Comparison

Hot Button vs Them Bombs

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

Head to head
About

Hot Button

Challenge friends to a fast-paced reaction game with multiple modes. Improve your reflexes in training or compete in party settings. Winners can be rewarded and losers can face fun consequences.

Highlights
  • Multiplayer reaction testing
  • 4 different game modes
  • Training mode for skill improvement
  • Party game functionality
  • Winner rewards and loser punishments
Read full description

Test your reaction with up to 4 persons in 4 different game modes. Reward the winner or/and punish the looser with a tough job. Give free rein to fantasy! Improve your reaction skills in the training mode and compete with your friends at the next party! Note: Please don't misuse this game as a drinking game!

About

Them Bombs

A cooperative game where one player must defuse a ticking bomb using only verbal instructions from their teammates who have access to the defusal manual. Test your communication and teamwork under intense time pressure.

Highlights
  • Cooperative gameplay for 2-4 players
  • Verbal communication-based challenges
  • Timed bomb defusal scenarios
  • Leaderboards for global team performance
  • In-app purchases for additional features
Features
Read full description

*** 8/10 Everything Board Games*** “Awesome experience” A text message leads you to a ticking bomb. Tic-toc! Tic-toc! Every second counts. Which wire to cut – the blue or the red one? Tic-toc! Tic-toc! How to set the control knobs? Tic-toc! Tic-toc! Only two minutes left… Your flashlight battery runs out. The adrenaline kicks in. Will you keep a cool head and manage to defuse the bomb? FEATURES - Work together with your Expert Team and see how many people you can save - Describe what you see using just words so that others understand - Let your Expert Team talk you through the bomb defusal - Put your communication skills to the test - Check leaderboards and see how teams from around the world are doing WARNING: Time pressure and adrenaline rush may lead to shouting, swearing, and misunderstandings, which can cause temporary resentment between friends or silent treatment from a spouse… GAME RULES One of the players takes on the role of the Unlikely Hero, who finds a bomb and tries to defuse it. The hero is the only player who uses iPad or iPhone. The other players become the Expert Team and they have access to the bomb defusal manual. They cannot see what the Hero sees on the screen, and the Hero cannot see the content of the manual. Players can only use verbal communication, just as if the Expert Team and the Unlikely Hero were talking through a radio. PLEASE NOTE: * IMPORTANT - Defusing bombs on iPhones and iPads requires slightly different defusal approaches - make sure you download a version of the "Manual" compatible with your device! * Some game items and features are available in the in-app purchase.

Screenshots

Hot Button4 screens
Them Bombs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Them Bombs at 4.7 against Hot Button's 2.5. Them Bombs also leads on ratings volume (2.7K vs 4) and review sentiment (96% vs 75%). Hot Button's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, 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

Both are free to download. Them Bombs sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per month. Hot Button asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Them Bombs holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Them Bombs has 2.7K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Hot Button's written reviews are positive against 96% of Them Bombs's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hot Button ships an update every 9 months, Them Bombs every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Hot Button versus Them Bombs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHot ButtonThem Bombs
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (4 ratings)4.7 (2.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews96.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings42.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB186 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPeter WeissYellow Dot

Customer experience

Hot Button

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Them Bombs

All ratings2,675 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral2.8%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews1,563 reviews
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.1%

Bugs and requests

Hot Button

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Them Bombs

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Morse code module not working properly
  • Full version not unlocking as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Free access to all modules
  • More difficulty levels
  • Leaderboard/scoring system

In-app purchases

None

Hot Button

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Them Bombs

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Subscription$1.001 Month
One-time1
  • Full Game Unlock$6.99

Questions

Is Hot Button free?
Hot Button is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Them Bombs free?
Them Bombs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hot Button or Them Bombs?
Them Bombs is rated higher. Hot Button averages 2.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Them Bombs averages 4.7 from 2.7K ratings.
Do Hot Button or Them Bombs have ads?
Both Hot Button and Them Bombs show ads.
Which is updated more often, Hot Button or Them Bombs?
Hot Button ships an update every 9 months, and Them Bombs every 3 months. Most recently, Hot Button was updated on November 6, 2026 and Them Bombs on November 9, 2026.

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