Finite levels · Fixed queue · Free, no ads
A Threes alternative
where every level has an answer.
Threes is the original number slider. It was Apple's iPhone Game of the Year for 2014 and an Apple Design Award winner, made by Asher Vollmer and Greg Wohlwend with music by Jimmy Hinson. A 1 and a 2 make a 3, a small hint shows what kind of tile comes next, a cast of tile characters keeps you company, and you play until the board locks up. It is still maintained and has aged well. Millrace is a tile puzzle that also uses a slide-and-merge move, with a different goal. Each of its 64 levels has a fixed queue of arriving tiles and a move limit, you build one exact number on the marked cell, and the result card compares your moves with a proven shortest solution.
How does Millrace compare to Threes?
In Threes you survive an endless board. In Millrace you solve a finite level.
What a game asks of you
Millrace: Build one exact number (exactly 64, say) on the marked cell within the move limit. The result card shows your move count, your best, and the best possible, which is the proven shortest solution.
Threes: Keep the board alive as long as you can. The run ends when no move is left, and your score is counted from the tiles still on the board, with bigger tiles worth far more.
Threes: Keep the board alive as long as you can. The run ends when no move is left, and your score is counted from the tiles still on the board, with bigger tiles worth far more.
What you can see coming
Millrace: The status line shows how many tiles are still to arrive and which one is next. Every tile lands on the same arrival cell, and the queue is fixed, so nothing in a level is random.
Threes: A small indicator shows what kind of tile is next: blue 1, red 2, or white 3-and-up. It slides in from the edge opposite your swipe, on a row or column that moved, so you plan a step ahead and adapt.
Threes: A small indicator shows what kind of tile is next: blue 1, red 2, or white 3-and-up. It slides in from the edge opposite your swipe, on a row or column that moved, so you plan a step ahead and adapt.
How a move plays out
Millrace: Slide the tiles, and equal tiles merge. You lose if you block the arrival cell so the next tile has nowhere to land, or if you build past the target (a 128 when the level asked for 64). Undo inside a level is free.
Threes: Each swipe moves tiles one space. A 1 and a 2 make a 3; from 3 up, only equal tiles combine. Drag without letting go to peek at a move before you commit.
Threes: Each swipe moves tiles one space. A 1 and a 2 make a 3; from 3 up, only equal tiles combine. Drag without letting go to peek at a move before you commit.
Structure and length
Millrace: 64 levels in six chapters, from Warm-up, which teaches the rules, to Mastery. Freeplay adds an endless board with no goal, stats and streaks, and a Daily Challenge that gives every player the same board each day.
Threes: One endless mode you return to run after run, with Game Center leaderboards and achievements. Every game plays out differently.
Threes: One endless mode you return to run after run, with Game Center leaderboards and achievements. Every game plays out differently.
Price
Millrace: Free in full, including all 64 levels, Freeplay, Hint, and coaching notes. Optional theme packs ($1.99 each, or $5.99 for all 16), undo bundles for Freeplay from $0.99, and a $1.99 tip. No ads and no subscription.
Threes: $5.99 once, with no in-app purchases. Threes! Freeplay is the free, ad-supported edition; Threes!+ is included with Apple Arcade.
Threes: $5.99 once, with no in-app purchases. Threes! Freeplay is the free, ad-supported edition; Threes!+ is included with Apple Arcade.
Privacy and platforms
Millrace: No account and no tracking, and no analytics or advertising SDKs. The whole game plays offline. iPhone and iPad, in 40 localizations.
Threes: The paid edition is labeled Data Not Collected; the Freeplay edition's label lists identifiers used to track you. iPhone and iPad, plus Android, Steam, and a browser version, in 13 languages.
Threes: The paid edition is labeled Data Not Collected; the Freeplay edition's label lists identifiers used to track you. iPhone and iPad, plus Android, Steam, and a browser version, in 13 languages.
| Feature | Millrace | Threes |
|---|---|---|
| The goal | Build one exact number on the marked cell | Survive as long as you can |
| Structure | 64 levels in six chapters, plus endless Freeplay | One endless mode |
| What you see coming | How many tiles are still to arrive, and the next one | The kind of tile that comes next |
| Randomness | None in the 64 levels | New tiles vary from game to game |
| Ways to lose | Block the arrival cell, or build past the target | Run out of moves on a full board |
| Measure of success | Moves used vs the proven shortest solution | Final score, weighted toward big tiles |
| Help | Hint with a one-line reason, and coaching notes after a game | Next-tile indicator; drag to peek at a move |
| Price | Free; optional themes, undos, and a tip; no ads | $5.99 once, no in-app purchases; free Freeplay edition with ads |
| Privacy | No account and no tracking | Label: Data Not Collected (paid); Freeplay: identifiers used to track |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad | iPhone and iPad, plus Android, Steam, and web |
| Best for | A puzzle with an exact answer you can reason out | The original endless number slider, and its charm |
Threes details were checked on 24 September 2026 against the public App Store listings for Threes!, Threes! Freeplay, and Threes!+. Prices, privacy labels, and editions can change, so check before installing.
Which to pick: Threes or Millrace
Pick Millrace if you want…
- Levels that end, each with a proven shortest solution
- A fixed queue of arriving tiles, so nothing in a level is random
- An exact target and a move limit instead of a high score
- A free Hint and coaching notes when you want them
- A free game with no ads, no account, and no tracking
Pick Threes if you want…
- The 1 + 2 = 3 rules and the next-tile hint the game was built around
- Endless runs where every game plays out differently
- A cast of tile characters and a warm soundtrack
- One $5.99 purchase with no in-app purchases, or the Apple Arcade edition
- Android, Steam, or a browser as well as iPhone and iPad
If Threes' rules and personality are what you love, keep playing Threes; it still holds up. Pick Millrace when you want a puzzle that ends in an answer instead of a score.
About Millrace
Questions
FAQ
What is a good alternative to Threes?
It depends on what you want. If you want Threes itself without paying $5.99, Threes! Freeplay is the free, ad-supported edition and Threes!+ is included with Apple Arcade. If you want a different puzzle built on a slide-and-merge move, Millrace is free with no ads. Each of its 64 levels has a set board, a fixed queue of arriving tiles, and a move limit, and asks you to build one exact number on the marked cell; every level has a proven shortest solution. It also has an endless Freeplay board and a Daily Challenge with the same board for every player.
How is Millrace different from Threes?
Threes is endless survival. A small indicator shows what kind of tile comes next, each swipe moves tiles one space, a 1 and a 2 make a 3, and the game ends when no move is left, scored by the tiles still on the board. Millrace is a set of 64 finite levels. The queue of arriving tiles is fixed, every arrival lands on the same arrival cell, and you must build one exact number on the marked cell within a move limit. You can lose in two ways, by blocking the arrival cell or by building past the target, and the result card shows your moves next to the proven shortest solution.
Is there a free version of Threes?
Yes. Threes! Freeplay is free on the App Store and is the ad-supported edition; the developer's release notes describe earning plays through ads, and its privacy label lists identifiers used to track you. Threes!+ is the Apple Arcade edition, with no ads or in-app purchases, included with an Arcade subscription. The original Threes! costs $5.99 once, with no in-app purchases. Millrace is free in full with no ads; its only purchases are optional theme packs, undo bundles, and a tip.
Does Millrace show the next tile like Threes does?
Yes, and it also tells you how many tiles are still to arrive. In Threes a small indicator tells you what kind of tile arrives next (a 1, a 2, or a 3 and up), and the tile enters from the edge opposite your swipe, on a row or column that moved. In a Millrace level the status line shows how many tiles are still to arrive and which one is next, and each one lands on the same arrival cell. The queue is fixed in advance and nothing in a level is random, so you can reason it all the way through.
Is Millrace endless like Threes?
The campaign is not. It has 64 levels in six chapters, from Warm-up, which teaches the rules, through Tactics, Pressure, Precision, and Deep Water to Mastery. For endless play there is Freeplay, a slide-and-merge board with no goal and no move limit, with stats for your best score and streaks, and a Daily Challenge that gives every player the same board each day.
Do Threes and Millrace collect any data?
Millrace has no account, no tracking, no ads, and no analytics or third-party SDKs, and your progress stays on your device. The whole game plays offline; only the shop, Game Center, and links you open need a connection. The paid Threes! is labeled Data Not Collected. Threes! Freeplay, the ad-supported edition, lists identifiers used to track you, and Threes!+ on Apple Arcade lists usage data not linked to you. Privacy labels are reported by developers and can change, so check the current listing before installing.
Try it
Open Millrace
Sixty-four levels, each with one exact target and a proven shortest solution. Free, with no ads or account.
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