Comparison

POOLS™ vs Chain Reaction OG

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

Head to head
About

POOLS™

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

Highlights
  • Slow, reflective exploration
  • Atmospheric and immersive environments
  • Inspired by liminal spaces
  • Unfolding narrative through exploration
  • Six distinct chapters
  • Unique sound design
Features
Read full description

Explore, admire and listen. That’s it. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. POOLS isn’t a traditional game. it’s slow, reflective, and intentionally uneventful, perhaps a bit like virtual museum. So take your time. Breathe. POOLS unfolds slowly, rewarding patience and quiet attention. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen. Yet it can feel oppressive at times by invoking quiet fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and the strange beauty of liminal space architecture. There's no typical story. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game's world changes around you, deeper you go… Rooms look and feel… different. Base game features six chapters, each lasting 10-30 minutes. Inspired by the internet phenomena Liminal spaces, Found footage and The Backrooms, especially the Poolrooms concept. One of the original artists behind the Poolrooms concept is Jared Pike.

About

Chain Reaction OG

Features
Read full description

Build critical mass. Trigger explosive chain reactions. Capture the entire board. Chain Reaction OG is a fast-paced local multiplayer strategy game for 2–8 players. Place your atoms, take control of the arena, and unleash powerful cascades that can transform the board in a single move. Every turn matters. Protect your territory, control valuable corners and edges, and wait for the perfect moment to start an unstoppable chain reaction. The rules are simple, but mastering the board takes clever planning, timing, and tactical thinking. # LOCAL MULTIPLAYER FOR 2–8 PLAYERS Gather friends and family for competitive pass-and-play matches on one device. No accounts, complicated setup, or lengthy tutorials—choose your players, select an arena, and start playing. # SIMPLE TO LEARN, HARD TO MASTER Place atoms inside your cells to build critical mass. When a cell reaches its limit, it explodes and spreads atoms into neighboring spaces. Capture rival cells, create massive combos, and eliminate every opponent to become the last player standing. One carefully planned move can trigger a board-clearing chain reaction. # CUSTOMIZE EVERY MATCH • Local pass-and-play multiplayer for 2–8 players • Fast, competitive strategy matches • Four board sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Huge • Multiple orb finishes and arena styles • Smooth animations and satisfying chain reactions • Responsive, easy-to-use controls • No account required Whether you are looking for a quick two-player battle, a family party game, or an intense multiplayer strategy challenge, Chain Reaction OG makes every match unpredictable. # FREE TO PLAY Play Chain Reaction OG for free. Ads are shown between completed matches, so gameplay is never interrupted. # CHAIN REACTION PRO Upgrade to Chain Reaction Pro with a monthly subscription to: • Remove all ads • Unlock every orb finish • Unlock every arena skin Internet access is used for purchases, advertising, and diagnostics. # DISCLAIMER Chain Reaction OG is an independently developed game. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially connected to any other game developer, publisher, brand, product, or platform. Any third-party names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Gather your rivals, choose your board, and start the next explosive battle in Chain Reaction OG. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

POOLS™4 screens
Chain Reaction OG1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chain Reaction OG at none against POOLS™'s 1. Chain Reaction OG also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). POOLS™'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). On price 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. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chain Reaction OG asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, Chain Reaction OG monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
POOLS™ versus Chain Reaction OG: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPOOLS™Chain Reaction OG
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB50 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperTensoriMayank Kumar Gupta

Bugs and requests

POOLS™

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to move on iPad Pro
  • Glitches reported

Requested features

3 requests
  • Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
  • Add a multiplayer mode
  • Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)

Chain Reaction OG

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

POOLS™

One-time1
  • POOLS: Full Game$9.99
None

Chain Reaction OG

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is POOLS™ free?
POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chain Reaction OG free?
Chain Reaction OG is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do POOLS™ or Chain Reaction OG have ads?
Chain Reaction OG shows ads; POOLS™ does not.
Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Chain Reaction OG?
POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, and Chain Reaction OG monthly. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on October 19, 2026 and Chain Reaction OG on October 12, 2026.

Other comparisons