Comparison

Blackbox vs PinQuest

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

Head to head
About

Blackbox

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
Read full description

So you think you understand this thing you’re holding? Think again. Stop tapping. Stop swiping. In fact, stop touching the screen at all. To crack Blackbox’s puzzles you’ll need to find solitude and stillness, climb mountains, call on friends, get in tune with the cosmos, and think outside the box. Minimalistic visual clues make for incredibly satisfying “Aha!” moments, while sonic interfaces provide an extra level of guidance and nuance that makes Blackbox accessible with or without vision. Thoughtful haptic feedback, Easter eggs on Easter eggs, and solutions that can’t be found beneath the glass of your screen redefine what a puzzle can be. You’ll never see your device the same way again. Think you’re clever? Prove it. (Blackbox is a living game under active development by Ryan McLeod. When not eating burritos or drinking coffee, he’s busy designing and developing new Blackbox challenges.) ■

About

PinQuest

Explore a fantasy 3D map and test your Olympic knowledge by answering questions. Challenge others in quick quizzes to earn points and climb the leaderboard.

Highlights
  • Explore 3D fantasy map
  • Answer Olympic trivia
  • Compete in quick quizzes
  • Climb leaderboards
  • Earn points
Features
Read full description

PinQuest is a fun game where you can discover an exciting world full of surprises and test your Olympic knowledge. Your quest is to explore the fantasy 3D map and earn points by answering questions. You can also challenge other athletes and team members in quick-fire quizzes and earn more points. Reach the top of the leaderboard by testing your Olympic knowledge! Are you ready? Download and play today!

Screenshots

Blackbox4 screens
PinQuest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Blackbox at 93% against PinQuest's 33%. Blackbox also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). PinQuest's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Blackbox holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackbox has 109K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Blackbox's written reviews are positive against 33% of PinQuest's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, PinQuest every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Blackbox versus PinQuest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackboxPinQuest
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (109K ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews92.6% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings109K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#33 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB1.1 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShapes and Stories LLCInternational Olympic Committee

Customer experience

Blackbox

All ratings108,586 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews4,662 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.8%

PinQuest

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

Blackbox

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Hints not working as expected
  • Progress reset after app update

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

PinQuest

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Blackbox

One-time10
  • Tiny Hint Pack$1.19
  • Small Hint Pack$2.39
  • Erudite Pack$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Push Pack$2.99
  • Coffee for Ryan$4.49
  • Basic Pack$4.99
  • Medium Hint Pack$5.00
  • All Knowing Pack$7.99
  • Large Hint Pack$10.00
  • Extra Large Hint Pack$20.00
None

PinQuest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blackbox free?
Blackbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PinQuest free?
PinQuest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blackbox or PinQuest?
Blackbox is rated higher. Blackbox averages 4.8 out of 5 from 109K ratings, while PinQuest averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Blackbox or PinQuest have ads?
Neither Blackbox nor PinQuest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blackbox or PinQuest?
Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, and PinQuest every 2 months. Most recently, Blackbox was updated on September 26, 2026 and PinQuest on September 21, 2026.

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