Comparison

Phantom Words vs Chicago Bomb Squad

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

Head to head
About

Phantom Words

Unscramble letters by sliding rows and columns to form words. Discover hidden letters as you play, with increasing complexity and new mechanics introduced. Offers multiple game modes for varied challenges.

Highlights
  • Sliding row and column puzzles
  • Hidden letter discovery
  • Progressive difficulty
  • Multiple game modes (Classic, Endless, Daily, Lightning)
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Game Center leaderboards
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

We made Phantom Words for anyone who loves that small, satisfying moment when a jumble of letters suddenly turns into a word. Each board begins scrambled, with most of the letters hidden behind ghost tiles. Slide rows and columns like a 2D Rubik’s Cube, then look for words running across or down the board. Whenever you make one using a tile for the first time, another letter appears. Once every tile is used, the puzzle is complete. Longer words are worth more, while tiles lose value each time you use them. Yellow means a tile is nearly spent; red means you’ve leaned on it too often. Later boards introduce gaps that split rows and columns, multi-letter tiles that keep their letters together, wildcards that can stand in for any letter, and locked tiles that stay fixed until you use them in a word. And if a solution feels messy, you can always come back and find a more elegant one. There are four ways to play: • Classic has 99 handmade levels with increasing difficulty and evolving mechanics. • Endless starts small and procedurally grows while you play. • Daily Challenge gives everyone a new board each day, plus a streak to keep going. • Lightning Mode is the same word hunting, but against the clock. Classic, Endless, and Daily Challenge aren’t timed, so there’s no rush. You get a full score breakdown after each level and can replay it whenever you want. Your progress and settings sync across your devices with iCloud. There are also Game Center leaderboards if you care about high scores. We hope you enjoy discovering the words we’ve hidden for you.

About

Chicago Bomb Squad

Engage your logic skills in this puzzle game set in Chicago. Defuse virtual bombs by strategically selecting keys, ensuring no two touch. Explore handcrafted levels inspired by iconic city locations.

Highlights
  • Logic puzzle gameplay
  • 100 handcrafted levels
  • Chicago-themed atmosphere
  • Hints and auto-mark helpers
  • No time pressure
Features
Read full description

Chicago, present day. A villain the papers have started calling the Ghost has planted devices across the city, and the squad is struggling. Every panel is a locked logic puzzle - one safe combination, no guessing, no luck. Chicago Bomb Squad is a logic puzzle game for people who want their brain teasers to actually be a fun part of their day. Every board has exactly one solution, and you can always reason your way to it. WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY PLAYING - 100s of handcrafted logic puzzles across O'Hare, the Riverwalk, and The Loop - A real detective story - follow along with the Chicago Moon and Chicago Star as the case unfolds - A Case Board of suspects, built from clues you find inside the puzzles - No pressure to rush (except the Daily Challenge, for the brave among you) Whoever the Ghost of Chicago is, the answer's on the board. Find it with logic — not luck. - PRO SUBSCRIPTION Pro is an optional auto-renewing monthly subscription ($2.99/month) that removes the ad breaks between levels and the wait after a loss. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://chicago-bomb-squad.aswins.workers.dev/privacy

Screenshots

Phantom Words4 screens
Chicago Bomb Squad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chicago Bomb Squad at Free against Phantom Words's $2.99. Phantom Words's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#64 vs unranked). On review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chicago Bomb Squad is free to download; Phantom Words costs $2.99 up front. Phantom Words sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Chicago Bomb Squad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phantom Words ships an update every 5 days, Chicago Bomb Squad every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Phantom Words versus Chicago Bomb Squad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhantom WordsChicago Bomb Squad
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (22 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
Best chart rank#64 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFleon LabsLuxVelox

Customer experience

Phantom Words

All ratings22 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%

Chicago Bomb Squad

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Phantom Words

One-time3
  • Kind Supporter$2.49
  • Generous Supporter$4.99
  • Huge Supporter$9.99
3 purchases

Chicago Bomb Squad

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Squad$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • Notes$0.99
  • Unlimited Restarts - 24 hours$2.99

Questions

Is Phantom Words free?
Phantom Words costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Chicago Bomb Squad free?
Chicago Bomb Squad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Phantom Words or Chicago Bomb Squad have ads?
Chicago Bomb Squad shows ads; Phantom Words does not.
Which is updated more often, Phantom Words or Chicago Bomb Squad?
Phantom Words ships an update every 5 days, and Chicago Bomb Squad every 4 days. Most recently, Phantom Words was updated on October 25, 2026 and Chicago Bomb Squad on October 25, 2026.

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