Comparison

Groops vs Criss Cross Colors

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of levels
  • Time Attack mode
  • Leaderboards
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Unlockable achievements
  • Hint system
Features
Read full description

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

About

Criss Cross Colors

Features
Read full description

Welcome to the world of Criss Cross Colors, a revolutionary crossword game that connects colored squares instead of letters. Playing Criss Cross Colors is simple and addictive. Criss Cross Colors is an exciting and perfect game for players of all ages. Instead of using words, this game uses colors to fill in the crossword puzzle. It's a fun and challenging way to exercise your brain. So how do you play? It's easy! Simply tap on the colored line to select it, and simply slide your finger across the screen to place the colored line and fill the grid. You can complete the puzzle in any order you want and the game will let you know if you made a mistake. And with a handy "hint" button available if you get stuck, you'll never be too far from the solution. The game starts with easy levels and gets progressively harder as you progress, keeping you engaged and entertained for hours. Whether you are a seasoned crossword solver or a casual gamer, Criss Cross Colors is sure to provide endless fun and entertainment. With its intuitive gameplay, Criss Cross Colors is a great way to pass the time and improve your cognitive abilities. So if you're looking for a fun and challenging crossword game, look no further than Criss Cross Colors. In conclusion, if you want to test your brain and have fun, download Criss Cross Colors today. You won't be able to do without it. Join players who have already discovered the joys of this amazing game and see for yourself why Criss Cross Colors is the perfect game for anyone who loves puzzles and brain teasers. Don't wait any longer, download the game now and start playing!

Screenshots

Groops4 screens
Criss Cross Colors4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Groops at none against Criss Cross Colors's shown. Groops also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 20 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.6). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Groops sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Criss Cross Colors sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Groops ships an update every 8 days, Criss Cross Colors every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Groops versus Criss Cross Colors: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGroopsCriss Cross Colors
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (671 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings671 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 20 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.6
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTorched MediaPLAYTOUCH

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

Criss Cross Colors

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Groops

One-time6
  • pack of 50 Board Shuffles$0.99
  • pack of 10 Hints$0.99
  • pack of 5,000 Points$0.99
Show 3 more
  • 3x3 Bonus Pack 1$1.99
  • pack of 20,000 Points$2.99
  • pack of 100,000 Points$12.99
7 purchases

Criss Cross Colors

One-time7
  • 100 diamonds$0.99
  • 300 diamonds$2.99
  • Remove all ADS from the game$2.99
Show 4 more
  • 550 diamonds$4.99
  • 1200 diamonds$9.99
  • 2500 diamonds$19.99
  • 4000 diamonds$29.99

Questions

Is Groops free?
Groops is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Criss Cross Colors free?
Criss Cross Colors is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Groops or Criss Cross Colors have ads?
Criss Cross Colors shows ads; Groops does not.
Which is updated more often, Groops or Criss Cross Colors?
Groops ships an update every 8 days, and Criss Cross Colors every 20 months. Most recently, Groops was updated on November 6, 2026 and Criss Cross Colors on November 3, 2026.

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