Review Insights · App Store
The Almanac
Krzysztof Janik · 3,575 ratings · ★ 4.5
4.5
★★★★★
3,575 ratings
🎯 Build a better version
Top complaints - extracted from 76 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"daily"
36 negative reviews mention this · 47% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Too many ads. Before this update I paid for no ads and loved it. Now i need ads just to play the daily 4 puzzles. Waste of money" - Chrispy b6
2
"game"
34 negative reviews mention this · 45% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads. This game has some of the worst ads I have ever seen, between gambling and scams. Wtf" - fix cup pong
3
"update"
34 negative reviews mention this · 45% of all complaints
★★★★★ "My streak! This new interface is awful. I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No …" - BallerBallBelle
4
"play"
31 negative reviews mention this · 41% of all complaints
★★★★★ "My streak! This new interface is awful. I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No …" - BallerBallBelle
5
"games"
30 negative reviews mention this · 39% of all complaints
★★★★★ "My streak! This new interface is awful. I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No …" - BallerBallBelle
6
"paid"
29 negative reviews mention this · 38% of all complaints
★★★★★ "My streak! This new interface is awful. I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No …" - BallerBallBelle
7
"watch"
29 negative reviews mention this · 38% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ripoff. Got this when it first came out and paid for the no Ad experience, but they keep changing all the games and setup, I now have to watch ads for everything" - Sarahlovesiu
8
"puzzles"
22 negative reviews mention this · 29% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Too many ads. Before this update I paid for no ads and loved it. Now i need ads just to play the daily 4 puzzles. Waste of money" - Chrispy b6
9
"mode"
21 negative reviews mention this · 28% of all complaints
★★★★★ "My streak! This new interface is awful. I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No …" - BallerBallBelle
10
"every"
17 negative reviews mention this · 22% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ripoff. Got this when it first came out and paid for the no Ad experience, but they keep changing all the games and setup, I now have to watch ads for everything" - Sarahlovesiu
11
"changes"
14 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Too many changes after paying subscription. Deleting this app. After paying for what I thought was the subscription to play daily, after routine updates, changes to UX/UI, and the overall functionality of the game, including now having to watch ads for daily games AND standard games,…" - RynoJin
12
"playing"
13 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "My streak! This new interface is awful. I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No …" - BallerBallBelle
📋 All 76 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Ads
This game has some of the worst ads I have ever seen, between gambling and scams. Wtf
My streak! This new interface is awful
I paid for Zen mode a few months ago and had been enjoying being able to play all of the games in both easy and hard mode. The April update was annoying but manageable. This update however broke the app- no choice in what games to play? No choice in playing regular and hard mode? No ability to do anything independently? Not to mention all of the lagging, unnecessary animations that get in the way of any semblance of the games that exist. I don’t understand how this went so wrong, but it’s wrong enough that I won’t play unless it’s reverted back to what it was. 67 day streak to 0 in one update. Booooooo
Ripoff
Got this when it first came out and paid for the no Ad experience, but they keep changing all the games and setup, I now have to watch ads for everything
Change for the worse
I don't know what's going on, but playing the easy version is a bore and it's started wasting time giving out stupid encouragement messages. Canceled subscription.
Terrible Update; Scammed Out Of Money
I paid for the Zen Mode, which allowed me to play the current day’s games with no ads. A few days later, they rolled out a terrible update. Along with the update, I now have to watch an ad to play the current day’s game. So, what was the point of paying for no ads? Scammed out of $9.99, simple as that. On top of that, there is no way to contact any customer support within the app. What was once a great app is now just a money grab. Planning on reporting the app and requesting a refund if not fixed.
UPDATE: It’s been two weeks, nothing is fixed. Reported the app to Apple and requested a refund. Apple refunded me. I suggest everyone else do the same.
UPDATE: It’s been two weeks, nothing is fixed. Reported the app to Apple and requested a refund. Apple refunded me. I suggest everyone else do the same.
Too many ads
Before this update I paid for no ads and loved it. Now i need ads just to play the daily 4 puzzles. Waste of money
Crazy ads
The game used to be really good, and the format as well. Up until a month ago where they changed everything and now all they want you to do is watch ads.
Too Many Ads
I previously purchased Zen mode (to long ago to req a refund). New update has restricted me to 4 with no control over difficulty or the daily puzzles without watching tons of ads.
Latest update ruined the app
Only one option is unlocked by default. Everything else is opened by an ad watch or a sub. No thanks.
UPDATE: Over a week later, no changes
One would have thought the developers would have noticed the low ratings since mid-April and decide to revert back to less ads. Still, however, you have to watch ads just to start playing. I refuse, and many others refuse as well. My review is now one star. If they would lessen the ads, this game would be a five-star game. I would have paid for zen mode if it was worth it as well.
Thanks for nothing, developers. You ruined a good game and lost my (and many others, it seems) business.
Thanks for nothing, developers. You ruined a good game and lost my (and many others, it seems) business.
new animations are horrible
seriously i have never seen an app where the developers have worse ADHD. for the love of god STOP WITH THE CONSTANT CHANGES
the animations are slow, cumbersome, distracting, and genuinely unneeded. why is it that every single week something about this app needs to change? i’m about to delete this and find another daily puzzle app because i cannot stand it, every time i open it up something has been tweaked, added, removed, overhauled, etc. etc.
honestly you already have a great app. is this just to give the dev team work? please just leave it alone!!
edit: you changed the mambo colors? i’m done, goodbye almanac. i can’t handle the nonstop edits no one asked for. lost a paying subscriber because you can’t just leave it alone
the animations are slow, cumbersome, distracting, and genuinely unneeded. why is it that every single week something about this app needs to change? i’m about to delete this and find another daily puzzle app because i cannot stand it, every time i open it up something has been tweaked, added, removed, overhauled, etc. etc.
honestly you already have a great app. is this just to give the dev team work? please just leave it alone!!
edit: you changed the mambo colors? i’m done, goodbye almanac. i can’t handle the nonstop edits no one asked for. lost a paying subscriber because you can’t just leave it alone
So much disappointment
This was a great app. I really enjoyed the collection of puzzles and added it to my daily routine, paid $10 to remove the ads and things were great for a while. Unfortunately, the app began to go through a number of changes about a month ago which seemed to remove (free) access incrementally each upgrade and now requires watching ads to do anything. Seems like the developer decided ripping people off is a good business model. Don’t waste your money!
Not good anymore
The devs have made the game worse and more ad filled every update
New Update Is Bad
Game was amazing for a while, puzzles were good, but the new update looks like it was written with bad AI. There are mistakes everywhere, the puzzles are too easy. Just go back to a previous update.
Bro stop
Everything costs money now
Puzzles not worth the ads.
The puzzles are interesting, but they aren’t worth the ads you have to sit through.
Paid for nothing
I paid for no-ads for daily games which worked great for months. Then in April 2026, they completely changed the structure so now the daily games are behind ads again!! What did I even pay for?? Wish I could get my money back
New update ruined things
The April 2026 update basically turned the game into a 1-to-1 ratio of game time to ad time, which is disappointing. What used to be one ad to play 4 mini games now has turned into 3-4 minutes of the same ad over the course of 4 mini games that takes only 3-4 minutes to complete.
New update is disappointing
I usually never update my apps (for reasons like this) but I got so excited about the idea of an impossible mode that I jumped the gun and updated. (Terrible mistake).
I have to say this is starting to make sense though because I was still averaging 1:30 seconds on challenge mode pipes while the user average was down to 30 seconds and I was like?? Did y’all unlock some kind of secret without me? LOL
Turns out it’s because all the puzzles got extremely dumbed down to make way for an “impossible mode” that will mostly likely be at the same difficulty the challenge mode used to be.
But i’m most upset at having to watch ads to unlock hard mode now after paying for zen mode precisely because I didn’t want to watch ads (which wasn’t cheap AT ALL). I’m hoping this isn’t the case for every daily challenge but I guess ill find out tomorrow…
If one update is already showing signs of greed taking over the app, I’m not looking forward to seeing what even more updates will do to this app over time. I now feel like I’ve paid for a completely different service than I signed up for because the puzzles are way easier, and now ‘hard mode’ is more comparable to what standard mode used to be.
If I’m not being challenged anymore by the one ad free level I get, what’s the point of even playing? I can’t imagine how monthly/annual subscribers in infinite mode are feeling right now, especially since the number of additional games dwindled as well. If hard mode is locked behind a daily ad now, I’m considering zen mode a total waste of money.
I have to say this is starting to make sense though because I was still averaging 1:30 seconds on challenge mode pipes while the user average was down to 30 seconds and I was like?? Did y’all unlock some kind of secret without me? LOL
Turns out it’s because all the puzzles got extremely dumbed down to make way for an “impossible mode” that will mostly likely be at the same difficulty the challenge mode used to be.
But i’m most upset at having to watch ads to unlock hard mode now after paying for zen mode precisely because I didn’t want to watch ads (which wasn’t cheap AT ALL). I’m hoping this isn’t the case for every daily challenge but I guess ill find out tomorrow…
If one update is already showing signs of greed taking over the app, I’m not looking forward to seeing what even more updates will do to this app over time. I now feel like I’ve paid for a completely different service than I signed up for because the puzzles are way easier, and now ‘hard mode’ is more comparable to what standard mode used to be.
If I’m not being challenged anymore by the one ad free level I get, what’s the point of even playing? I can’t imagine how monthly/annual subscribers in infinite mode are feeling right now, especially since the number of additional games dwindled as well. If hard mode is locked behind a daily ad now, I’m considering zen mode a total waste of money.
Robbed of purchase
Most recent update made my real money purchase obsolete. Money lost. Stuck watching ads again, paying for a different subscription, or just quitting.
Turn for the worse!
Sadly this app has gone the way of so many. Nothing now but an add heavy cash grab. It’s a shame that obviously clever developers can’t be bothered to notice that the most successful apps do not have forced adds, ever. This app is now more adds than play.
Used to love this app
The April 2026 app is destroying my love for this app. I’ve played this daily for 276 days, but this update makes me want to delete the whole app. Reverse this!
Horrible update
Latest update makes the puzzles a chore with no control over what games to play. Will revisit when/if they revert
Recent Update killed this for me
This game used to be chill fun but now all my daily streaks are gone & then i have to watch an ad to even do dailies. So instead I just do training which gives me an ad every other game. I was going to buy the no ad tier but then realize it was only for daily ads. Pricing model. Sucks and it’s made the game worse and worse. I’m never subscribing to play simple brain games. Cool app that is getting killed by its attempt to monetize and it’s sad.
Ruined with ad load
Locked multiple features behind unskippable and manipulative slop ads, plays ads after nearly every 1-2 minute puzzle. They broke the game with this intolerable ad load.
Refund zen mode payment
If you are now going to lock the daily challenge, you need to refund everyone who paid for zen mode
Paid for nothing
Paid for the ad-free mode only to have to watch ads for the daily puzzles anyway. Had a 70+ day streak going but this update messed everything up.
Disappointed
Bought zen mode and then they did something so now I still have to watch ads just to unlock daily challenges. What was the reason!
Paid to remove ads and then they added ads back
I paid to remove ads and now with the recent changes it says I have to watch an ad to play the daily games! There is also no way to contact support to address this!
Pay to STILL watch ads?
Now I can’t even play the daily puzzles without watching an ad? No. Absolutely not. I’ve already given you money. I don’t know why you’re so keen on ruining something we enjoyed. You’ll never get another cent from me and I will die before I watch ads to play a game I already paid for.
weird updates
finally the updates have grown up on me, but now the dailies seem paid/ad-locked? thats the only feature i like from this game, so its a shame how much its been affected
Bait and switch
I paid for the ad free ‘zen’ mode several weeks ago and it was great but now I am being forced to watch ads again to access the daily puzzles. Please refund my money or remove ads from my experience.
ruined a great game
i have never been so disappointed in an app that i felt compelled to leave a review. i have had this app for at least 6 months if not more, and have truly enjoyed the app and its place in my routine so much. however, recently it seems like every other day the app goes through yet another unnecessary, unwanted, and frankly horrible update. i paid for zen mode a while back because i love the daily puzzles and wanted to play the daily challenges free of ads, as well as support the creators of an app that i truly love. opening up the app today to see that i needed to watch ads to unlock daily puzzle modes truly broke my trust in the app. this is exactly what i paid to not have to experience. the new endless level feature is so unnecessary and counterintuitive to how the app is marketed and the concept it was based upon; daily brain training challenges, and a non-addictive game that does not go on endlessly and can thus keep my attention for longer. pivoting away from this and into a level mode was highly disappointing and has been ruining the app for me, and the ads on the daily challenges were simply the last straw. this app has been a huge favorite of mine and my whole family’s for months, and now none of us can stand it and are so disappointed that what we all paid for is not what we are getting. truly upsetting.
Don’t Trust Them
Listen, this game changes a lot. But I’ll tell you now, don’t trust it when buying zen or unlimited mode. I originally bought zen mode to play the daily games without ads. Then the app changed, and changed again to bring back daily games, but now I’m required to watch ads again just to play them??? What is the purpose of zen mode if ads are still required? It feels like the developers are just chasing the money bag.
Update ruined it
I used to use it daily, the newest update has made this app borderline unusable. I paid for Zen Mode, and now I still have to sit through Ads just to unlock the daily games? How does that make any sense? It was much better before, and it looked better too. Awful experience now. Go back to the old format and maybe my review will change
No longer free - stole my $
I paid $10 for the ad free version and now they’re forcing ads to play the daily challenges
Updates make prior subscription worthless
Last month I paid the $10 for the “lifetime” subscription for no/less ads (except for hints). But with recent updates, I still have to watch ads before unlocking a day’s puzzles, making this subscription moot. So frustrating and feels like a scam. I’ve requested a refund from Apple but not holding my breath. I really liked the puzzles before the latest updates so this is really disappointing.
Updated from 1 star to 3 stars then back
New: Why do I have to watch an ad to unlock today’s puzzles? I paid $10 for zen mode??? I think this guy is scamming
Old: The Dev updated this game and brought back what I liked :) the UI is still a little rough, and I wish there was a way to turn off the animations. But we are so close to being back!
Old: The Dev updated this game and brought back what I liked :) the UI is still a little rough, and I wish there was a way to turn off the animations. But we are so close to being back!
Used to be Great
I loved this app and played two games every day. Now, with the most recent update you have to play them in the order they want you to play them. I no longer have a choice as to which ones I want to play. Taking away my choice is a game changer! Not going to recommend this app any longer and will be deleting it. Too bad… I really enjoyed it.
Everything paid now?
So you change the format slightly back to how it was before, adding back the other games to the daily challenge, but now you make me watch an ad or pay to access even the standard daily challenge? What the hell are you guys doing?
Go back to the old format
Was a great app until they changed it.
Please keep changing the UI and format
I really hate how consistent this app’s interface is. Please change it more, so that whenever I sit down to relax by playing this app it is really annoying.
Cash grab app
I got this app abt a month and a half ago and I hade a streak of almost 40 days I enjoyed the puzzles even tho they were easy and thee were few ads and I liked the clue system that doesn’t just give you an answer it teaches you the game , the app felt like a personal thought game. I recommended the app to some of my friends and my friend tried to play but she didn’t have a streak like I did the next day my app got update to look like my friends and I understood why she didn’t enjoy it, girls y I lost my streak then I tries to play today and my streaks back but I have to watch an add to “unlock” the four daily puzzles and the puzzles are significant easier than before, which would be fine but there is a 30 second add between every puzzle overall the app lost its cozy feel it’s litterally just a cash grab app
The update is terrible
This game has gone through many updates since I’ve started playing. This new update is the absolute worse. Please change it back and please stop with the drastic changes!
Awful new format. Instant delete.
Used to like being able to select which puzzles I wanted. Now I’m forced to play through a predetermined set and locked out off everything else. Instant delete.
App sucks now
I used to love this app but the new change to just levels and no ability to select the games you want and go back to previous days sucks. I’m paying for this app to have access to all the past days and several different games. Go back to how it was before.
New layout is terrible!
I loved this app until this week’s update. It’s terrible now. It only lets you see four of the puzzles for the day instead of all of them and it makes me play them in a specific order. I paid for Zen mode and I still never figured out exactly what that got me BUT I used to be able to watch one ad and unlock an entire prior day’s worth of puzzles and now it wants me to watch an ad for every puzzle on a different day? And this is after I already paid for something? This was my every morning activity because the puzzles are great. Now it’s going in the trash and I’ll stick to NYT games which has a reasonable annual subscription price and full access to archives. You ruined a good thing.
Update made this game unplayable
Couldn't play for a few days and came back to this mess and cancelled my subscription almost immediately. What kind of update takes away the entire impetus of the game? Streaks are gone, puzzles are completely dumbed down, and there are unskippable animations every other second that make the app experience untenable. Genuinely sad to see a simple and clean experience disappear in favor of whatever this is.
ADS GALORE
Great game! Can be a good brain teaser and scratches that itch. BUTTTTT like every greedy person in the world, every single puzzle has an ad after it. And as if that’s not bad enough, the devs make the app require WiFi/cell data so you can’t bypass the ads. Greedy greedy greedy. Smh.
Bad update
I loved playing this game and had almost a full year streak. Then an update happened and took away my full streak and didn’t even improve the game at all. Great game that was just made terrible
+ 26 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
87%
Positive (4-5★)
4%
Neutral (3★)
9%
Negative (1-2★)