Alchemy Lab vs Tenward
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Alchemy Lab
Combine elements like fire and water to discover new ones in this relaxing puzzle game. Experiment with over 60 elements and 100 recipes in a pressure-free environment. Unlock a hidden workshop and track your progress in a cozy creative space.
- Combine elements to discover new ones
- Over 60 elements to uncover
- 100+ recipes with multiple paths
- Unlockable hidden workshop
- Tinkerer's Journal for progress tracking
- Ambient sound and gentle haptics
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What happens when fire meets water? Something new. Alchemy Lab is a cozy discovery game where you combine elements to uncover what’s hidden beneath the surface. Start with four: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air - and experiment your way into a world that expands with every discovery. No timers. No pressure. No wrong answers. Just a warm workbench… and your curiosity. HOW IT WORKS Pick two elements. Place them on the workbench. Tap Combine. If something new emerges, you’ve made a discovery. If not, the workbench gently encourages you to keep exploring. Every discovery expands your collection and opens new paths forward. Some combinations feel obvious. Others reveal themselves slowly. The best ones feel like you found them, not followed them. WHAT YOU’LL FIND • 60+ elements to uncover across evolving tiers • 100+ recipes with multiple paths to discovery • A hidden workshop that unlocks as you go deeper • Timed transmutation for rare, higher-tier elements • A Tinkerer’s Journal to track your progress • Flavor text that gives each element its own voice • Gentle haptics and animations that make every interaction feel satisfying • Ambient sound that deepens as your journey unfolds DESIGNED TO FEEL GOOD Alchemy Lab isn’t a race. It’s a place. A quiet, creative space where ideas come together and small moments of discovery feel meaningful. There’s no punishment for trying something new. No pressure to optimize your path. Just a system that rewards curiosity… and waits patiently for your next idea. BUILT FOR DISCOVERY Some players think logically. Some experiment freely. Alchemy Lab supports both. Multiple recipes can lead to the same result, so there’s no single “correct” path. Your journey unfolds in your own way, shaped by the choices you make along the way. MORE TO COME There is more to this place. New elements, recipes, and systems are already in development. Complete the current collection to catch a glimpse of what’s being crafted next. Built with care by a solo developer at Forgebound Labs.
Tenward
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NO ADS. JUST ONE MORE TEN. Drag through two to four touching tiles that add up to exactly ten. Diagonals count. Your route clears and stays clear—nothing falls in from above, so every ten you find becomes permanent headroom. The pressure comes from below. A fresh row rises every few seconds, and the pace accelerates the longer you survive. When a rising row pushes a tile past the ceiling, the run is over. EASY TO LEARN. DEEP ENOUGH TO MASTER. The arithmetic is simple. The decision is where to clear. Cut down the tallest stack, chase a cascade, or take a longer route to buy a little more time before the next row. ONE FAIR DAILY RUN Everyone gets the same opening board and the same incoming rows. Your first live attempt is ranked, so every placement means something. Finish it to defend your streak, then keep playing in unranked Practice. PRACTICE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT Start a fresh random board any time. Practice is unlimited, unranked and free. There are no ads, energy timers or forced waits. A LITTLE HELP, NEVER A PAY-TO-WIN LOOP Every run includes one Undo, Shuffle, Hint and Clear. Shuffle changes the numbers without lowering the stack, so the pressure stays honest. FREE INCLUDES • Today's ranked Daily Run • Unlimited unranked Practice • All achievements and challenges • The latest three Daily archive days • Your 20 most recent runs • Offline play with no account required PRO ADDS • The Marathon board (today's seed) and friend challenges • A 730-day Daily archive and 500-run history • A weekly Streak Saver • Daily-history sync across devices • Premium tile themes Choose a one-time Tenward unlock, or use StackForge Play Pass for Pro access across eligible StackForge games tied to your account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. No ads. No tracking for advertising. No account required to play. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Tenward at none against Alchemy Lab's shown. Tenward also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Alchemy Lab sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Tenward sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Alchemy Lab | Tenward |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brandon Blaisdell | StackForge Studios |
In-app purchases
Alchemy Lab
- Extra Workshop Slot$1.99
- Remove Ads$4.99
Tenward
- StackForge Play Pass Monthly$2.991 Month
- StackForge Play Pass Annual$14.991 Year
- Tenward Full Game Unlock$4.99









