# Blackbox vs Empty.

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Empty. at none against Blackbox's 10. Empty. also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). Blackbox's advantage is ratings volume (109K vs 2.4K) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blackbox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Empty. asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Blackbox against 4.8 for Empty.. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackbox has 109K ratings behind it against 2.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 93% and 93% positive.

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, Empty. monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackbox | Empty. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (109K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbox/id962969578/reviews) | [4.8 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empty/id1191062782/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **109K** | 2.4K |
| Positive reviews | 92.6% of reviews | **92.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 209 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shapes and Stories LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/962969577) | [Maksym Dzitsiuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1191062781) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbox/id962969578)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Free · Trivia, #86 Top Grossing · Trivia (US App Store)

This puzzle game challenges you to solve intricate problems without touching the screen. It utilizes minimalistic visual cues, sonic interfaces, and haptic feedback to guide you through unique challenges that require thinking outside the box. Discover a new way to interact with your device and prove your cleverness.

**Highlights:** Touchless gameplay, Minimalistic visual clues, Sonic interfaces, Haptic feedback, External puzzle solving, Easter eggs

**Features:** Family Sharing, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Hint Pack | $1.19 | one-time |
| Small Hint Pack | $2.39 | one-time |
| Erudite Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Push Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coffee for Ryan | $4.49 | one-time |
| Basic Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Hint Pack | $5.00 | one-time |
| All Knowing Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Large Hint Pack | $10.00 | one-time |
| Extra Large Hint Pack | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique and creative gameplay
- 🤔 Challenges users to think outside the box
- 😄 Humorous and witty comments
- 🔑 Utilizes phone features in innovative ways

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely challenging puzzles
- 💰 Expensive for additional content
- 🤖 Concerns about app accessing device permissions
- 🚗 Puzzles requiring travel/location are inaccessible for some

**Reported bugs**

- Hints not working as expected
- Progress reset after app update

**Requested features**

- Add ability to earn hint credits through watching ads
- Include more free puzzles
- Improve accessibility for users with limited mobility
- Provide better guidance and instructions for puzzles


### Empty.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empty/id1191062782)

A relaxing puzzle game designed to help you unwind and appreciate simplicity. Rotate rooms to clear them using intuitive one-touch controls. Enjoy a peaceful experience with a beautiful soundtrack and over 25 handcrafted levels.

**Highlights:** Unique room rotation puzzles, One-touch controls, No ads or paid content, Accessible for all ages, 25+ handcrafted levels, Original soundtrack

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌙 Calming and relaxing
- 👍 Simple and intuitive gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful color palette and aesthetics
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 💡 Unique and innovative concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Game is too short
- 🤔 Some levels require precise alignment
- 🔇 No option to turn off background music

**Reported bugs**

- Certain objects not disappearing as expected
- Glitches on specific levels

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Difficulty settings or options
- Ability to save progress


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackbox free?

Blackbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Empty. free?

Empty. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Blackbox or Empty.?

Blackbox and Empty. are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 109K and 2.4K ratings respectively.

### Do Blackbox or Empty. have ads?

Neither Blackbox nor Empty. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blackbox or Empty.?

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, and Empty. monthly. Most recently, Blackbox was updated on October 3, 2026 and Empty. on October 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*