Phantolex vs PatternMate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phantolex
A unique word game where the objective is to avoid spelling a complete word. Players take turns adding letters, strategically using powers to outmaneuver opponents and progress through challenging, endless levels. Lose, and it's game over.
- Avoid spelling words
- Turn-based letter adding
- Strategic power-ups
- Endless challenging levels
- Unlock rewards
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“Top 5 Games of the Week” – Pocket Gamer “Phantolex is smart, brain-teasing, [and] throws surprises” – Metro.co.uk "Best and freshest [word game] on iPhone” – Stuff.tv Phantolex is a rogue-like word game with a twist: the goal is to avoid spelling the word. Think of it like hot potato - you'll take turns adding letters, but don't be the one to finish the word. As you progress, you'll use powers and face tougher levels, but if you lose, it's game over! How to Play: - Build Words: Take turns against Casp adding letters and avoid being the one to complete a word. - Strategic Powers: Use powers like Letter Rewind, Bluff Stopper, and Word Connoisseur to gain an edge. - Endless Levels: Progress through increasingly challenging levels, unlock rewards, and win a run!
PatternMate
Sharpen your chess vision with over 51,000 offline tactics puzzles. Choose from three training modes to improve your rating, test your limits, or focus on specific weaknesses. Enjoy an ad-free, subscription-free experience with all puzzles included.
- 51,200 chess puzzles
- Three game modes: Tactics, Survival, Practice
- Adaptive puzzle difficulty
- Over 40 tactic themes
- Customizable practice rating range
- Offline functionality
- No ads or subscriptions
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Recognize tactical patterns, then play the winning move. Train with 51,200 included puzzles, spaced repetition, Tactics, Survival, Storm, Practice and Vision, and a guided daily routine. Play offline, without an account, ads, subscriptions or in-app purchases. Customize the board, pieces, sounds and haptics. Two iOS widgets show your streak and tactics rating. Game Center needs an internet connection.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Phantolex at Free against PatternMate's $3.99. Phantolex also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). PatternMate's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, in-app purchases 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
Phantolex is free to download; PatternMate costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Phantolex ships an update every 2 days, PatternMate weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phantolex | PatternMate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (97 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 84.0% of reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 97 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tyler Green | Max Schneider |
Customer experience
Phantolex
PatternMate
Bugs and requests
Phantolex
Reported bugs
4 issues- Invalid word flagged as completed
- False positive for invalid words
- Win/Defeat bug on run completion
- Ad not working to continue game
Requested features
7 requests- Multiplayer option (1v1)
- Definitions for words
- Portuguese version
- Overrule game's word errors
- More facial expressions for Casp
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- Holiday themes for UI
- Festive characters for holidays
PatternMate
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Phantolex
No in-app purchases
PatternMate
No in-app purchases
