Simon's Bacteria vs BloomBlocks Puzzle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simon's Bacteria
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Simon's Bacteria is a turn-based strategy game built around one deceptively simple mechanic: rotate a stone, and watch the board change. HOW IT WORKS Each stone on the board points in one of four directions. On your turn, rotate one of your stones 90° clockwise — it moves into the cell it now points to, and can trigger a chain reaction of captures across the board. Read the board carefully: a single rotation can flip the momentum of the entire game. PLAY TOGETHER Challenge your friends through Game Center and play together across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Choose your favorite game mode, compete for victories, unlock achievements, and jump straight into a rematch. Your first 3 multiplayer games are free — after that, a one-time purchase unlocks unlimited multiplayer for good. • Multiplayer across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Three unique game modes • Game Center achievements and statistics • Quick rematches with friends PLAY YOUR WAY • Chaos Mode — a fully randomized board for a classic, unpredictable game every time. • Symmetry Mode — mirrored starting positions for a perfectly fair fight. • Balanced Mode — randomized but evenly distributed starting directions. THREE LEVELS OF AI (VINTAGE 1998) No neural networks, no cloud, no buzzwords — just an honest, old-school game AI in the spirit of 1998, built on classic move-search logic rather than anything fashionable. It adapts to the difficulty you choose — from a forgiving opponent that favors easy captures, to a sharp one that looks several moves ahead and plans around your counter-attacks. DESIGNED TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY • Clean, focused board — no clutter, no timers pressuring your every move. • Three visual stone styles to match your taste. • Game Center leaderboards and achievements to track your wins. • Your games and stats are saved locally — pick up right where you left off. • No ads. No account required for single-player. No data collection beyond what Game Center itself handles. FREE TO PLAY, OPEN SOURCE Single-player is completely free, forever, with everything unlocked — it's an open-source passion project. Multiplayer includes 3 free games to try it out, then a small one-time purchase for unlimited play. If you'd like to say thanks separately, optional tips are available in the Tips menu; they simply help cover the cost of the Apple Developer license required to bring an open-source project like this one to the App Store. Whether you have two minutes or twenty, Simon's Bacteria rewards careful thinking over fast reflexes. COMING SOON We're actively working on additional board generation modes and new AI difficulty tiers.
BloomBlocks Puzzle
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Bloom is a relaxing block puzzle game for everyone who loves the genre but hates the pressure. Drag and drop blocks onto an 8x8 grid, fill rows and columns to clear lines, and grow a garden that stays with you - with no timer, no lives, and no ads. Ever. WHY YOU'LL LOVE BLOOM - No timer, no lives, no energy meters - an endless block puzzle at your own pace - No ads and no in-app purchases. Nothing interrupts your flow, nothing asks for your money - Plays fully offline - no wifi needed on flights, trains and waiting rooms - Soft pastel visuals, gentle sounds, and a reduced-motion mode - Daily goals that adapt to how YOU play - gentle for beginners, satisfying for veterans HOW TO PLAY - Drag and drop: place block pieces from your tray onto the 8x8 board - Clear lines: fill a full row or column and it blooms away in a burst of petals - Build combos: chain clears together to find your flow and multiply your score - Keep going: out of room? Spend petals to plant new blooms and continue your run GROW A GARDEN THAT STAYS Every line you clear earns petals. Plant them in your own quiet garden - flowers that never wilt, never expire, and slowly open as you play. A puzzle game where progress grows into something you keep. RELAX AND TRAIN YOUR BRAIN Block puzzle games are the perfect brain teaser: easy to learn, endlessly deep. Planning all three pieces in your hand is a genuine logic workout - but in Bloom you do it to soft chimes instead of a ticking clock. Unwind, de-stress, and sharpen your mind at the same time. If you enjoy wood block, sudoku-grid and blast-style block puzzle games - but wish they'd slow down, drop the ads and let you breathe - Bloom is your garden. Fill the grid. Clear the lines. Watch it bloom.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BloomBlocks Puzzle at none against Simon's Bacteria's 4. BloomBlocks Puzzle also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Simon's Bacteria's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Simon's Bacteria sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. BloomBlocks Puzzle asks for nothing beyond the download.
Simon's Bacteria ships an update every 3 weeks, BloomBlocks Puzzle every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simon's Bacteria | BloomBlocks Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrei Kondratev | OuterMark Group Pty Ltd |
In-app purchases
Simon's Bacteria
- Multiplayer Unlock$0.99
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$2.99
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- Large Tip$4.99
BloomBlocks Puzzle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Simon's Bacteria free?
Is BloomBlocks Puzzle free?
Do Simon's Bacteria or BloomBlocks Puzzle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simon's Bacteria or BloomBlocks Puzzle?
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