# Shell Game vs Drop Merge®

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shell Game at 100% against Drop Merge®'s 28%. Shell Game also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Drop Merge®'s advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (24K vs 5). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shell Game sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Drop Merge® sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drop Merge® holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drop Merge® has 24K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Shell Game's written reviews are positive against 28% of Drop Merge®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Shell Game ships an update every 3 months, Drop Merge® monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shell Game | Drop Merge® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shell-game/id918417462/reviews) | **[4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drop-merge-number-puzzle/id1661095183/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **24K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 27.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Magma Mobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/490634283) | [SUPERBOX. Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1165756567) |

## What reviewers say

### Shell Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shell-game/id918417462)

Test your eye tracking and guessing skills in this free casual game. Follow the shuffled cups to find the hidden ball and climb the international rankings. It's easy to learn but challenging to master.

**Highlights:** Eye tracking challenge, Guess the ball's location, International rankings, Casual gameplay, Street of Paris theme

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Drop Merge®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drop-merge-number-puzzle/id1661095183)

A classic number merging puzzle game where you drop blocks to combine them into larger numbers. Test your logic and strategy to achieve high scores and compete globally. Enjoy offline play with a modern design and helpful features.

**Highlights:** Merge number blocks to create larger numbers, View next number block for strategic planning, Global ranking and high score leaderboards, Offline play supported, Simple and modern graphic design, Vibration feedback system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Piggy Bank | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Plus | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack 10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack 30 | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Minimal ads
- 💡 Relaxing and brain-stimulating
- 🚀 Works well offline

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent ads interrupting gameplay
- 🐛 Glitches and progress loss issues
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Inconsistent ad-free experience after purchase

**Reported bugs**

- Game resets progress without warning
- Ads freeze or fail to close
- Blocks not merging properly

**Requested features**

- Save/load game progress feature
- Leaderboard and competitive elements
- Customization options (e.g., avatars, themes)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shell Game free?

Shell Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Drop Merge® free?

Drop Merge® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shell Game or Drop Merge®?

Drop Merge® is rated higher. Shell Game averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Drop Merge® averages 4.9 from 24K ratings.

### Do Shell Game or Drop Merge® have ads?

Drop Merge® shows ads; Shell Game does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shell Game or Drop Merge®?

Shell Game ships an update every 3 months, and Drop Merge® monthly. Most recently, Shell Game was updated on November 1, 2026 and Drop Merge® on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*