Comparison

CrushStations vs Osmo Words

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

Head to head
About

CrushStations

This game trains working memory, a key executive function, by challenging players to remember creature colors and types to rescue them from an octopus. It's designed to improve cognitive skills linked to academic success.

Highlights
  • Working memory training
  • Executive function development
  • Creature memory challenges
  • Educational game design
  • Research-backed gameplay
Features
Read full description

CrushStations is a game designed to train working memory, a subskill of executive functions. Working memory involves holding information in mind and mentally working with it (Diamond, 2013). Players need to remember the color and type of creatures to free them and keep them out of reach of the hungry octopus. How does this support learning? Executive functions refer to a set of top-down, goal-oriented cognitive processes that enable people to control, monitor and plan behaviors and emotions. Miyake and Friedman’s model supports a unity-and-diversity view of EF in that it incorporates the three distinct but related components of EF: inhibitory control, task-switching and updating (Miyake et al., 2000). What is the research evidence? Our research suggests that CrushStations is an effective way to train working memory. The study supporting this claim will be published soon. Research has found that EF is related to performance in literacy and math along with long-term gains in school performance and academic readiness (Blair & Razza, 2007; Brock, Rimm-Kaufman, Nathanson, & Grimm, 2009; St Clair-Thompson & Gathercole, 2006; Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman, & Nelson, 2010) and that disparities in EF among preschool children from low-income versus high-income homes may contribute to the achievement gap (Blair & Razza, 2007; Noble, McCandliss, & Farah, 2007). This game is part of the Smart Suite, created by New York University’s CREATE lab in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara, and The Graduate Center, CUNY. The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A150417 to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

About

Osmo Words

Arrange physical letter tiles to spell words on screen, unlocking prizes and new levels. This game offers adaptive learning to match your spelling difficulty and is playable on iPhone and iPad.

Highlights
  • Spell secret words with physical tiles
  • Adaptive learning for personalized difficulty
  • Unlock prizes and dance moves
  • Progress through multiple fun levels
  • Playable on iPhone and iPad
Read full description

In Osmo Genius Words, arrange physical Osmo Letter Tiles to spell secret words. Each letter you get correct, appears on screen, until eventually the entire word is revealed. Unlock prizes and dance moves as you progress across multiple fun levels! Choose a level of spelling difficulty that’s right for you and then the adaptive learning helps you play at the level that is right for you! Play your favorite Osmo Genius Words on both iPhone and iPad! Use your iPhone with the Osmo Base for iPad and Genius game hardware - each can be found at playosmo.com. * Requires the Osmo Base and Osmo Words Tiles. Each sold separately or as part of Osmo Genius Starter Kit or Osmo Genius Words. * Other Osmo Genius Starter Kit games Masterpiece and Newton are not available on iPhone today, they will be released in the next month or two, so keep your eyes peeled! * Please see our device compatibility list here: https://support.playosmo.com/hc/articles/115010156067 * Compatible iPhones: iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max iPhone 14, 14 Plus * Not compatible: iPhone 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max iPhone 12 Mini,13 Mini iPhone SE (1-3) iPhone 11 Series and older "This interplay between the physical and digital realms looks and feels like magic." - Forbes "Osmo has been a revolution in our family." - Wired Winner of the toy industry's top awards: **Best Design** - Good Design, 2016 **Best Product Designs** - Fast Company Finalist, 2016 **Innovative Toy of the Year** - TOTY Finalist, 2015 **Best Inventions** - TIME, 2014 About Osmo Osmo is using the screen to create a new healthy, hands-on learning experience that promotes creativity, problem-solving and social interaction. We do this with our reflective artificial intelligent technology.

Screenshots

CrushStations4 screens
Osmo Words4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CrushStations at 4.5 against Osmo Words's 3.7. CrushStations also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and review sentiment (50% vs 39%). Osmo Words's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (188 vs 11). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CrushStations holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Osmo Words has 188 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of CrushStations's written reviews are positive against 39% of Osmo Words's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CrushStations ships an update every 13 months, Osmo Words every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CrushStations versus Osmo Words: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrushStationsOsmo Words
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (11 ratings) — better3.7 (188 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better39.1% of reviews
Number of ratings11188 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size294 MB1.3 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNew York UniversityTangible Play

Customer experience

CrushStations

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral18.2%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

Osmo Words

All ratings185 ratings
Positive65.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative26.5%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive39.1%
Neutral8.7%
Negative52.2%

Bugs and requests

CrushStations

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Osmo Words

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Infinite loading
  • Wi-Fi connection errors
  • App not available on certain iPad versions
  • App freezes
  • App crashes during games
Show 5 more
  • Custom word list not working
  • Levels not accurately described
  • Game stuck on loading screen
  • Sudden stop working on iPads
  • Not working with iOS 16.2

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add German language support
  • Improve level descriptions for accuracy
  • Allow spelling of whole words
  • Slow down the game progression
  • Add option to choose iPad model during purchase
Show 1 more
  • Allow use with iPad cases

In-app purchases

None

CrushStations

No in-app purchases

None

Osmo Words

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CrushStations free?
CrushStations is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Osmo Words free?
Osmo Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CrushStations or Osmo Words?
CrushStations is rated higher. CrushStations averages 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Osmo Words averages 3.7 from 188 ratings.
Do CrushStations or Osmo Words have ads?
Neither CrushStations nor Osmo Words shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CrushStations or Osmo Words?
CrushStations ships an update every 13 months, and Osmo Words every 2 months. Most recently, CrushStations was updated on October 24, 2026 and Osmo Words on October 21, 2026.

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