Comparison

Potion Explosion vs Bandido

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

Bandido

A cooperative strategy game where players work together to block a prisoner's escape route through tunnels. Easy to learn, it offers quick setup and engaging gameplay for families.

Highlights
  • Cooperative gameplay
  • Strategy and route building
  • Family-friendly
  • Quick to learn rules
  • Card-based mechanics
Features
Read full description

A high-security prisoner is trying to escape through tunnels starting underneath his cell. Will you be able to join forces and cards to stop him? Bandido is a cooperative game of strategy and route building for the entire family. It takes 30 seconds to explain the rules and start having fun!

Screenshots

Potion Explosion4 screens
Bandido4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bandido at none against Potion Explosion's 1. Bandido also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (50% vs 40%). Potion Explosion's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (273 vs 9). On ads 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 Bandido $2.99 up front. Potion Explosion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bandido asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bandido holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Potion Explosion has 273 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Potion Explosion's written reviews are positive against 50% of Bandido's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Potion Explosion ships an update every 11 days, Bandido every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Potion Explosion versus Bandido: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPotion ExplosionBandido
Price$3.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.0 (273 ratings)4.3 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.2% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings273 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#151 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHorrible GuildHelvetiq SA

Customer experience

Potion Explosion

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

Bandido

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

Bandido

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Potion Explosion

One-time1
  • The Fifth Ingredient$1.99
None

Bandido

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Potion Explosion free?
Potion Explosion costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Bandido free?
Bandido costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Potion Explosion or Bandido?
Bandido is rated higher. Potion Explosion averages 4.0 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while Bandido averages 4.3 from 9 ratings.
Do Potion Explosion or Bandido have ads?
Neither Potion Explosion nor Bandido shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Potion Explosion or Bandido?
Potion Explosion ships an update every 11 days, and Bandido every 5 months. Most recently, Potion Explosion was updated on September 24, 2026 and Bandido on September 18, 2026.

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