Comparison

Shadowmatic vs CUBIC MAZES

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

CUBIC MAZES

Navigate intricate 3D mazes by shifting between faces and climbing stairs to reach the goal. Explore new passages by moving onto different sides of the cube. This puzzle adventure offers enchanting visuals and over 40 challenging stages.

Highlights
  • 3D cube maze navigation
  • Face shifting mechanics
  • Stair climbing movement
  • Over 40 stages
  • Hint system
  • Relaxing ambience
Features
Read full description

Enjoy 3D fun with CUBIC MAZES! Shift across faces and aim for the goal! Cubic maze faces shift as you walk the stairs! Move onto sides to discover new passages! With your stereognostic sense, join COZMO -a puzzle-loving peculiar alien- in a blitz through star of mazes! [Game Features] - Simple game steps / rules for everyone - Enchanting visuals with relaxing ambience - Over 40 exciting stages (and more in future updates!) - Shows hints when you are lost - Ad removal with an upgrade

Screenshots

Shadowmatic4 screens
CUBIC MAZES3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CUBIC MAZES at Free against Shadowmatic's $3.99. CUBIC MAZES also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 11.0). Shadowmatic's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 39). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CUBIC MAZES is free to download; Shadowmatic costs $3.99 up front. Shadowmatic sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and CUBIC MAZES sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shadowmatic holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadowmatic has 2.1K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Shadowmatic's written reviews are positive against 67% of CUBIC MAZES's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadowmatic ships an update every 2 months, CUBIC MAZES every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Shadowmatic versus CUBIC MAZES: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowmaticCUBIC MAZES
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better4.2 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews85.8% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2.1K — better39
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#36 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.07.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size388 MB128 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTRIADA Studiotakuya ori

Customer experience

Shadowmatic

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

CUBIC MAZES

All ratings39 ratings
Positive74.4%
Neutral15.4%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%

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

CUBIC MAZES

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
1 purchases

CUBIC MAZES

One-time1
  • UPGRADE$1.99

Questions

Is Shadowmatic free?
Shadowmatic costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is CUBIC MAZES free?
CUBIC MAZES is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shadowmatic or CUBIC MAZES?
Shadowmatic is rated higher. Shadowmatic averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while CUBIC MAZES averages 4.2 from 39 ratings.
Do Shadowmatic or CUBIC MAZES have ads?
Neither Shadowmatic nor CUBIC MAZES shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadowmatic or CUBIC MAZES?
Shadowmatic ships an update every 2 months, and CUBIC MAZES every 2 weeks. Most recently, Shadowmatic was updated on September 30, 2026 and CUBIC MAZES on September 19, 2026.

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