Letter Shift vs Shanghai Ultra
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Letter Shift
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Letter Shift is a word puzzle game with a unique gravity-based twist. Build words by using letters from two opposing grids -- tiles fall down from the top and rise up from the bottom, creating cascading chain reactions that clear bonus words automatically. Features Dual-grid word puzzle with bidirectional gravity mechanics Spell words of 4 to 8 letters using tiles from both grids Trigger cascading chain reactions as tiles shift and form new words on their own Endless mode with progressively harder levels and scaling word targets Daily puzzle with a fresh board every day and a 3-star rating system Earn and spend gems on power-ups: Shuffle, Line Blast, Hint, and Unlock Track your stats, streaks, and longest combos Daily spin wheel for bonus gem rewards How to Play Tap letters from either grid to place them in the word builder Rearrange your letters by tapping two slots to swap them Submit your word to score gems and progress toward level targets When a tile is removed, gravity shifts the remaining tiles, potentially forming and clearing bonus words automatically Complete all word targets for the level to advance PowerUps to help to when stuck Watch for bonus tiles that grant extra gems in cascade clears Three invalid submissions and you're out -- choose your words carefully
Shanghai Ultra
A beautifully crafted mahjong solitaire game focused on clean gameplay. Match pairs of free tiles to clear the board, with every deal guaranteed solvable. Offers multiple tile styles, board layouts, and themes for a satisfying experience.
- 7 board layouts
- Multiple tile styles
- Background themes
- Guaranteed solvable deals
- Score tracking with hints
- Leaderboard with iCloud sync
- Global Daily Challenges
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Shanghai Ultra is mahjong solitaire the way it should be — clean, focused, and beautifully crafted. Match pairs of free tiles to clear the board. Simple to learn, endlessly satisfying to master. Every deal is guaranteed solvable, so the challenge is always fair. Choose from beautifully crafted traditionally inspired tiles or try the fun emoji based sets. Seven board layouts range from a quick 56-tile game to the full 186-tile Turtle. Rich felt-textured backgrounds and five colour themes set the mood. No ads. No interruptions. Just you and the tiles. FEATURES • 7 board layouts: Quick, Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle, Fortress, Pyramid, and Cross • Multiple tile styles from classic to playful, including a Clear tile style optimised for great visibility • Background themes with subtle felt texture • Every deal is guaranteed solvable • Score tracking with hints, shuffle, and timer • Leaderboard with iCloud sync across devices • Game Center support - Leaderboards, Achievements, and Challenges • Take part in fun Global Daily Challenges with the Quick layout • Light, dark, and system appearance modes • Designed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Letter Shift at Free against Shanghai Ultra's $1.99. Letter Shift also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). Shanghai Ultra's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence 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
Letter Shift is free to download; Shanghai Ultra costs $1.99 up front. Letter Shift sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shanghai Ultra asks for nothing beyond the download.
Letter Shift ships an update every 5 days, Shanghai Ultra every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Letter Shift | Shanghai Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | — | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 6 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | adam rogan | Jonathan Clarke |
In-app purchases
Letter Shift
- Remove Ads$2.99
Shanghai Ultra
No in-app purchases








