Comparison

Blackbox vs Brain Test

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

Brain Test

Engage your mind with a collection of clever and surprising puzzles that use misdirection and playful logic. This app offers unconventional challenges designed for casual enjoyment and creative thinking, perfect for solo play or sharing.

Highlights
  • Unconventional puzzle design
  • Surprising twists
  • Simple mechanics
  • Engaging content
  • Family friendly
  • No timers or stress
Features
Read full description

Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles is a collection of clever and surprising puzzles built to entertain through misdirection and playful logic. Each level presents an unexpected challenge, rewarding those who enjoy thinking outside the box. The game doesn’t follow typical puzzle formats. Instead, it encourages experimentation and creativity in a casual, accessible way. Whether you're passing time or sharing the fun with others, each puzzle is designed to entertain with humor and originality. Features: • Unconventional puzzle design with surprising twists • Simple mechanics, engaging content • Suitable for solo play or sharing with friends • A relaxed experience, free from pressure or competition • Family friendly mechanics and graphics. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles is made purely for enjoyment. No timers, no stress—just playful challenges to explore at your own pace. Subscription Terms: VIP PACKAGE: Access offers a weekly subscription, you will have a 3-days FREE trial period, after this period you will be charged. After buying this subscription, you will unlock following features: instant 100 lamps, no ads, double daily gift, 50% cheaper skips and 40% cheaper hints. This is an Auto-renewable subscription. The payment is charged to your account after confirmation. The subscription is renewed unless you turn it off 24 hours before the period ends. Your account will be charged for renewal as well. End of trial and subscription renewal: • The payment is charged to your account after a confirmation of purchase. • The subscription is renewed unless you turn it off 24 hour before the end of the current period. • The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period at the cost of the weekly subscription. • The user may manage the subscription and auto-renewal have to be turned off by going to the user’s account settings after purchase in the Store. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Canceling a trial or a subscription: • If you want to cancel a subscription during its free trial, you have to cancel it through your account in the Store. This must be done at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial period to avoid being charged. For more information, please visit https://support.apple.com/HT207865 for more information If there is questions contact us unico@unicogames.co Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Privacy Policy: https://unicostudio.co/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://unicostudio.co/terms.html

Screenshots

Blackbox4 screens
Brain Test4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Blackbox at none against Brain Test's shown. Blackbox also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 58%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Brain Test's advantage is ratings volume (1.5M vs 109K) and chart position (#2 vs #26). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Blackbox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Brain Test sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Blackbox against 4.8 for Brain Test. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brain Test has 1.5M ratings behind it against 109K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Blackbox's written reviews are positive against 58% of Brain Test's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, Brain Test monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Blackbox versus Brain Test: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackboxBrain Test
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (109K ratings)4.8 (1.5M ratings)
Positive reviews92.5% of reviews — better58.5% of reviews
Number of ratings109K1.5M — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#26#2 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB297 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShapes and Stories LLCUNICO STUDIO

Customer experience

Blackbox

All ratings108,586 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews4,654 reviews
Positive92.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.8%

Brain Test

All ratings1,456,681 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews5,828 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative33.8%

User reviews

Blackbox

From 109K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Brain Test

From 1.5M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun and challenging
  • 👍 Helps sharpen the mind
  • 😊 Addictive and entertaining

Room to improve

  • 🤬 Too many ads
  • 🙄 Ads interrupt gameplay
  • 😒 Ads are repetitive
  • 😠 Ads are unskippable

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

Brain Test

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezes or crashes
  • Hint system not working as expected
  • Inability to exit ads

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and updates
  • Reduce frequency of ads
  • Improve hint system
  • Add difficulty options

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
10 purchases

Brain Test

Subscriptions1
  • VIP Package3 Days trial$3.997 Days
One-time9
  • 250 Lamps$1.99
  • 500 Lamps$2.99
  • Limited Time Offer$3.99
Show 6 more
  • Remove Ads + 1000 bulb$3.99
  • 1000 Lamps$4.99
  • Remove Ads$4.99
  • Coolest Offer$4.99
  • Remove Ads + 250 bulb$4.99
  • 2500 Lamps$9.99

Questions

Is Blackbox free?
Blackbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Brain Test free?
Brain Test is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Blackbox or Brain Test?
Blackbox and Brain Test are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 109K and 1.5M ratings respectively.
Do Blackbox or Brain Test have ads?
Brain Test shows ads; Blackbox does not.
Which is updated more often, Blackbox or Brain Test?
Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, and Brain Test monthly. Most recently, Blackbox was updated on September 24, 2026 and Brain Test on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Blackbox or Brain Test?
Blackbox currently peaks at #26 in the App Store charts, and Brain Test at #2. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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