Comparison

SET vs Shells

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

Head to head
About

SET

Experience a reimagined classic puzzle game with over 16 unique modes and daily challenges. Compete with friends in multiplayer matches and track your progress across devices. Enjoy a visually appealing interface with customizable color palettes.

Highlights
  • 16+ unique game modes
  • Daily challenges
  • Multiplayer matches (up to 4 players)
  • Cross-device progress sync
  • Light and dark mode support
  • Customizable color palettes
Features
Read full description

Ready, SET, go! Spot the set faster than your friends in the card game that keeps your brain sharp — now with 20+ modes, real-time multiplayer, and daily challenges. Find three cards that form a "set" by color, shape, number, and shading. Simple to learn, impossible to put down. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • 20+ game modes — 1-Minute, 6-Pack, Deck, Mania & more • Real-time multiplayer for up to 4 players — co-op or head-to-head • A fresh Daily Challenge every day — keep your streak alive • Climb global leaderboards and rank up from Beginner to Champion • Collect 15 achievement badges — from Spotless to Every Last Set • Unlock vibrant themes and make the game your own • Sign in to sync your progress across all your devices • Polished light & dark modes, designed to feel great • Looks stunning on iPhone and iPad — play in portrait or landscape Loved by players worldwide — rated 4.6! Whether you've got 60 seconds or an hour, there's a mode for you. Download SET free and find your first set today!

About

Shells

A geometry puzzle game where you slide blocks into larger shells to rearrange the board and solve challenges. It offers over 360 levels across 8 worlds with a focus on spatial reasoning and problem-solving. Enjoy a relaxing experience with a soothing soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Nested block sliding mechanics
  • Over 360 original levels
  • 8 distinct game worlds
  • Optional hint system
  • Soothing piano soundtrack
  • Compact 4x4 grid gameplay
Read full description

Shells is a geometry puzzle game about the elegance of nested pieces on a tiny board. Slide your block into larger shells to rearrange the board and find your way out! Features: - Simple core mechanics and deep emergent complexity packed into a compact 4x4 grid. Train your brain by challenging your problem solving and spatial reasoning skills! - Gradual difficulty curve featuring over 360 original levels spread across 8 distinct worlds. - Flexible progression structure with multiple levels to choose from at any given point. - Adjust the difficulty to your liking with the optional hint system! - Soothing piano soundtrack accompanied by relaxing sound effects and backgrounds.

Screenshots

SET4 screens
Shells4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shells at 100% against SET's 60%. Shells also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). SET's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 22). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. SET sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Shells sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shells holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SET has 1.2K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of SET's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shells's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SET ships an update fortnightly, Shells weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SET versus Shells: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSETShells
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.2K ratings)5.0 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better22
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.112.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB102 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLiad Zigdonarlybird games LLC

Customer experience

SET

All ratings1,234 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive59.8%
Neutral12.3%
Negative27.9%

Shells

All ratings22 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

SET

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Deck mode ending prematurely when no sets are available
  • Inconsistent behavior when unlocking new game modes
  • Sync and login issues across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to pause games
  • More feedback and hints for users
  • Customizable game settings
  • Improved multiplayer functionality

Shells

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

SET

One-time10
  • Starter Gems$0.99
  • Halloween$1.99
  • Coins Pack$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Tactical Treasure$2.99
  • Premium Modes$3.99
  • Mode Mastery$4.99
  • Premium$5.99
  • Unlock All Themes$9.99
  • Gem Vault$9.99
4 purchases

Shells

One-time4
  • Small Bundle$0.99
  • Medium Bundle$1.99
  • Large Bundle$3.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited Bundle$8.99

Questions

Is SET free?
SET is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shells free?
Shells is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SET or Shells?
Shells is rated higher. SET averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Shells averages 5.0 from 22 ratings.
Do SET or Shells have ads?
Both SET and Shells show ads.
Which is updated more often, SET or Shells?
SET ships an update fortnightly, and Shells weekly. Most recently, SET was updated on November 3, 2026 and Shells on October 30, 2026.

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