Grid Shift vs WordMatrix
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Grid Shift
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Grid Shift - The twisted offspring of Word Search and a Rubik's Cube -------------------------------------------------------------------- What do I mean when I say 'The twisted offspring of a Word Search and a Rubik's cube'? Well let me explain … * Word Search - We all know this. A grid of seemingly random letters in which words are hidden that you need to find. * Rubik’s Cube - That annoying cube that you need to move the rows and columns around to match the colours on each side. Grid Shift takes the elements of both of these puzzle types and splices them together. A level starts with a grid of seemingly random letters (sound familiar?). Underneath the grid is the list of words that you need to find, again much like a Word Search. The twist is that the letters are not in the correct places to form the words! What you need to do is move the rows and columns around to make the words. And like the famed cube of misery, you will almost certainly have to temporarily break some words while making others. Game Play ----------- You are presented with a grid of letters. The earlier levels are a 4x4 grid, as you progress through the levels the size of the grid increases until you get to the 10x10 levels. Levels 1 through to 6 are designed to teach you the game. Beneath the grid are the words you need to find. Words can be found across the grid (left -> right), and down the grid. The words have to be found in the direction indicated. Finding a word in the wrong direction doesn’t count. If you look at the screenshots Duck has to been found DOWN while dog has to be found ACROSS. You use the buttons around the grid to Shift the rows and column in order to move the letters around the grid. When you find a word, the background of the tile will change colour. To complete the level you have to have all the words highlighted at the same time. This will also unlock the next level. In a lot of cases there is no fixed location the words have to be found in. If you take level 1, it is possible to find the word dog in 8 different locations to complete the level. As the complexity of the grids increases sometimes a word has to be in a specific place to be able to find all the other words. There are almost 200 level of annoying, frustrating, and yet somehow satisfying levels to complete. Join the Facebook group to get hints and tips. https://www.facebook.com/groups/gridshift
WordMatrix
Connect words by theme, meaning, and association in this relaxing puzzle game. Sort words into groups to clear the board and discover hidden links. Enjoy a calm, rewarding experience with progressive challenges and unlockable upgrades.
- Connect words by theme
- Discover hidden links
- Sort words into groups
- Clear the board step-by-step
- Unlock upgrades
- Find secret words
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WordMatrix is a calm word puzzle where each level gives you a board full of words and asks you to find how they connect. Your goal is to spot the hidden links between words, sort them into the right groups, and complete each theme card until the whole board is cleared. This is not a crossword, a word search, or a picture puzzle. The challenge comes from meaning, association, and context. Some groups are easy to spot right away, while others make you slow down, compare words carefully, and notice the subtle connection that ties them together. How the puzzle works: - look at the words on the board - find the words that belong to one theme - connect the right group to complete the theme card - clear the board step by step - move on to new levels with fresh categories and harder connections What makes WordMatrix satisfying: - connect words by theme, meaning, and association - discover hidden links between related words - complete groups and watch the board open up - find secret words for extra rewards - earn coins as you progress through levels - unlock upgrades and enjoy a light meta layer with islands and a steampunk atmosphere WordMatrix is designed to feel relaxing and rewarding at the same time. Every level gives you a clean objective, but the answers are not always obvious. That balance makes each puzzle satisfying whether you solve it instantly or work through it one group at a time. If you enjoy connections, word associations, and games built around grouping related words, WordMatrix gives you a clear core loop, steady progression, and plenty of clever boards to solve.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Grid Shift at none against WordMatrix's 3. Grid Shift also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. WordMatrix sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Grid Shift asks for nothing beyond the download.
Grid Shift ships an update every 5 days, WordMatrix every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Grid Shift | WordMatrix |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.4 (16 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 16 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 282 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haskins.io ltd | Lunapp, TOO |
In-app purchases
Grid Shift
No in-app purchases
WordMatrix
- Infinite life for 30 min$0.99
- Limited offer bundle$2.99
- No Ads$4.99
Questions
Is Grid Shift free?
Is WordMatrix free?
Do Grid Shift or WordMatrix have ads?
Which is updated more often, Grid Shift or WordMatrix?
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