Comparison

What the Shell vs Number Thumper

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

Head to head
About

What the Shell

A fast-paced, strategic board game where players capture turtles and claim neutral eggs. It offers dynamic, original gameplay with simultaneous turns, encouraging aggressive play and quick thinking. Enjoy challenging matches against friends or AI.

Highlights
  • Dynamic and original gameplay
  • Simultaneous play
  • Capture opponent's turtles
  • Claim neutral eggs
  • Play against AI
  • Play with friends
Features
Read full description

You both move at the same time, in secret. Only when the turtles land do you find out whose plan just fell apart. Oh no — this ain't your traditional five-in-a-row. What the Shell is the one you reach for when you and a friend are bored on the couch: "Wanna play What the Shell?" A game between two beginners can be over in three minutes, and somehow you're still at it two hours later, laughing every time your minds collide and another egg turns up on the board. "Simultaneous play boosts the fun of this intuitive, yet surprisingly deep board game." — Matthias Titze, Clarc producer (German Computer Game Award winner) There's no taking turns, and nobody goes first — so nobody gets the first-player edge. You lock in your move, your friend locks in theirs, and the board resolves both at once. Strategy still wins games, but you're up against a mind you can't see, and you never know where she just played. Sandwich two of their turtles and they're gone. Both reach for the same square and your turtles crash into an egg — and an egg is a curious thing: you can capture it, or hatch it. One bold move flips a game you'd already written off. Capture at the right moment and a chain reaction can tear through the position your friend spent the whole game building. It's never won or lost until the last move. Made for two: • Sit down together, each on your own phone or tablet, and battle it out face to face — best enjoyed in the same room • Or play online at your own pace, whether your friend's across town or across the world • No one around? Tap Quick Match for a random opponent, or take on the panda offline, from an easygoing Newcomer to a tough Expert • Got a controller? Connect it to your iPad or iPhone and play however you want Read the board, then read your friend. Capture a couple of turtles, deal with the eggs, line up five in a row — and enjoy the look on his face when it all comes together.

About

Number Thumper

Test your reflexes and logic in this fast-paced tapping game. Find the quickest sequence to tap numbers according to specific rules, aiming to beat the clock. It's more than just simple tapping; it requires pattern recognition and strategic finger placement.

Highlights
  • Logic and pattern recognition
  • Fast-paced tapping gameplay
  • Beat the clock challenges
  • Strategic finger placement
  • Unique tapping rules
Features
Read full description

Just simple tapping, right?? WRONG! Find the fastest tap order to beat the clock in this logic and pattern number game! Rules: • For each digit shown, tap with that many fingers. • Some digits are greater than 5. You can never tap with more than 5 fingers at once • You can tap with a fewer number of fingers but never more • Look for patterns to tap as quickly as possible

Screenshots

What the Shell4 screens
Number Thumper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: What the Shell at none against Number Thumper's 1. Number Thumper's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Number Thumper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. What the Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for What the Shell against 5.0 for Number Thumper. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 5 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
What the Shell versus Number Thumper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhat the ShellNumber Thumper
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 8 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChuck SmithGammaLateral LLC

Customer experience

What the Shell

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Number Thumper

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

What the Shell

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Number Thumper

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is What the Shell free?
What the Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Number Thumper free?
Number Thumper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, What the Shell or Number Thumper?
What the Shell and Number Thumper are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do What the Shell or Number Thumper have ads?
Neither What the Shell nor Number Thumper shows ads.

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