Comparison

Pentix Nova vs Smiley Chain

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

Head to head
About

Pentix Nova

Experience a fresh take on a classic block-dropping puzzle game. Arrange falling pieces to complete lines and clear them, aiming for high scores or completing specific objectives. Enjoy customizable controls and various difficulty levels in this reimagined brick blast experience.

Highlights
  • Arrange falling pieces to clear lines
  • Endless game mode
  • Objective-based levels
  • Campaign progression
  • Customizable controls
  • Stash pieces for later use
Features
Read full description

Reimagination and a remake of the immortal classic. Arrange the falling pieces to fill up and clear the lines. Clear as many lines as possible to advance through levels or complete various objectives. This game is inspired by the four brick falling blocks games. But instead of easy four brick pieces, where the name Tetra comes from, this game uses five bricks pieces, thus the name Penta. Of course, you are not limited to either set of pieces. Play any combination you would like and consider more fun. Fun question: Do you see the black dots when you are looking at the game title screen? Do you think they are there? Features: - Play an endless game or complete objectives. - Play individual levels or progress through the campaign. - Smooth and customizable controls. - Various difficulty levels. Controls: The controls were designed to make the gameplay smooth and enjoyable. Below are the few highlights that make this game stand out. - Tap with the second finger or swipe down to drop the piece. Of course, you can use the "Drop" buttons too. - Swipe up to stash the piece and use it later in the game. This allows for more strategic play. Privacy policy: https://akatek.biz/apps/pentix_nova/privacy_policy Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

About

Smiley Chain

A classic falling block puzzle game where players connect groups of four or more same-colored smilies to clear them from the screen. Trigger chain reactions for bonus power-ups and compete for high scores on a global leaderboard.

Highlights
  • Falling block gameplay
  • Connect 4+ same-colored smilies
  • Horizontal and vertical connections
  • Chain reaction bonuses
  • Global leaderboards
  • Classic 8-bit style
Features
Read full description

GAME INTRO ---------------- Smiley Chain is a classic game that has falling group of 2 smilies from top of the screen. The pieces can be moved, dropped, and rotated as they fall. The piece falls until it reaches another smiley or the bottom of the screen. When four or more smilies of the same color line up adjacent to each other, the smiley will connect to each other, blinking and disappear. Smilies of the same color can connect horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally. A chain is made when falling smilies cause a new group of smilies to disappear, making a chain reaction. When player made a chain, you will earn a special bonus: Big Eater or Random Brush that will clear a lot of smilies in a extraordinary way. You can compete your score with other playes via leaderboard worldwide. Now go for it and have fun! CREDIT ------------------ + Sounds generated from Bfxr. FAN PAGE ------------------ + Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qastudiosapps

Screenshots

Pentix Nova4 screens
Smiley Chain3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pentix Nova at 4.5 against Smiley Chain's 4.0. Pentix Nova also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 4). Smiley Chain's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Pentix Nova sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Smiley Chain asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pentix Nova holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pentix Nova has 14K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of Pentix Nova's written reviews are positive against 75% of Smiley Chain's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pentix Nova ships an update weekly, Smiley Chain every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Pentix Nova versus Smiley Chain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPentix NovaSmiley Chain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (14K ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews47.4% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14K — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAkaTek LLCQuang Duc Vu

Customer experience

Pentix Nova

All ratings13,739 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral6.2%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews190 reviews
Positive47.4%
Neutral14.2%
Negative38.4%

Smiley Chain

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Pentix Nova

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Goal line disappearing in adventure mode
  • Pieces teleporting and rotating unexpectedly
  • Drop button functionality issues after updates
  • Game progress not saved when switching apps
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to rotate pieces both ways
  • Implement variable drop speed
  • Provide an ad-free paid version
  • Add more levels and challenges
  • Improve overall control scheme

Smiley Chain

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Pentix Nova

One-time2
  • Unlock All Levels$3.99
  • Remove Ads$4.99
None

Smiley Chain

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pentix Nova free?
Pentix Nova is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Smiley Chain free?
Smiley Chain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pentix Nova or Smiley Chain?
Pentix Nova is rated higher. Pentix Nova averages 4.5 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Smiley Chain averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Pentix Nova or Smiley Chain have ads?
Pentix Nova shows ads; Smiley Chain does not.
Which is updated more often, Pentix Nova or Smiley Chain?
Pentix Nova ships an update weekly, and Smiley Chain every 4 months. Most recently, Pentix Nova was updated on October 26, 2026 and Smiley Chain on October 15, 2026.

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