Blackbox vs Arcane Chain
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Touchless gameplay
- Minimalistic visual clues
- Sonic interfaces
- Haptic feedback
- External puzzle solving
- Easter eggs
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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.) ■
Arcane Chain
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Contains NO ads and NO in-app purchases. Play whenever you like and for as long as you like. No internet connection is required. Let this flow state puzzle game calm your mind and take you on a journey. Seamless persistent game sessions allow open this game and resume exactly where you left off anytime you need a few minutes to relax and center yourself. Gameplay is simple, but rewards strategy, spatial reasoning, planning, and resourcefulness.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Blackbox at Free against Arcane Chain's $1.99. Blackbox also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks) and chart position (#36 vs unranked). Arcane Chain's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On ads 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
Blackbox is free to download; Arcane Chain costs $1.99 up front. Blackbox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Arcane Chain asks for nothing beyond the download.
Blackbox ships an update every 9 days, Arcane Chain every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blackbox | Arcane Chain |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (110K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 110K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #36 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 209 MB | 410 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Shapes and Stories LLC | Evergreen Bytes |
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
Arcane Chain
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Blackbox
- Tiny Hint Pack$1.19
- Small Hint Pack$2.39
- Erudite Pack$2.99
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- 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
Arcane Chain
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Blackbox free?
Is Arcane Chain free?
Do Blackbox or Arcane Chain have ads?
Which is updated more often, Blackbox or Arcane Chain?
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