Comparison

Potion Explosion vs HardBack

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Potion Explosion

This is a digital adaptation of an award-winning puzzle board game where players collect magical ingredients to brew powerful potions. Engage in tactical gameplay, trigger chain reactions, and compete against AI or players worldwide to score the most points.

Highlights
  • Official adaptation of award-winning board game
  • Solo mode against AI
  • Online multiplayer with worldwide leaderboard
  • Tactical gameplay with strategic depth
  • The Fifth Ingredient expansion available
  • Magical universe with enhanced digital elements
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

"Voted best 50 mobile games of 2017" ** The Fifth Ingredient expansion is now available! You'll meet the Professors, concoct unbelievable new Potions and unleash a new ingredient, the Ghost Ectoplasm, in this madcap expansion! The Fifth Ingredient also adds Reward and Scolding tokens. ** The official adaptation of Potion Explosion, the award-winning puzzle board game. Play this game solo or against players from all over the world with Solo, Online and Local Pass & Play modes! In Potion Explosion, you will explode ingredients, trigger chain reactions and gather it all in your caldron. You will then use your hard-earned unicorn tears, fairy dandruff and other magical ingredients to craft powerful mixtures with wacky effects! May the best wizard win! HOW TO PLAY At the beginning of the game, each player is given potions to complete with specific effects and ingredients. You will have to select ingredients in the dispenser; once your selected ingredient is removed, the ingredients above will slide down. If two ingredients of the same nature collide, they explode and you get them too! You can then use your ingredients to cook up your potions. You only have a limited tank space to store remaining ingredients from one turn to another, so choose carefully! Once a potion is completed, you score points, get to use its powerful effect and pick another potion to craft. The wizard with the most points wins! PREPARE FOR THE POTIONS EXAM IN SOLO Play against up to 3 adjustable AIs to sharpen your potion crafting skills! OR PROVE YOUR MASTERY IN MULTIPLAYER MODE! Play against wizards from all over the world online and get to the top of the worldwide leaderboard! To sum up, the game features include: • The magical universe of the board game, fleshed out and digitally enhanced • A tactical gameplay, allowing for different playstyles and strategies • A Solo mode against up to 3 adjustable AIs • An online Multiplayer Mode with a worldwide leaderboard • The Fifth Ingredient expansion: new rules and even more challenges with the arrival of Professors, new Potions and the new Ghost Ectoplasm ingredient. Available from the game shop! To find more information about Asmodee Digital, please go to http://www.asmodee-digital.com/potionexplosion Having an issue? Looking for support? Please contact us: https://asmodee.helpshift.com/a/potion-explosion/ You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmodeedigital/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/asmodeedigital Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmodeedigital/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/asmodeedigital Languages available: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Polish, Simplified Chinese, Japanese. *IMPORTANT* Potion Explosion requires an iPhone 5 (or newer), iPad 4th Generation (or newer), iPad Mini 2 (or newer), or iPod Touch 6th Generation (or newer)

About

HardBack

Build a deck of letters to craft words and earn prestige in this unique word game. Specialize in genres, push your luck for extra cards, and race to become a celebrated 19th-century novelist. Challenge AI opponents or play with friends.

Highlights
  • Deck-building with letter cards
  • Genre specialization for bonuses
  • Push-your-luck card drawing
  • Hotseat and online multiplayer
  • AI opponents
  • Hardcore mode with no word repeats
Features
Read full description

Hardback is a deck-building word game, a prequel to Paperback. As an aspiring 19th-century novelist, you work to pen your next masterpiece, earning prestige along the way. Specialize your deck in certain genres to exploit card combinations, and press your luck to draw extra cards — but make sure you can still string a word together! Players build a deck of letters with various powers and race to 60 fame points to win. Features: 1-5 player hotseat and online async 3 levels of computer opponents to challenge you. Gameplay No wilds in your deck - any card can be wild. Push your luck for more cards with the Ink system. Match genre colors to gain bonus abilities on your cards. Fight over the coveted award cards. Timeless Classic cards stay in play, until someone uses them. New hardcore mode - can't repeat a word!

Screenshots

Potion Explosion4 screens
HardBack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HardBack at none against Potion Explosion's 1. HardBack also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 40%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Potion Explosion's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (273 vs 39). On update cadence, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Potion Explosion costs $3.99 and HardBack $4.99 up front. Potion Explosion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HardBack asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Potion Explosion holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Potion Explosion has 273 ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Potion Explosion's written reviews are positive against 54% of HardBack's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Potion Explosion ships an update every 11 days, HardBack every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Potion Explosion versus HardBack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPotion ExplosionHardBack
Price$3.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.0 (273 ratings) — better3.8 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews40.2% of reviews53.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings273 — better39
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#97#79 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB281 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHorrible GuildFowers Games Inc.

Customer experience

Potion Explosion

All ratings273 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral8.8%
Negative19.8%
Written reviews239 reviews
Positive40.2%
Neutral18.8%
Negative41.0%

HardBack

All ratings39 ratings
Positive64.1%
Neutral12.8%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive53.7%
Neutral12.2%
Negative34.1%

Bugs and requests

Potion Explosion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to complete online games
  • Incorrect scoring and game state displayed
  • Potions and ingredients not functioning as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Notification system for online games
  • Ability to undo moves
  • Random selection of professors
  • More challenging AI opponents

HardBack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Potion Explosion

One-time1
  • The Fifth Ingredient$1.99
None

HardBack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Potion Explosion free?
Potion Explosion costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is HardBack free?
HardBack costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Potion Explosion or HardBack?
Potion Explosion is rated higher. Potion Explosion averages 4.0 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while HardBack averages 3.8 from 39 ratings.
Do Potion Explosion or HardBack have ads?
Neither Potion Explosion nor HardBack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Potion Explosion or HardBack?
Potion Explosion ships an update every 11 days, and HardBack every 2 weeks. Most recently, Potion Explosion was updated on October 11, 2026 and HardBack on October 12, 2026.
Which is more popular, Potion Explosion or HardBack?
Potion Explosion currently peaks at #97 in the App Store charts, and HardBack at #79. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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