Comparison

Shadowmatic vs Vignettes

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

Head to head
About

Shadowmatic

Rotate abstract objects in a spotlight to cast recognizable silhouettes. Explore unique environments with captivating music and stunning visuals. Discover unexpected shapes and solve mind-bending puzzles.

Highlights
  • Rotate abstract objects
  • Create recognizable silhouettes
  • Stunning visuals
  • Relaxing gameplay
  • Unique thematic environments
  • Assistant button for hints
Features
Read full description

** Apple Design Award Winner ** ** App Store Best of 2015 ** Shadowmatic is an imagination-stirring puzzle where you rotate abstract objects in a spotlight to find recognizable silhouettes in projected shadows, relevant to the surrounding environment. “Other Worlds” is a chapter of Shadowmatic with over 30 levels in 3 unique thematic environments: Ancient Worlds, Music and Space. The chapter is available as a separate purchase. The game combines stunning visuals with relaxing and captivating gameplay. On your journey to discover the right solution you will stumble upon many unexpected and infinitely varied silhouettes. The game features 15 rooms, each flavored with unique concept, atmosphere, and music. - - - - - - - - - - “Simple to the point of beauty, and beautiful to the point of becoming a work of art, this is a game you won't want to win, because you won't want the experience to end” - Pocket Gamer “It's fun, it's unique, and it's the perfect type of game to show off to people who typically don't play video games, as it's almost like an interactive piece of art” - Touch Arcade “It’s always awesome to see a breathtaking, unique, and thoroughly innovative puzzle game pop up on the App Store” - Macworld “Full of whimsical puzzles and thoughtful designs, Shadowmatic is a delightful and captivating iOS game” - CNET “'Fantastically original': Shadowmatic works modern-day wonders with the ancient Chinese art of shadow puppetry” - The Guardian “It’s like a mind-bending shadow-puppet spectacle” - TIME “This game requires you to look at things a little differently” - Washington Post - - - - - - - - - - Hints. The game includes a system of hints. To enjoy the game to its fullest, however, we recommend resorting to them on rare occasions only. Assistant Button. The Assistant button in the upper right corner will help you solve the puzzle by gradually rotating the objects in the correct direction. When you press the button, Hint-Points are used Music. Every room in the game features its own music arrangement, adding up to the distinctive atmosphere and feel in each. The music is best experienced with headphones, and is available separately on iTunes. -- More than 130 levels in 15 unique environments -- Gorgeous graphics -- Secondary objectives -- Assistant Button -- Nonlinear level progression -- 3D parallax view -- Achievements -- Arcade Mode -- Synchronization with Apple TV ** The game is optimized for every iOS device separately (starting from iPhone 5s and newer), however it's best experienced on the latest devices. Follow us on Twitter: @ShadowmaticGame Join us on Facebook: @Shadowmatic Follow us on Instagram: @Shadowmatic Questions? Shoot us an email: support@triadastudiogames.com ----------------------------------------------------- Triada Studio is a computer graphics and animation studio with over 20 years of industry experience. Shadowmatic is the company’s first project that bridges its vast computer graphics experience with an experimental in-house 3D engine.

About

Vignettes

Explore a world of shifting objects and hidden secrets in this unique, text-free puzzle game. Spin and interact with objects to discover different moods and settings. An accessible and colorful experience for all ages.

Highlights
  • Object shapeshifting
  • Text-free exploration
  • Playful interactions
  • Hidden secrets
  • Intuitive touch controls
  • Kaleidoscopic moods and settings
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Vignettes is a casual but unique exploration game without text or characters, where objects shapeshift as you spin them around to wander through a kaleidoscope of different moods and settings. An accessible, colorful experience for all to enjoy, filled with playful interactions and hidden secrets. Drag your finger on the screen to rotate an object, and tap to interact. Here are some neat things you can do in Vignettes: • Rescue a stray cat • Re-enact the moon landing • Take a selfie on top of a mountain • Awaken an ancient snake spirit • Travel back in time • Conduct biological studies • And lots more! "Remarkably clever" -TouchArcade "An artistic puzzle game that looks and plays amazingly well" -Slide to Play "I haven’t been so entranced by a iOS game in a long time" -MacStories No in-app purchases or ads. **iPhone 5/iPad Mini 2 or higher recommended**

Screenshots

Shadowmatic4 screens
Vignettes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Vignettes at none against Shadowmatic's 5. Vignettes also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and price ($2.99 vs $3.99). Shadowmatic's advantage is chart position (#36 vs #163). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

Shadowmatic costs $3.99 and Vignettes $2.99 up front. Shadowmatic sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Vignettes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Shadowmatic against 4.8 for Vignettes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Shadowmatic's written reviews are positive against 88% of Vignettes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadowmatic ships an update every 2 months, Vignettes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Shadowmatic versus Vignettes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowmaticVignettes
Price$3.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.8 (2.1K ratings)4.8 (1K ratings)
Positive reviews85.8% of reviews87.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.1K — better1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#36 — better#163
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size388 MB196 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTRIADA StudioSkeleton Business

Customer experience

Shadowmatic

All ratings2,090 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews423 reviews
Positive85.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative8.7%

Vignettes

All ratings1,023 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews218 reviews
Positive87.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative9.6%

User reviews

Shadowmatic

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Unique and creative gameplay
  • 👍 Relaxing and calming experience
  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and visuals
  • 🧠 Challenging puzzles that exercise the mind
  • 🎶 Soothing background music

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Precision issues with controls, especially for complex puzzles
  • 🤔 Unclear objectives at times, making it difficult to understand what the desired solution is
  • ⏱️ Frustration when getting stuck on a puzzle for a long time
  • 👀 Difficult for left-handed players due to the positioning of the controls

Vignettes

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Unique and creative design
  • 🕹️ Engaging and satisfying puzzles
  • 🎶 Calming and fitting soundtrack
  • 🔍 Intriguing secrets and hidden content
  • 🤯 Mesmerizing and mind-bending gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕰️ Game is too short
  • 🤔 Unclear progression and navigation
  • 💰 Perceived as overpriced for the content

Bugs and requests

Shadowmatic

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes or freezes on certain devices, especially newer iPad models
  • Progress not saving properly, causing players to lose progress

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and new puzzle types to keep the game fresh
  • Ability to save progress and resume puzzles
  • Option to mirror the game screen for left-handed players
  • Hints that provide more useful guidance, not just the final solution

Vignettes

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Chest won't open after putting in last key
  • Voodoo doll won't transform back
  • Crashes on startup for some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Better map/progression system
  • Easier to understand mechanics
  • Fix for persistent bugs

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Shadowmatic

One-time5
  • Pack of 20 Hint-Points$0.99
  • "Other Worlds" chapter$1.99
  • Pack of 50 Hint-Points$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Pack of 150 Hint-Points$3.99
  • Pack of 500 Hint-Points$7.99
None

Vignettes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadowmatic free?
Shadowmatic costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Vignettes free?
Vignettes costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shadowmatic or Vignettes?
Shadowmatic and Vignettes are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.1K and 1K ratings respectively.
Do Shadowmatic or Vignettes have ads?
Neither Shadowmatic nor Vignettes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadowmatic or Vignettes?
Shadowmatic ships an update every 2 months, and Vignettes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shadowmatic was updated on September 28, 2026 and Vignettes on September 27, 2026.
Which is more popular, Shadowmatic or Vignettes?
Shadowmatic currently peaks at #36 in the App Store charts, and Vignettes at #163. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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