# Pentix Nova vs Smiley Chain

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.

Both are free to download. Pentix Nova sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Smiley Chain asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pentix Nova | Smiley Chain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentix-nova-falling-blocks/id1511997699/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smiley-chain/id1549843492/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 47.4% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 87 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AkaTek LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604686567) | [Quang Duc Vu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1038090500) |

## What reviewers say

### Pentix Nova

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentix-nova-falling-blocks/id1511997699)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Levels | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging and fun
- 👍 Nostalgic and relaxing
- 🎮 Great Tetris variant
- 💡 Interesting new piece shapes
- 🎨 Visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Controls issues (sensitivity, responsiveness, placement of buttons)
- 💰 Intrusive ads with no ad-free option
- 🕹️ Clunky controls and frequent errors
- 🔧 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 🤯 Frustrating difficulty spikes

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smiley-chain/id1549843492)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*