Comparison

The Guides vs Bubble Tap

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

Head to head
About

The Guides

Embark on a journey of challenging codes, puzzles, and interactive ciphers that test your wit and imagination. Unravel a fragmented story by finding clues and patterns, utilizing integrated decoding tools and a distress support system.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of challenging codes and puzzles
  • Interactive ciphers
  • Fragmented story to unravel
  • Integrated decoding tools (Morse, binary)
  • Screenshot saving for clues
  • Distress support system
Features
Read full description

Featured by Apple in: 15 Most Mind-Bending Puzzlers, 15 Most Mysterious Games, The Best Games You’ve Never Played, Challenge Your Brain, Best New Games * * * * * “Best Mobile Games of 2015” — CNET “Best iOS Games of 2015” — Apple ‘N’ Apps “Best One Handed Mobile Games for Long Commutes” — Appcessories * * * * * Consisting of hundreds of extremely challenging codes, puzzles and interactive ciphers, The Guides is a journey that will challenge your wit, stretch your imagination and test your ingenuity in unique and innovative ways. Simply stated, they’re not easy. Progressing will be difficult, but you have the appropriate tools at your disposal. Everything you need to proceed is — or has been — provided. Look for clues and patterns to build on what you have learned. Remember what you have seen as for no detail is too subtle or insignificant. As you explore deeper, you’ll begin to unravel the enigma of The Guides. Peculiar, isn't it? • • • • • • • "From the word 'Go'... it tells you nothing. And you have to work it out for yourself. And that, my friends, that is cool." James Gilmour for App Spy "The Guides gets under your skin... you’ll find yourself thinking about it outside of the game and coming back for more." Jennifer Allen for 148apps "The Guides is one of the year’s most interesting puzzle games. It’s a beautifully designed toy box filled with an enormous variety of code-breaking ciphers and visual riddles..." Owen Faraday for Pocket Tactics "It's brilliant, uncompromising, satisfying, and one of the best games I have ever played on my phone... quite possibly on any platform." chanandler of App Army for Pocket Gamer • • • • • • • • Four Sections and 100 pages embedded with countless challenges. • Meticulously designed interactive puzzles and ciphers with each being more unique than the last. • Piece together the fragmented story to reveal the source of the messages. • Various game mechanics such as the code interface screen and the title bar to provide added layers of support. • Integrated decoding tools — including morse, binary and many more — to assist you on your journey. • Ability to save screenshots to keep track of invaluable clues and notes. • A distress support system is available if you find yourself stuck, but use sparingly, for your transmissions are limited. Official Site: theguidesapp.com General Inquiries: info@theguidesapp.com Twitter: twitter.com/theguidesapp Facebook: fb.com/theguidesapp Instagram: instagram.com/theguidesapp

About

Bubble Tap

Tap groups of 2 or more same-colored bubbles to pop them and earn points. Choose between Standard and Color modes, customize your background, and compete on global leaderboards. Earn bonus bubbles or purchase packs to enhance gameplay.

Highlights
  • Two game modes: Standard & Color
  • Customizable screen background
  • Bonus bubble mechanic
  • Global Leaderboard integration
  • Achievements and game stats
  • Undo last tap functionality
Features
Read full description

Bubble Tap is a bubble popper game where tapping on groups of 2 or more adjacent bubbles of the same color causes them to pop. The bigger the group you pop, the bigger the bonus - so the more you score! Play either Standard Mode (where all bubbles popped have the same value) or Color Mode (where different colored bubbles have different values). Earn a Bonus Bubble every 10 games that can be used to pop a single bubble & help build bigger groups. Your highest score goes on the Game Center leaderboard & you can earn achievements including long pop sequences, high scores & the number of games played. FEATURES: - 2 game modes - Standard & Color - Customizable screen background (take a photo or select an image from your device) - Bonus bubble after every 10 games, or purchase Bonus Bubble packs - Floating tap score indicator - Undo last tap - Top 10 high scores list - Global Leaderboard - Achievements - Game Stats

Screenshots

The Guides4 screens
Bubble Tap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bubble Tap at Free against The Guides's $2.99. Bubble Tap also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). The Guides's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment 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

Bubble Tap is free to download; The Guides costs $2.99 up front. Bubble Tap sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. The Guides asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bubble Tap holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Guides has 731 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of The Guides's written reviews are positive against 83% of Bubble Tap's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Guides ships an update every 4 months, Bubble Tap every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
The Guides versus Bubble Tap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe GuidesBubble Tap
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (731 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.7% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings731 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer2 Fountains LLCColin Lyders

Customer experience

The Guides

All ratings731 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral0.5%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews219 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative8.2%

Bubble Tap

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

The Guides

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Puzzle solutions not being accepted correctly
  • App crashes or freezes when switching between puzzles

Requested features

3 requests
  • More frequent updates and new content
  • Improved UI and accessibility options
  • Hint system or gradual difficulty scaling

Bubble Tap

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

The Guides

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Bubble Tap

One-time4
  • Bonus Bubble 10 Pack$0.99
  • No Ads Upgrade$0.99
  • Bonus Bubble 25 Pack$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Bonus Bubble 50 Pack$2.99

Questions

Is The Guides free?
The Guides costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bubble Tap free?
Bubble Tap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Guides or Bubble Tap?
Bubble Tap is rated higher. The Guides averages 4.8 out of 5 from 731 ratings, while Bubble Tap averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do The Guides or Bubble Tap have ads?
Bubble Tap shows ads; The Guides does not.
Which is updated more often, The Guides or Bubble Tap?
The Guides ships an update every 4 months, and Bubble Tap every 2 months. Most recently, The Guides was updated on September 22, 2026 and Bubble Tap on June 3, 2026.

Other comparisons