threesThrees! is a simple puzzle game that's easy to pick up but difficult to master. Made by Greg Wohlwend and Asher Vollmer, developers that have been behind some popular apps like Puzzlejuice, Hundreds, and Ridiculous Fishing, Threes!' gameplay can be distilled down into a single easy-to-grasp concept: combine blocks in factors of three to create ever increasing numbers.

Gameplay consists of sliding numbered blocks onto one another to form higher numbers, but some important rules turn an easy concept into a challenging puzzle. Only like numbers can combine together, for instance, 3 and 3, to form a 6, which can then only combine with another 6. 1 and 2 are limited to combining with each other.

Each slide produces additional numbers on the board, and the idea is to continually clear numbers by combining them, because the game ends when the board is full. Our sister site TouchArcade has published a review of Threes!, essentially calling it simple, accessible, and well-designed.

threesgif

Games of Threes! quickly escalate to an epic dance of block management, as much like the classic puzzlers we grew up on, you're given a hint of what's coming next in the form of a red "2" block, a blue "1" block, or a white numbered block. When you slide the blocks in a direction, whatever block is next slides in from the opposite direction, leaving you with a shocking amount of things to consider each time you place your thumb on the screen.

For each flawless movement, without some intense analysis, there's also an equal chance that you’ll accidentally make an unintended combination and in turn wind up with a block you can't immediately using junking up one side of the game board.

TouchArcade gives Threes! five stars and says that it is "about as close as it gets to a perfect mobile game." The site has also posted a TA Plays video depicting the gameplay.


Threes! is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

critter13 Avatar
154 months ago
Quit complaining

I dont understand how people still complain about apps or products having a story and claiming they are ads. Some of the best apps, or best deals on apps, I have downloaded have been from a "story" on here. I would rather have read about a new interesting game or app than read super sketchy rumors, it keeps the site fresh and the editors seem have pretty good judgement so why not??
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stridemat Avatar
154 months ago
Just downloaded and it seems like a good commuter game!

Fun game.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
154 months ago
This is just an ad dressed up as a rumor/story :mad:

Nope. We (editors) share content that we find interesting and that we think other people might find interesting as well. Threes! is a game that I personally have been playing and a game that our sister site TouchArcade has ranked highly, which is why I shared it here.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
154 months ago
I've been wondering about these kinds of posts too.

Or is it just the new apps that bother to send a press release to MacRumors? (seems like that number would be way higher).

Gary

We only share things we find interesting and that get a lot of attention from other sources as well. Threes! is a game from a set of developers that have produced some very well-known games.

If we were sharing new apps that we received press releases for, you would see non-stop posts!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jessica Lares Avatar
154 months ago
Just bought it. It's a lovely game. It has those special touches that only a really artistic developer would do (music, names given to numbers as if they were characters, and the confetti when you make a new high score). The gameplay is simple, but challenging. My highest score this far is 999.

I'm not a fan of casual games, but this is a nice exception.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
td241 Avatar
154 months ago
What's with all the ********? Complain about flappy bird instead. Threes is a really great game.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...