The Guides vs Numbly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Hundreds of challenging codes and puzzles
- Interactive ciphers
- Fragmented story to unravel
- Integrated decoding tools (Morse, binary)
- Screenshot saving for clues
- Distress support system
Read full descriptionHide 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
Numbly
Engage in a daily numerical puzzle where you use six numbers and operators to reach a target sum. Enjoy unlimited gameplay in workout mode and share your achievements with friends. Access answers to help you progress through challenging math puzzles.
- Daily number challenges
- Six numbers and operators
- Target sum puzzles
- Social sharing
- Unlimited workout mode
- Access to answers
Read full descriptionHide full description
Embark on a daily journey of numerical mastery with our immersive puzzle game! Each day, face a fresh challenge, utilizing six numbers and operators to crack the target sum. But the excitement doesn't end there – share your triumphs with friends on social media, fueling the competitive spirit! Immerse yourself in engaging gameplay, where strategic planning and clever arithmetic lead to victory. Experience endless mathematical exploration in our training mode, where the fun never stops! Engage in unlimited gameplay, tackling challenging puzzles. Need a little guidance? No problem! Access the answers whenever you need them to keep the momentum going. Ready to join the fun and showcase your math prowess?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Numbly at Free against The Guides's $2.99. Numbly also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). The Guides's advantage is ratings volume (731 vs 6) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.1). On 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
Numbly is free to download; The Guides costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Numbly 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 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of The Guides's written reviews are positive against 100% of Numbly's.
The Guides ships an update every 4 months, Numbly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Guides | Numbly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (731 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 731 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 2 Fountains LLC | John Cahill |
Customer experience
The Guides
Numbly
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
Numbly
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Guides
No in-app purchases
Numbly
No in-app purchases









