Comparison

Shadowmatic vs Samorost 3

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

Samorost 3

Embark on a cosmic journey as a curious space gnome exploring nine unique alien worlds. Solve puzzles and uncover mysteries using a magic flute. This award-winning adventure game features beautiful artwork, sound, and music.

Highlights
  • Exploration adventure game
  • Puzzle solving
  • Magic flute powers
  • Nine unique alien worlds
  • Beautiful artwork and music
  • Curious space gnome protagonist
Features
Read full description

Samorost 3 is an exploration adventure and puzzle game from the award-winning creators of Machinarium and Botanicula. It is Amanita Design’s most ambitious experience to date and a loose continuation of the hit indie games Samorost and Samorost 2. Samorost 3 follows a curious space gnome who uses the powers of a magic flute to travel across the cosmos in search of its mysterious origins. Visit nine unique and alien worlds teeming with colorful challenges, creatures and surprises to discover, brought to life with beautiful artwork, sound and music. We recommend playing with headphones for a greater experience! What the press said: “Possibly the most beautiful point-and-click adventure I've ever played.” - Destructoid “The best adventure game in years.” - Kill Screen “A worthy follow-up to Machinarium and Botanicula.” - Pocket Gamer “Arguably the greatest game to come out of Amanita Design.” - PC Gamer “Samorost 3's setting is immediately entrancing.” - GameSpot “All of the music is incredible.” - GameZebo “Samorost 3 is a game that feels alive.” - Stuff

Screenshots

Shadowmatic4 screens
Samorost 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Samorost 3 at none against Shadowmatic's 5. Shadowmatic's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $9.99) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On ads, chart position, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Shadowmatic costs $3.99 and Samorost 3 $9.99 up front. Shadowmatic sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Samorost 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shadowmatic holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 568 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Shadowmatic's written reviews are positive against 75% of Samorost 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadowmatic ships an update every 2 months, Samorost 3 every 7 months. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Shadowmatic versus Samorost 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowmaticSamorost 3
Price$3.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better4.5 (568 ratings)
Positive reviews85.8% of reviews — better74.9% of reviews
Number of ratings2.1K — better568
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#23 — better#54
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size388 MB1.2 GB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperTRIADA StudioAmanita Design s.r.o.

Customer experience

Shadowmatic

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

Samorost 3

All ratings568 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative10.6%
Written reviews855 reviews
Positive74.9%
Neutral6.9%
Negative18.2%

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

Samorost 3

From 568 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💎 Amazing graphics and visuals
  • 🎶 Wonderful soundtrack and sound design
  • 🤗 Charming and quirky characters
  • 🧠 Challenging and rewarding puzzles
  • 🌍 Immersive and imaginative world-building

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Some puzzles are overly obscure and difficult
  • ⏱️ Slow pacing and progression at times
  • 💾 Occasional save/load issues and loss of progress
  • 📱 Not optimized for smaller screens

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

Samorost 3

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game crashes on certain devices
  • Compatibility issues with older iOS versions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to restart the game from the beginning
  • More detailed instructions and tutorials
  • Support for larger screens like iPad Pro

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

Samorost 3

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadowmatic free?
Shadowmatic costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Samorost 3 free?
Samorost 3 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shadowmatic or Samorost 3?
Shadowmatic is rated higher. Shadowmatic averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Samorost 3 averages 4.5 from 568 ratings.
Do Shadowmatic or Samorost 3 have ads?
Neither Shadowmatic nor Samorost 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadowmatic or Samorost 3?
Shadowmatic ships an update every 2 months, and Samorost 3 every 7 months. Most recently, Shadowmatic was updated on September 22, 2026 and Samorost 3 on September 22, 2026.
Which is more popular, Shadowmatic or Samorost 3?
Shadowmatic currently peaks at #23 in the App Store charts, and Samorost 3 at #54. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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