Osmo Newton vs SmartGames Playroom
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- Logic challenges
- Collaborative games
- Escape room experiences
- Custom puzzle creation
- Curriculum-aligned puzzles
- Multiplayer battles
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Osmo Newton | SmartGames Playroom |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (381 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 381 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 441 MB | 212 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tangible Play | SmartGames LIVE Inc. |
Customer experience
Osmo Newton
SmartGames Playroom
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
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- 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
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- 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
Osmo Newton
No in-app purchases
SmartGames Playroom
- Gamer Month$4.991 Month
- TeacherPro Month$10.001 Month
- Friends&Family Month$10.001 Month
Questions
Is Osmo Newton free?
Is SmartGames Playroom free?
Which has better reviews, Osmo Newton or SmartGames Playroom?
Do Osmo Newton or SmartGames Playroom have ads?
Which is updated more often, Osmo Newton or SmartGames Playroom?
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