzles
  • Non-decreasing sequence gameplay
  • Chill-out soundtrack
  • Minimalist design
  • Customizable color themes
  • Achievements and cloud saves
Features
Read full description

Cardinal Chains is a minimalist puzzle game centering on the concept of non-decreasing sequences. Each puzzle begins with a monochrome grid of numbers, plus a few colored cells marked with an X. Starting at these cells, you must link up numbers in non-decreasing order until the whole grid is filled with color. • 500 unique, carefully handcrafted puzzles of varying difficulty, each with a single solution • Beautiful, lengthy chill-out soundtrack created by accomplished professional artists • Minimalist, elegant design without timers, ads, purchases or other hassles - just pure gameplay • Several built-in color themes, including colorblind options. Or... • ...make your own color themes - right from within the game! • Features achievements and cloud saves

Screenshots

Colorbs4 screens
Cardinal Chains4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cardinal Chains at 100% against Colorbs's 30%. Cardinal Chains also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and ads (none vs shown). Colorbs's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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

Colorbs is free to download; Cardinal Chains costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cardinal Chains holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Colorbs's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cardinal Chains's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Colorbs ships an update every 3 months, Cardinal Chains every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Colorbs versus Cardinal Chains: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColorbsCardinal Chains
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.0 (53 ratings)4.9 (24 ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings53 — better24
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB101 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOne Minute GamesDaniel Nora

Customer experience

Colorbs

All ratings53 ratings
Positive71.7%
Neutral9.4%
Negative18.9%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive29.7%
Neutral8.1%
Negative62.2%

Cardinal Chains

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Colorbs

No in-app purchases

None

Cardinal Chains

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Colorbs free?
Colorbs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cardinal Chains free?
Cardinal Chains costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Colorbs or Cardinal Chains?
Cardinal Chains is rated higher. Colorbs averages 4.0 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Cardinal Chains averages 4.9 from 24 ratings.
Do Colorbs or Cardinal Chains have ads?
Colorbs shows ads; Cardinal Chains does not.
Which is updated more often, Colorbs or Cardinal Chains?
Colorbs ships an update every 3 months, and Cardinal Chains every 5 months. Most recently, Colorbs was updated on October 13, 2026 and Cardinal Chains on October 8, 2026.

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