Comparison

Osmo Newton vs SmartGames Playroom

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

Head to head
About

Osmo Newton

Engage with creative physics puzzles by drawing or placing physical objects. Guide falling balls into target zones using everyday items. Experience a blend of physical and digital play.

Highlights
  • Draw lines to solve puzzles
  • Place physical objects to interact
  • Guide falling balls into targets
  • Works with everyday items
  • Hands-on learning experience
  • Promotes creativity and problem-solving
Read full description

Solve creative physics puzzles by drawing lines or placing items in front of the screen. Play your favourite Osmo Newton on both iPhone and iPad! Use your iPhone with the "Osmo Base for iPad" which can be found at playosmo.com. * Please see our device compatibility list here: https://support.playosmo.com/hc/articles/115010156067 "..games that interact with just about any physical object—pen, paper, blocks, even toys your kids already own. - The Wall Street Journal "This interplay between the physical and digital realms looks and feels like magic." - Forbes "Osmo has been a revolution in our family." - Wired Awarded: **Best Design** - Good Design, 2016 **Best Product Designs** - Fast Company Finalist, 2016 **Innovative Toy of the Year** - TOTY Finalist, 2015 **Best Inventions** - TIME, 2014 Works with any object or drawing – Mom’s keys, hand-drawn basket, even toys you already own. Simply place the object/drawing in front of the screen and manipulate it to guide the falling balls into the target zones. About Osmo Osmo is using the screen to create a new healthy, hands-on learning experience that promotes creativity, problem-solving and social interaction. We do this with our reflective artificial intelligent technology.

About

SmartGames Playroom

This app offers a safe and engaging educational puzzle platform for all ages. It features logic challenges, collaborative games, and escape room experiences designed to develop thinking skills. Users can also create and share their own puzzles.

Highlights
  • Logic challenges
  • Collaborative games
  • Escape room experiences
  • Custom puzzle creation
  • Curriculum-aligned puzzles
  • Multiplayer battles
Features
Read full description

SmartGames Playroom is an educational puzzle platform for teachers, parents, and curious minds of all ages.  Packed with logic challenges and collaborative games, it brings learning and play together in one safe, engaging app. Explore 20+ single-player logic puzzles, 3 two-player games, multiplayer Playroom Battles, and 2 blended Escape Games designed for classroom and family play. Escape the Playhouse Our hybrid escape games combine physical and digital puzzles for a truly immersive experience. In Escape the Playhouse, kids solve printed clues and puzzles to unlock every room.  Want something a little spookier? Try Escape the Haunted House for a scary-smart challenge. Built to Grow Thinking Skills SmartGames Playroom develops problem-solving and computational thinking through carefully designed puzzles.  With multiple difficulty levels, games are suitable for preschoolers, kids, teens, and adults alike.  Created by the makers of SmartGames puzzles, the app is backed by over 30 years of educational expertise. Designed with Teachers Developed in close collaboration with educators, SmartGames Playroom aligns with school curricula and reinforces key learning objectives.  It fits seamlessly into both classroom activities and home learning. Features Safe, kid-friendly online environment Curriculum-aligned puzzles developed with teachers Age-appropriate challenges that grow with your child Two-player games that encourage teamwork Playroom Battles for whole-class participation Escape games that support collaboration and social skills Downloadable gamesheets with rules and curriculum content for teachers and parents Reward materials like posters, coloring pages, and tournament charts Regular updates with new games and features Create, Play, and Share Use Playroom Builder to design your own puzzles, no experience needed. Share challenges with students, friends, or family. Compete, beat records, and earn XP. Teachers can even let students create their own puzzles to boost creativity. Subscriptions are now available directly in the app. Visit playroom.smartgames.com to learn more. Ready to play, think, and escape?
Download SmartGames Playroom and start puzzling today.

Screenshots

Osmo Newton4 screens
SmartGames Playroom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Osmo Newton at none against SmartGames Playroom's 3. Osmo Newton also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (381 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads 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

Both are free to download. SmartGames Playroom sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Osmo Newton asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Osmo Newton holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Osmo Newton has 381 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Osmo Newton's written reviews are positive against 50% of SmartGames Playroom's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Osmo Newton versus SmartGames Playroom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOsmo NewtonSmartGames Playroom
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (381 ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews64.6% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings381 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size441 MB212 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTangible PlaySmartGames LIVE Inc.

Customer experience

Osmo Newton

All ratings381 ratings
Positive75.3%
Neutral6.8%
Negative17.8%
Written reviews79 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral8.9%
Negative26.6%

SmartGames Playroom

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Osmo Newton

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes on launch or during gameplay
  • Unresponsive app after recent updates
  • Lorem Ipsum placeholder text stuck on screen
  • Achievement page frozen preventing gameplay
  • App incompatible with iPad Air 2 and 11-inch iPad
Show 5 more
  • Camera permission prompt issues on newer iOS
  • Line detection fails to recognize drawings
  • Game slows down significantly with multiple balls
  • App fails to load or gets stuck on loading screen
  • Whiteboard compatibility issues

Requested features

8 requests
  • Back/front camera option for better positioning
  • Pause menu functionality
  • More levels beyond the current 61
  • Grid screen option for better line detection
  • Adjustable camera sensitivity settings
Show 3 more
  • Better instructions and tutorial for beginners
  • Start button before gameplay begins
  • Support for older iPad models

SmartGames Playroom

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Osmo Newton

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SmartGames Playroom

Subscriptions3
  • Gamer Month$4.991 Month
  • TeacherPro Month$10.001 Month
  • Friends&Family Month$10.001 Month

Questions

Is Osmo Newton free?
Osmo Newton is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SmartGames Playroom free?
SmartGames Playroom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Osmo Newton or SmartGames Playroom?
Osmo Newton is rated higher. Osmo Newton averages 4.1 out of 5 from 381 ratings, while SmartGames Playroom averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Osmo Newton or SmartGames Playroom have ads?
Neither Osmo Newton nor SmartGames Playroom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Osmo Newton or SmartGames Playroom?
Osmo Newton ships an update every 2 months, and SmartGames Playroom every 2 months. Most recently, Osmo Newton was updated on September 3, 2026 and SmartGames Playroom on August 27, 2026.

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