Comparison

Spooky Express vs TED Tumblewords

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

Head to head
About

Spooky Express

Manage the Spooky Express, a unique rail service for the undead. Plan routes and lay tracks to transport various monsters to their destinations across over 200 challenging levels. Enjoy a playful puzzler with a spooky theme and delightful surprises.

Highlights
  • Plan routes and lay train tracks
  • Transport undead passengers
  • Over 200 thoughtfully designed levels
  • Unique monster destinations
  • Playful puzzler with spooky theme
  • Haunting soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Try before you buy. No ads. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full game. Take charge of the Spooky Express; the only rail service willing to carry the undead passengers of deepest, darkest Trainsylvania. In your new role you'll plan routes and lay train tracks to meet your creepy commuters' demands, and create a rail network spanning more than 200 thoughtfully designed levels. Each monster has a home of their own: take the vampires to their coffins and the zombies to their graves, and escort the interloping humans away before they’re snacked upon. There’s only room for one at a time in the passenger car and the track can’t cross itself, so plot your route carefully, lay the tracks, and don't let the train miss its stops. Trainsylvania spans a host of unique locations, with each puzzle forming a cosy diorama, complete with spooky soundtrack. Whether you're puzzling through the Pumpkin Patch, meandering through the Morbid Manor, or investigating the Impish Inferno, you'll find playful touches and surprises around every corner. • An elegant, playful puzzler, jam-packed with monsters and mechanics. • Thoughtfully designed puzzles which expertly balance complexity and approachability. • Created by the award-winning designers of A Monster's Expedition, A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build, Cosmic Express and more. • Featuring several delightful comics from David Hellman and Zac Gorman. • Accompanied by a haunting soundtrack from Priscilla Snow. No generative artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the creation of this game or promotional materials. Draknek & Friends believes in the value of real human labour and inspiration in all of our endeavours.

About

TED Tumblewords

This app combines word puzzles with 3D color matching cube mechanics. Solve daily puzzles to spell words, reveal TED-inspired trivia, and enhance your vocabulary. Compete with players worldwide and collect fascinating fact cards.

Highlights
  • Word puzzle and 3D color matching cube mechanics
  • Daily puzzles and challenges
  • TED-inspired trivia and fact cards
  • Multiplayer battles and leaderboards
  • Vocabulary and spelling enhancement
Features
Read full description

**Think you’ve seen it all? Meet TED Tumblewords—the new puzzle sensation from TED, the brand trusted by millions worldwide.** Experience the brain-teasing fun of a word puzzle mixed with the endless combinations of 3D color matching cubes. Slide, spin, and match letters on a puzzle grid to spell words and reveal surprising TED-inspired trivia. Fresh puzzles arrive daily, keeping your mind sharp and your vocabulary growing. Why You'll Love TED Tumblewords: * New Mechanics: An innovative fusion of word search and 3D color matching cube twists. * Daily Brain Boost: Solve daily puzzles, climb the Daily Ladder, and tackle the Daily Six. * From TED: Trusted globally by millions, TED brings engaging content to life through playful learning. * Compete & Collect: Challenge players worldwide, collect fascinating fact cards, and celebrate your wins. * Education Meets Fun: Enhance spelling, vocabulary, and general knowledge seamlessly while you play. Features You'll Love: * Daily fresh puzzle content and monthly events. * Multiplayer battles—play head-to-head or test yourself against TED’s puzzle bot. * Collectible cards packed with intriguing TED facts across science, psychology, design, and more. * Social sharing: Show off your puzzle skills and compete with friends on global leaderboards. **DOWNLOAD NOW to discover why puzzle and word game lovers worldwide are hooked on TED Tumblewords. Your daily dose of brainy fun awaits!**

Screenshots

Spooky Express4 screens
TED Tumblewords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spooky Express at daily against TED Tumblewords's every 3 weeks. Spooky Express also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 58%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). TED Tumblewords's advantage is ratings volume (637 vs 93). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Spooky Express sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TED Tumblewords sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TED Tumblewords holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TED Tumblewords has 637 ratings behind it against 93, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Spooky Express's written reviews are positive against 58% of TED Tumblewords's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spooky Express ships an update daily, TED Tumblewords every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Spooky Express versus TED Tumblewords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpooky ExpressTED Tumblewords
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (93 ratings)4.7 (637 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.3% of reviews — better58.1% of reviews
Number of ratings93637 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size420 MB315 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDraknek LimitedFrosty Pop

Customer experience

Spooky Express

All ratings89 ratings
Positive84.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive67.3%
Neutral16.3%
Negative16.3%

TED Tumblewords

All ratings601 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive58.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative34.9%

User reviews

Spooky Express

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Engaging puzzles
  • 👍 Neat graphics
  • 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
  • 👍 Clever mechanics
  • 👍 Forgiving and encourages exploration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sound glitches
  • 🐛 Issues with completing second level

TED Tumblewords

From 637 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game
  • 🚀 Fun and addicting
  • 🚀 Blast to play and highly addictive

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't recognize valid words
  • 🐛 Slow performance and stuttering
  • 💸 Ads and high price tag

Bugs and requests

Spooky Express

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Track won't finish on second board

Requested features

2 requests
  • Ability to deliver zombies and vampires
  • Fix for level 2 difficulty

TED Tumblewords

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Can't share progress across devices
  • Forced to start over after Netflix era

Requested features

2 requests
  • Allow submitting valid words to be added
  • Provide a casual, zen mode without pressure

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Spooky Express

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$5.99
1 purchases

TED Tumblewords

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$7.99

Questions

Is Spooky Express free?
Spooky Express is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TED Tumblewords free?
TED Tumblewords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spooky Express or TED Tumblewords?
TED Tumblewords is rated higher. Spooky Express averages 4.5 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while TED Tumblewords averages 4.7 from 637 ratings.
Do Spooky Express or TED Tumblewords have ads?
Neither Spooky Express nor TED Tumblewords shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spooky Express or TED Tumblewords?
Spooky Express ships an update daily, and TED Tumblewords every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spooky Express was updated on October 27, 2026 and TED Tumblewords on October 28, 2026.

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