Comparison

Phantom Words vs Run Dummy

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

Run Dummy

Features
Read full description

Run Dummy is a 3D maze runner starring a crash-test dummy on the loose in a neon laboratory. Steer with simple tank controls, memorize the corridors, and reach the reward well before the clock runs out. THE LAB IS BOOBY-TRAPPED Every trial hides hazards between you and the exit: spinning blades, floor spikes, dart launchers, crumbling tiles, moving walls, one-way doors, teleporters, and pressure switches that open gates across the maze. The walls can't hurt you — the traps will. RUN. REMEMBER. ESCAPE. - 35 trials across 5 chapters, from gentle warm-up lattices to the deep lab - A chase camera with a rear-view mirror, so nothing sneaks up behind you - Tactile haptics, footstep audio, and a moody synth soundtrack - Up to 3 stars per trial: finish the run, beat the target time, stay nearly untouched - Chase camera tuned for long corridors and split-second turns UNLOCK THE CREW Chain wall streaks — clean runs without kissing the walls — to unlock new runners, each with its own look: Dummy, Bolt, Bulwark, Wraith, and Gilded. Star collectors can earn fresh ball-skin finishes too. FREE POWER-UPS Grab power-ups from the Power-Ups screen before a big attempt: Speed Boost, Shield, Long Jump, Time Freeze, and Extra Hearts. Every power-up is included free — equip as many as you like. There are no purchases, no subscriptions, and no ads anywhere in the game. Only the traps can stop you. How far can you run? Run Dummy is a DJ Games LLC production. © 2026 DJ Games LLC.

Screenshots

Phantom Words4 screens
Run Dummy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Run Dummy at Free against Phantom Words's $2.99. Run Dummy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Phantom Words's advantage is chart position (#69 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads 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

Run Dummy is free to download; Phantom Words costs $2.99 up front. Phantom Words sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Run Dummy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phantom Words ships an update every 5 days, Run Dummy every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Phantom Words versus Run Dummy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhantom WordsRun Dummy
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (20 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings20 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#69 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB6 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFleon LabsDESTIN MITCHELL

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Phantom Words

One-time3
  • Kind Supporter$2.49
  • Generous Supporter$4.99
  • Huge Supporter$9.99
None

Run Dummy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Phantom Words free?
Phantom Words costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Run Dummy free?
Run Dummy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Phantom Words or Run Dummy have ads?
Neither Phantom Words nor Run Dummy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phantom Words or Run Dummy?
Phantom Words ships an update every 5 days, and Run Dummy every 6 days. Most recently, Phantom Words was updated on October 15, 2026 and Run Dummy on October 11, 2026.

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