When comparing Threes! vs Strata, the Slant community recommends Strata for most people. In the question“What are the best puzzle games for Android?” Strata is ranked 4th while Threes! is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose Strata is:
The game scales to any resolution so you can have it in a window on the side.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro No time limit to solve the puzzles
There's no time limit to force the issue, but that doesn't matter, because it's so damnably slick to both the touch and the brain that you'll throw moves out with the same speed and grace that climbing into a tiny boat forbids.
Pro Ideal for phones
Being a portrait style game that has large graphics that are meant to be played with one hand, Threes! fits better on a smaller screen device such as phones more so than a tablet.
Pro Pick up and play
A puzzle game should be quick and easy to pick up and play, but deep and challenging enough that it’s difficult to put down - that’s the cliche ideal. Threes is the embodiment of that ideal.
Pro Rewarding
The sense of reward one feels as title are combined makes for a very enjoyable game, no matter how many times it is played.
Pro Easy to learn, hard to master
Pro A free version is available
A free, ad-supported version was released on June 10, 2015 and is available here.
Pro Gameplay suits anyone's style
Threes! can suit anyone's play style, whether it is someone who takes their time and considers all option or someone who just blazes through each move without much forethought.
Pro Supports flexible window resolutions
The game scales to any resolution so you can have it in a window on the side.
Pro Addictive gameplay that steadily increases in difficulty
While the gameplay starts out as being quite straightforward (therefore easing the player into the game), the difficulty does build as one continues to play.
Pro Original design and gameplay
The minimalistic look of the game as well as the way the gameplay works is quite original while still staying intuitive.
Pro 2D minimalistic "weaving" that requires thinking in 3d
While represented in 2D the puzzle solving aspect of the game requires thinking in terms of "levels" as one would while weaving.
Cons
Con Randomness of game can be frustrating
The randomness of what new tiles appear can be frustrating when nothing is lining up very well.
Con Too easy if you figure out the pattern
The pattern behind the puzzles isn't the simplest, but if you can figure it out, you can solve any of the puzzles quickly.
Con Includes in app purchases
Strata is an upfront paid game at $2.99 which is why it is disappointing to see that in app purchases later apply.
Con No level generator
Even though the levels could easily be automatically generated, there is no level generator.
Con Short
The game can be beaten in about six and a half hours, which is really not all that long for a PC game. Of course originally this was a mobile phone game, which shows its roots in the length.