Emerald Mine vs Block Shaper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Emerald Mine
Navigate treacherous underground caves as a miner, collecting gems to unlock exit portals. Avoid hazards like exploding bugs, tanks, aliens, and falling debris. Relive a classic Amiga experience with over 6,000 levels.
- Collect gems to open exit portals
- Avoid hazards: bugs, tanks, aliens, acid
- Over 6,000 classic levels
- MFi controller support
- Game Center high scores
- Touchscreen controls
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Emerald Mine for iOS. Based on the Rocks N Diamonds codebase but only includes the Emerald Mine levels. Game Center global high scores. In Emerald Mine you play as a miner trapped deep underground. Your objective is to collect the minimum number of gems to open the exit portals. Explore the caves to find all the gems and try to avoid the hazards which include exploding bugs, tanks, aliens and acid pools. Be careful of falling boulders and debris as they will crush you. Relive the classic Amiga game, Emerald Mine. This is a fan port of the game updated to play on all iOS devices. All classic art and sounds are included as well as the original levels for Emerald Mine 1, 2 and 3 plus some bonus levels from the Emerald Mine archive. In total there are more than 6,000 levels. Swipe on the right half of the screen to move your character. Tap and hold on the left side then swipe on the right side to grab a nearby block. MFi controllers supported
Block Shaper
Arrange falling blocks to form complete horizontal lines. Completed lines disappear, earning points. The game speeds up, requiring careful block placement to avoid reaching the top.
- Arrange falling blocks
- Form completed lines
- Lines disappear for points
- Increasing game speed
- Offline play
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A modern block puzzle experience with full control over how you play. Place falling blocks, clear lines, and push your limits as the game speeds up. Easy to start, hard to master. Customize your experience: • Select block types (1–6 pieces) • Enable advanced shapes for higher difficulty • Create your own challenge style No two runs feel the same. Play your way — casual or hardcore.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Emerald Mine at none against Block Shaper's shown. Emerald Mine also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.6) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Block Shaper's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs paid). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Emerald Mine holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 89 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 55% and 54% positive.
Emerald Mine ships an update every 2 weeks, Block Shaper every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Emerald Mine | Block Shaper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (32 ratings) — better | 3.6 (89 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.1% of reviews — better | 54.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 32 | 89 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Les Bird | 一力 郭 |
Customer experience
Emerald Mine
Block Shaper
User reviews
Emerald Mine
From 32 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- nostalgic recreation of a classic game
- 👍 Great port of a classic
- 💡 iCade compatible controller support
- ✨ Free to play
- 🌟 Brings back Amiga memories
Room to improve
- 👎 Controls are difficult to master
- 😥 Unresponsive controls
- ⚠️ Swiping controls are not ideal
- ❌ Some levels are impossible
- 😩 Frustrating to control on touchscreens
Block Shaper
From 89 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing
- 🕹️ Controls similar to classic Tetris
- 🕰️ Good time-passing game
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy controls and freezing issues
- 📢 Disruptive and frequent ads
- 🔍 Unclear or unconventional piece shapes
- 🕹️ Poorly positioned or unresponsive controls
Bugs and requests
Emerald Mine
Reported bugs
10 issues- Figure doesn't move on iPad
- Snap does not work on iPhone
- Game quits at certain levels
- Level 7 is impossible to beat
- Controls are incomplete
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- World 1 Level 7 bug
- Game doesn't keep prefs on control method
- Controls can be unresponsive or go in wrong direction
- Game crashes at certain levels
- Bottom right wall only visible on start
Requested features
10 requests- Add on-screen gamepad option
- Improve touchscreen controls
- Option to skip difficult levels
- Remove or adjust timer
- Add music to the game's first screen
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Larger buttons for controls
- Add achievements
- Add music
- More control options
- Instructions for control methods
Block Shaper
Reported bugs
4 issues- Buttons not working as expected
- Game freezing or crashing during play
- Ads not closing properly
- Sound issues (music not turning off)
Requested features
4 requests- Add pause button
- Allow customization of control layout
- Improve compatibility with larger screens
- Introduce more game modes (e.g., 1v1)
In-app purchases
Emerald Mine
No in-app purchases
Block Shaper
No in-app purchases
