Simple Machines by Tinybop vs ASL Handshape Games
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Machines by Tinybop
Explore the playful side of physics and learn about simple machines through interactive experiments. Kids can discover how levers, pulleys, and other mechanisms work by building and testing them in a digital sandbox environment. This app is designed to spark curiosity and understanding of scientific principles.
- Explore 6 simple machines
- Experiment with real-world physics
- Investigate physics at work
- Learn about force and motion
- Kid-friendly design
- Interactive labels in 40+ languages
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Explore the playful side of physics! “I just love how apps like these get kids genuinely excited about science." — COOL MOM TECH Experiment with levers, pulleys, inclined planes, inclined planes, wedges, wheel and axles, and screws. Discover how they work and investigate the invisible forces behind them in this sandbox app. Destroy a castle, make music, send satellites into orbit & more! *** App Store Editor's Choice *** *** Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner *** Simple Machines integrates with STEM curriculum: kids can alter and test each machine to learn about force and motion, actions and reactions, inputs and outputs, conservation of energy, mechanical advantages, and tradeoffs. Get free activity sheets at tinybop.com. Simple Machines is No. 4 in Tinybop’s Explorer’s Library series, designed for curious kids ages 4+ to dive deep into big ideas. The apps in this series have won Best of the App Store, App Store Editors’ Choice, Parents’ Choice, and Children's Technology Review Editor’s Choice awards. Features: * Explore 6 simple machines: levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, wheel and axles, and screws. * Experiment with real world physics, actions and reactions, inputs and outputs. Learn about force and motion. * Investigate the physics at work behind each machine. * Sophisticated sound design rewards experimentation. * Original artwork by James Gilleard. * Smart features use your device’s camera to bring your kids’ world into the app. * Learn new vocabulary in 40+ languages with interactive labels. * Intuitive, safe, and kid-friendly design. * Entertaining for kids and adults alike. FREE handbook Our expert-reviewed handbook is full of facts, interaction hints, and discussion questions to support learning in this app, in the classroom or at home. Download in your app or at: http://tinybop.com/handbooks. Privacy Policy We take your and your child’s privacy very seriously. We do not collect or share personal information about your child, nor do we allow any third-party advertising. When the camera, microphone, and other services are used within an app, your information is neither collected nor distributed outside of the app. Read our complete privacy policy at tinybop.com. Tinybop, Inc. is a Brooklyn-based studio of designers, engineers, and artists. We make toys for tomorrow. We’re all over the internet. Visit us: www.tinybop.com Follow us: twitter.com/tinybop Like us: facebook.com/tinybop Peek behind the scenes: instagram.com/tinybop We love hearing your stories! If you have ideas, or something isn’t working as you expect it to, please contact us: hi@tinybop.com. Compatible with iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, 6, 6 Plus, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2, 3, mini, and Air. **This app is optimized for iPad 2 and iPhone 5 or higher. Requires iOS 7.0 or later. psst! It's not Tiny Bop, or Tiny Bob, or Tiny Pop. It's Tinybop.
ASL Handshape Games
Interactive penguin-themed games designed to enhance ASL handshape recognition and build sign and print vocabulary. These dual-language games are co-designed with Deaf children to foster early language and literacy skills.
- ASL handshape recognition
- Sign and print vocabulary learning
- Interactive penguin-themed games
- Dual language (ASL-English)
- Progressive difficulty levels
- Memory and matching challenges
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Co-designed with Deaf children, these dual language (ASL-English) games target ASL handshape recognition and sign and print vocabulary learning! This bundle includes 3 interactive penguin-themed games that encourage ASL handshape recognition, awareness of visual language patterns, and sign and print vocabulary learning - all important early language and literacy skills! Endless Waddle: Players must help the penguin move through 3 lanes on an icefield and select one picture/text (from a choice of 3) that matches a target ASL handshape. Beware of ice holes! Hungry Penguins: Penguins are standing along a shore and are waiting to be fed! But these penguins are picky eaters! They'll only eat fish whose picture/text matches the ASL handshape on their belly. Memory Match: Test your ASL handshape knowledge with this game of memory and concentration. Build your memory skills while improving your sign vocabulary and/or your print vocabulary. Hungry Penguins and Memory Match feature 2 gameplay options: Picture mode or Text mode supporting sign and/or print vocabulary learning and practice! Note: This app does not contain any audio.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ASL Handshape Games at 100% against Simple Machines by Tinybop's 37%. ASL Handshape Games also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.7). Simple Machines by Tinybop's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 32 months) and ratings volume (62 vs 1). On price, 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
Simple Machines by Tinybop costs $2.99 and ASL Handshape Games $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ASL Handshape Games holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Machines by Tinybop has 62 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Simple Machines by Tinybop's written reviews are positive against 100% of ASL Handshape Games's.
Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, ASL Handshape Games every 32 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple Machines by Tinybop | ASL Handshape Games |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | 3.7 (62 ratings) | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 62 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 32 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 316 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tinybop Inc. | Sign2Read Literacy Initiatives, Inc. |
Customer experience
Simple Machines by Tinybop
ASL Handshape Games
Bugs and requests
Simple Machines by Tinybop
Reported bugs
8 issues- Crashes immediately on launch
- Cannot install after purchase
- App crashes after loading screen
- No sound
- Does not work
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- Download issues
- Does not open
- Chinese language not displayed
Requested features
8 requests- Add a creative building mode
- More levels and modules
- Sandbox mode
- Ability to build own machines
- More interactive elements
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- Add more complex mechanisms
- Improve wheel and axle interaction
- Allow bringing up planets in pulley game
ASL Handshape Games
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Simple Machines by Tinybop
No in-app purchases
ASL Handshape Games
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Simple Machines by Tinybop free?
Is ASL Handshape Games free?
Which has better reviews, Simple Machines by Tinybop or ASL Handshape Games?
Do Simple Machines by Tinybop or ASL Handshape Games have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simple Machines by Tinybop or ASL Handshape Games?
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