Report updated May 4, 2026
Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD
For casual mobile gamers seeking physics-based puzzle challenges and fans of the established Om Nom character franchise.
Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD is an established games app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.6/5 rating from 1.1M reviews, it shows polarized user reception. Users particularly appreciate nostalgic puzzle gameplay remains engaging and mentally stimulating for long-term fans of the series, though aggressive ad frequency disrupts the core puzzle experience for players on the current version remains a common concern.
What is Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD?
Cut the Rope: Time Travel is a physics-based puzzle game featuring Om Nom and his ancestors across 12 historical eras on iOS and Android.
Users hire the app for low-stakes, character-driven puzzle solving that rewards spatial logic, serving as a reliable casual-gaming habit.
Current Momentum
v1.12 · 1mo ago
Maintenance- Shipped character weight balance changes.
- Updated Sheriff badge visual assets.
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Core gameplay loop requiring players to cut ropes and manipulate gadgets to feed candy to two characters simultaneously.
12 distinct historical settings, including Medieval, Renaissance, and Industrial Age, each introducing unique environmental mechanics.
How much does it cost?
- Free-to-play with ad support on Android
- Paid version at $0.99 on iOS
Hybrid model utilizing a $0.99 upfront cost on iOS and a free-to-play, ad-supported model with IAP on Android.
Who Built It?
ZeptoLab UK
Creating tactile, character-driven physics puzzles that leverage the iconic Om Nom brand to engage casual gamers across generations.
Portfolio
13
Apps
What other apps does ZeptoLab UK make?
Explore the full ZeptoLab UK report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by ZeptoLab UK.
What do users think recently?
High confidence · Latest 100 of 113 total reviews analyzed · Based on 113 reviews. Signal may be noisy.
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate nostalgic puzzle gameplay remains engaging and mentally stimulating for long-term fans of the series, but report aggressive ad frequency disrupts the core puzzle experience for players on the current version.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
What Users Want
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD?
How's The Games Market?
How does it evolve in the Games market?
The title maintains a stable presence in the puzzle category, but the monetization strategy on Android lags behind modern standards. The $0.99 iOS entry point versus the ad-heavy Android model creates a fragmented user experience that complicates cross-platform retention.
Rank progression
227 active rankings tracked — 30-day window
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
Directly competes in the physics-based delivery sub-genre with a similar 3-star level progression system and character-driven puzzles.
Differentiators
- Fluid-physics mechanics requiring environmental manipulation
- Character-centric narrative progression
Head to head
Target should pivot toward 'era-specific' gameplay innovations to differentiate from the standard fluid-delivery mechanics of the nemesis. Focus on leveraging the 'two-monster' feeding mechanic as a unique social or dual-input puzzle challenge that the nemesis lacks.
Contenders(3)
Popcore GmbH
A logic-heavy physics puzzle game that has captured a massive casual audience with similar level-based progression and object manipulation.
Differentiators
- Simple pull-to-release mechanics
- High-volume, bite-sized level progression
The definitive physics-based puzzle franchise that competes for the same casual gaming audience and character-driven engagement.
Differentiators
- Multi-stage level design
- Live-ops events and competitive arena modes
Lion Studios
Popular physics-based puzzle game requiring players to manipulate the environment to achieve a specific goal using gravity.
Differentiators
- Draw-to-solve mechanics
- Minimalist aesthetic with high-frequency level updates
Same space(4)
Headup GmbH
A more technical physics puzzle game that requires structural engineering to solve level challenges.
Differentiators
- Load-bearing structural physics
- Technical engineering-based puzzle constraints
A premium puzzle game that targets the same audience looking for high-quality, creative level design and unique visual themes.
Differentiators
- Impossible geometry mechanics
- Art-house visual and audio direction
2D BOY
A classic premium physics puzzle game that established the genre's mechanics and aesthetic standards for environmental manipulation.
Differentiators
- Unique structural physics mechanics
- Atmospheric, narrative-driven puzzle design
A physics-based construction game that emphasizes creative problem-solving and environmental interaction.
Differentiators
- Vehicle construction mechanics
- Sandbox-style creative puzzle solving
Compare Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Established Om Nom IP appeal drives organic discovery
- 12-era thematic variety sustains long-term engagement
Critical Frictions
- Mandatory online connectivity requirement blocks casual play
- Aggressive ad frequency disrupts core puzzle flow
Growth Levers
- Offline-play mode implementation to reduce churn
- B2B educational partnerships for character-driven learning
Market Threats
- Fluid-physics engine superiority in Where's My Water? 2
- Rising viral physics-drawing games like Save the Doge
What are the next best moves?
Ship offline-play mode because it is the top-requested feature → reduce churn in low-signal environments
Multiple users ask for the ability to play without internet, citing it as a primary barrier to casual play.
Trade-off: Pause the character-skin asset pipeline — offline-play has 3x the impact on retention.
Reduce interstitial ad frequency because it is the #1 complaint theme → improve user sentiment
Players report ads appearing after every two game attempts, which is the primary driver of negative sentiment.
Trade-off: Accept short-term ad revenue dip — long-term retention gains offset the immediate loss.
A counter-intuitive read
The app's reliance on a $0.99 upfront cost on iOS is a competitive advantage, as it avoids the ad-fatigue that is currently eroding the Android version's user sentiment.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Superior fluid-physics engine (available in Where's My Water? 2 but absent here)
Key Takeaways
The app retains a loyal audience through strong character IP, but the aggressive ad-monetization and online-only requirement threaten long-term viability, so the PM should prioritize offline-play to stabilize the casual user base.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
The casual physics-puzzle market is consolidating around titles with higher live-ops frequency and lower friction. Maintenance-mode updates leave this app exposed to rivals like Where's My Water? 2, which offer more tactile physics and higher content volume, so revenue growth hinges on modernizing the monetization model.
Aggressive ad frequency in the latest version disrupts the core puzzle loop, which compounds the sentiment drag already visible in user reviews.
Mandatory online connectivity requirements prevent offline play, which alienates casual users and accelerates churn in low-signal environments.