Groops vs Chromatic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Groops
This puzzle game challenges your mind by matching tiles based on shared or unique attributes. With hundreds of levels and exciting game modes like Time Attack and multiplayer, it offers endless fun and brain stimulation. Compete with friends and unlock achievements.
- Hundreds of levels
- Time Attack mode
- Leaderboards
- Multiplayer mode
- Unlockable achievements
- Hint system
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Groops is a puzzle game that will put your mind to the test. Match tiles three at a time based on either shared or completely unique attributes - the number of possibilities will tie your brain in knots! Keep your mind sharp. Play Groops! • Hundreds of levels of increasing difficulties! • Infinite, unlimited gameplay in “Time Attack” mode. Get to the top of the leaderboards and send your friends Challenge requests to beat your score! • Unlock dozens of Achievements! • Compete against friends in multiplayer mode - who can get the most Groops before time runs out? ********** ~ * Starbucks Pick of the Week in 2014 * ~ “This is an example of why we love games. Simple to understand, but very difficult to master.” - iPlayApps “Groops takes match-three to a whole new level.” - Daniel Celeste, AppAdvice.com “This game is more fun and challenging than my job! With a smooth design and intelligent matching, it is everything I look for to keep my mind stimulated during downtime” - HallelP “Fun but challenging game. Can’t put my phone down once I open this app!” - Stefi592 ********** GAMEPLAY MODES LEVELS - Relax, there’s no time pressure. Find all the possible Groops on the screen to advance. You can use Hints if you get stuck (get more by playing TIME ATTACK or from the Powerups menu). TIME ATTACK - Find as many Groops as possible before time runs out! Make 5 Groops in a row to increase your multiplier, but be careful! If you make an invalid Groop, your multiplier gets reset. Rack up as many points as possible because your score gets added to your points bank. ********** OK, HOW DO I PLAY? Match 3 tiles to make a Groop. Tiles have 4 attributes with three options each - SHAPE (square, circle, leaf), COLOR (blue, magenta, yellow), PATTERN (solid fill, striped fill, border only), and SYMBOL (diamond, hourglass, and its 3rd option is no symbol at all). Finding identical tiles is easy, but you’ll eventually need to make Groops based on mixed attributes, and thats where we kick your brain into full-throttle. Groops can be made by matching tiles with identical attributes, by matching all 3 options of 1 attribute, or by matching three different options across multiple attributes. For example: • Solid blue square with no symbol, solid blue circle with no symbol, and a solid blue leaf with no symbol. (Same shape - square, same color - blue, same pattern - solid, all different symbols) • Striped blue square with no symbol, solid magenta circle with a diamond, bordered yellow leaf with an hourglass (All different shapes, all different colors, all different patterns, all different symbols) NOTE: To make a Groop, either all options are the same, or all different across the attributes. For example, these would be invalid: • Solid blue square with no symbol, solid blue square with no symbol, solid blue circle with no symbol (two squares and a circle, instead of three squares, or one square, one circle, and one leaf) • Bordered magenta circle with a diamond, solid yellow circle with a diamond, solid yellow circle with an hourglass (Invalid for two reasons: 1) two yellows and a magenta instead of three yellows or one yellow, one magenta, and one blue. 2) two diamonds and an hourglass instead of three diamonds or one diamond, one hourglass, and one without any symbol at all) ********** Follow @play_groops on Twitter
Chromatic
Unwind with a calming color-based puzzle game. Arrange hues into harmonious gradients by swapping colors. Enjoy a stress-free experience with no time limits or high scores, perfect for artistic expression and relaxation.
- Color swapping puzzles
- Arrange satisfying gradients
- Reduce negative emotions
- Challenge perceptual skills
- Create harmony from chaos
- Ambient music
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Today’s world is too stressful, too demanding, and too chaotic. Take some time to de-stress! Chromatic is a colors-based puzzle game ideal for rest and relaxation. The concept is refreshingly simple: just tap colors to swap them until harmony is restored. You will find puzzles with the perfect hues and level of challenge for you. Express your artistic side by organizing colors into satisfyingly beautiful arrangements. Explore the endless number of multidimensional gradients that can be stretched across your screen. Get lost in captivating colors and ambient music. Chromatic allows you to: + Reduce negative emotions with relaxing puzzles + Challenge your perceptual skills + Create harmony from chaos Chromatic is: + Based on color theory and visual perception + Invigorating, yet relaxing + Satisfying and rewarding Chromatic has: + A clean interface and a simple design + Featured puzzles based on the time of year + Endless puzzles using every color imaginable Chromatic does not have: - Time limits - too stressful! - High scores - too much pressure! - Third-party ads - too annoying!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Chromatic at 4.9 against Groops's 4.3. Chromatic also leads on ratings volume (4.7K vs 671) and review sentiment (95% vs 86%). Groops's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Groops sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Chromatic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chromatic holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chromatic has 4.7K ratings behind it against 671, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Groops's written reviews are positive against 95% of Chromatic's.
Groops ships an update every 8 days, Chromatic every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Groops | Chromatic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (671 ratings) | 4.9 (4.7K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.6% of reviews | 94.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 671 | 4.7K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Torched Media | Ryan Schalk |
Customer experience
Groops
Chromatic
User reviews
Groops
From 671 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Calming game
- 🧠 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 🤔 Makes you think differently
- 🕰️ Great for passing time
- 🧠 Brain workout
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Requires Facebook login for more levels
- 🔢 Lack of new levels
- 🎵 No background music
Chromatic
From 4.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Relaxing and calming
- 🎨 Beautiful color gradients
- 🎶 Soothing background music
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 💡 Ability to create custom puzzles
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited number of preset puzzles
- 🔢 Lack of scoring/timing features
Bugs and requests
Groops
Reported bugs
4 issues- Level 10 of 'brainz needed' bonus pack won't let user progress
- Crash after time attack finishes
- Level 45 of easy 4x4 board shows '0/ ' and crashes
- Win not recognized in local multiplayer
Requested features
4 requests- More levels and boards
- Ability to reset level scores
- Endless mode
- Ability to see previous groops found
Chromatic
Reported bugs
3 issues- Tiles not registering as correctly placed
- Progress lost when app is closed
- Purchase validation errors
Requested features
4 requests- More themed and seasonal puzzles
- Ability to save custom puzzles
- Option to add a timer or scoring system
- Wider color palette selection
In-app purchases
Groops
- pack of 50 Board Shuffles$0.99
- pack of 10 Hints$0.99
- pack of 5,000 Points$0.99
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- 3x3 Bonus Pack 1$1.99
- pack of 20,000 Points$2.99
- pack of 100,000 Points$12.99
Chromatic
- Unlock Infinite Puzzles$1.99








