# Shadow Mania vs Categories!

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Categories! at none against Shadow Mania's 5. Categories! also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Shadow Mania's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shadow Mania sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Categories! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shadow Mania ships an update every 31 months, Categories! every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Mania | Categories! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (327 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-mania-shape-trivia-quiz/id697920543/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **327** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 31 months | **Every 15 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 52 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MigoApps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/441790439) | [Patrick Cavanagh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241677825) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow Mania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-mania-shape-trivia-quiz/id697920543)

Test your knowledge by guessing shadows and silhouettes from various categories like characters, places, and objects. This addictive quiz game offers hundreds of levels with instant fun and no registration required. Challenge yourself and friends to unlock all the puzzles.

**Highlights:** Guess shadows and silhouettes, Hundreds of levels, Characters, people, cartoons, places, objects, food, TV, film, Simple and addictive gameplay, Instant fun, no registration, Test knowledge and quiz friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 350 coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 750 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 2000 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 12000 coins | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging game
- 💡 Challenging and tests the brain
- 🚀 Addictive and keeps you guessing
- 👍 Great way to pass the time
- 👍 Enjoyable and creative

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔋 Ads between levels can be disruptive
- 👎 Some puzzles are too difficult
- 👎 Lack of hint options or ability to skip levels

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on certain levels
- Incorrect or missing puzzle images
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- More hint options or ability to skip levels
- Improved performance and stability
- Ability to sync progress across devices
- More variety in puzzle types and themes


### Categories!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/categories/id6444230273)

A team-based trivia game where players guess items within various categories. Split into teams, choose categories, and race to a victory score. Perfect for group fun and testing knowledge.

**Highlights:** Team-based gameplay, Over 700 categories, Item guessing challenges, Customizable team names, Score tracking, Victory condition

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadow Mania free?

Shadow Mania is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Categories! free?

Categories! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Shadow Mania or Categories! have ads?

Shadow Mania shows ads; Categories! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shadow Mania or Categories!?

Shadow Mania ships an update every 31 months, and Categories! every 15 months. Most recently, Shadow Mania was updated on November 1, 2026 and Categories! on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*