Comparison

The Guides vs Numbly

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

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.

Highlights
  • Daily number challenges
  • Six numbers and operators
  • Target sum puzzles
  • Social sharing
  • Unlimited workout mode
  • Access to answers
Features
Read 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

The Guides4 screens
Numbly4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
The Guides versus Numbly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe GuidesNumbly
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (731 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings731 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer2 Fountains LLCJohn Cahill

Customer experience

The Guides

All ratings731 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral0.5%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews220 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative8.2%

Numbly

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

None

The Guides

No in-app purchases

None

Numbly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Guides free?
The Guides costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Numbly free?
Numbly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Guides or Numbly?
Numbly is rated higher. The Guides averages 4.8 out of 5 from 731 ratings, while Numbly averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do The Guides or Numbly have ads?
Neither The Guides nor Numbly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Guides or Numbly?
The Guides ships an update every 4 months, and Numbly every 4 days. Most recently, The Guides was updated on October 24, 2026 and Numbly on October 17, 2026.

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