Finite levels · Whole queue in view · Free, no ads
A Threes alternative
where you see every tile coming.
Threes is the original number slider — 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 it has aged well. Millrace is a tile-delivery puzzle that also uses a slide-and-merge move, but asks a different question: in each of its 64 levels you see the whole arrival queue before your first move, deliver one exact value to one marked cell within a move budget, and measure yourself against a proven shortest solution.
How does Millrace compare to Threes?
An endless board you survive, and a finite level you solve. Here's where each one fits.
What a game asks of you
Millrace: Build one exact value — exactly 64, say — on one marked cell before the move budget runs out. The result card shows how many moves you used and, if you used more than necessary, 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 — bigger tiles are 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 — bigger tiles are worth far more.
What you can see coming
Millrace: The whole queue of arriving 2s and 4s, before your first move. Every tile lands on the same marked inlet at the board's edge, 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: Swipe to slide the board; matching numbers combine when they collide. Two ways to lose: slide a tile over the inlet so the next arrival has nowhere to land, or merge past the target — a 128 when the level asked for a 64 can't be rebuilt.
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, pinned to exact solution depth — 5 moves in Warm-up up to 10 or more in Mastery, one move deeper each chapter. Freeplay adds an endless board with no goal, personal bests, streaks and a daily board shared by every player.
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 — all 64 levels, Freeplay, Hint and the Coach. Optional theme packs ($1.99 each, or $5.99 for all 16), undo bundles from $0.99 and a $1.99 tip. No ads, 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: Data Not Collected — no account, no analytics, no networking code, so it plays fully offline. iPhone and iPad, in 34 languages.
Threes: The paid edition is also 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 also 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 | Deliver one exact value to one marked cell | Survive as long as you can |
| Structure | 64 levels in six chapters, plus endless Freeplay | One endless mode |
| What you see coming | The whole arrival queue, before move 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 inlet, or merge 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 reasons and a post-game Coach, both optional | 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 |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Collected | 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 — verify before installing.
Honest verdict — Threes is the original, and it holds up
Pick Millrace if you want…
- Levels that end, each with a proven shortest solution
- The whole arrival queue in view before your first move
- An exact target and a move budget instead of a high score
- Hint and a post-game Coach when you want them — both optional
- A free game with no ads, no account and a Data Not Collected label
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 has earned its place. Millrace is for when you want a puzzle that ends in an answer rather than a score.
About Millrace
Questions
FAQ
What is a good alternative to Threes?
If you want Threes itself for free, Threes! Freeplay is the ad-supported edition and Threes!+ comes with Apple Arcade. If you want a different puzzle built on a slide-and-merge move, Millrace is free with no ads — 64 levels where you see the whole arrival queue in advance and build one exact value on one marked cell within a move budget, each with a proven shortest solution.
How is Millrace different from Threes?
Threes is endless survival: a hint shows what kind of tile comes next, and the game ends when no move is left. Millrace is 64 finite levels: the whole queue is visible, every tile arrives at one marked inlet, and you must deliver an exact value within a move budget. You lose by blocking the inlet or merging past the target.
Is there a free version of Threes?
Yes — Threes! Freeplay is free and ad-supported, with plays earned through ads, and Threes!+ is included with Apple Arcade. The original Threes! is $5.99 once with no in-app purchases. Millrace is free in full with no ads; its purchases are optional themes, undo bundles and a tip.
Does Millrace show the next tile like Threes does?
It shows the whole queue. Threes tells you what kind of tile comes next — a 1, a 2, or a 3 and up — and it enters from the edge opposite your swipe. A Millrace level shows every arriving 2 and 4 before your first move, and each one lands on the same marked inlet.
Is Millrace endless like Threes?
The campaign isn't — 64 levels in six chapters, from 5-move solutions in Warm-up to 10 or more in Mastery. Freeplay is: an endless board with no goal or move limit, personal bests, daily streaks and a daily board shared by every player.
Do Threes and Millrace collect any data?
Millrace is labelled Data Not Collected and has no networking code, so it plays fully offline — the privacy policy has the detail. The paid Threes! is also Data Not Collected. Threes! Freeplay lists identifiers used to track you, and Threes!+ lists usage data not linked to you. Labels are self-reported and can change.
Try it
Open Millrace
Sixty-four levels, one inlet, and every tile in view. Free, no ads, no account.