Parents' Guide to

Polysphere

By Ana Beltran, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Colorful, challenging, confusing 3D puzzle game with ads.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Puzzle Games
Polysphere Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Polysphere: Screenshot #1
  • Polysphere: Screenshot #2
  • Polysphere: Screenshot #3
  • Polysphere: Screenshot #4
  • Polysphere: Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 3 parent reviews

PapaD
PapaD Adult
August 4, 2020
age 7+

Insufferable with ads and too expensive without

This is an ad server with the occasional puzzle, and pricing for getting rid of the ads is outrageous for what you get. The app itself looks ok, albeit with a dated design. Were it a $5 one-off, I wouldn't hesitate. But $8/week is utterly ridiculous.
Marilynmel5
Marilynmel5 Adult
May 28, 2019
age 6+

DEDUCTED FUNDS AFTER I UNINSTALLED APP MONTHS AGO!!!!

This app has been DEDUCTING R129 A WEEK!! I don’t even have the app on my phone!! I deleted is months ago and couldn’t understand why iTunes was deducting from my account every week!!! This app is ridiculously expensive and now I have 2 pending payments still!! SORT THIS OUT!! I WILL NOT PAY FOR SOMETHING I HAVE NOT USED!! I can’t download any other apps because of your ridiculously expensive app that has 2 pending charges which I refuse to pay!! SORT THIS OUT! I have paid for months and never used this app!

This title has:

Too much consumerism
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

POLYSPHERE offers a 3D puzzle experience. Upon launching the game, kids will be directed to "my gallery," where they can see all the pictures they have solved and can tap on a numbered box to unveil a new puzzle. Swipe or slide across the screen to move the pieces 360 degrees. Kids rotate the puzzle pieces until they fit to complete an image. Once the puzzle is complete, kids have the option of saving the image and solving process to the device's camera roll or sharing it directly to Instagram. The app asks for approval to open Instagram beforehand, but it's still easy to access. Polysphere also displays the app's hashtag after the completion of each puzzle. There are a set number of puzzles per collection. Puzzles are revealed as kids make progress through the collections. Kids can control sound, music, Taptic, and eco mode under settings. In-app purchases are advertised in "my gallery," and purchase of membership is required to remove ads and unlock the puzzle of the day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

Bright, colorful, and appealing images and animation don't provide enough engagement to counter the overly commercial, unsupportive, and, at times, confusing 3D puzzle experience. It's definitely fun and satisfying to watch the pieces come together to create captivating pictures, but there's just not enough support available for the more challenging puzzles. Also, the free version of the app is full of ads, making for a choppy experience. At $7.99 for the week or $19.99 for the month, membership is a bit expensive considering what Polysphere offers. Removing the ads does make a difference, but membership doesn't add any other features other than unlocking a daily puzzle. The sharing feature can be fun; however, the consistent prompting to use the hashtag feels more like sharing to promote the app, and the easy access to social media makes it less accessible to kids. During play, Polysphere may offer free artwork for subscribing to Instagram and liking one of its photos. These gimmicks make for a very commercial experience. So while some of Polysphere's features are awesome, they don't outweigh the commercial and potentially confusing experience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about identifying shapes and colors that may go together when playing Polysphere. How can you tell you are getting closer to solving the puzzle? What hints do you look for in the puzzle's shapes? What hints do you look for in the color of the pieces? Questions like these may get kids to begin thinking of strategy.

  • Talk about the sharing feature and what the rules are around using it. Is it OK to access social media via the app?

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
  • Subjects: Math: patterns
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: decision-making, logic, part-whole relationships, solving puzzles, spatial reasoning
  • Pricing structure: Free (Offers in-app purchases from $0.99 - $19.99. $7.99/week or $19.99/mo. for unique pictures and to remove all ads)
  • Release date: January 31, 2019
  • Category: Puzzle Games
  • Publisher: Playgendary GmbH
  • Version: 1.3
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
  • Last updated: February 16, 2020

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