Comparison

Emoji Runner vs Chain

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

Head to head
About

Emoji Runner

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Run like the wind and jump over obstacles in this classic, high-speed cartoon runner! Emoji Runner features simple, responsive one-tap controls and an addictive difficulty curve. Collect shiny diamonds to increase your score, and grab the rocket power-up to blast off in invincibility mode, smashing all obstacles in your path! Fully remastered in beautiful high-resolution Retina graphics, this update features locked 120 FPS smoothness for a premium gameplay feel. Connect to Game Center to challenge players worldwide and show off your high scores on the global leaderboards. Tired of ads? Upgrade to Go Pro with a single, one-time In-App Purchase to enjoy a completely ad-free experience. Are you ready to run? Download Emoji Runner today!

About

Chain

Features
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Chain Balls is a fast, satisfying chain-reaction puzzle. Tap once to drop a white starter ball. Watch it expand, collide with the bouncing coloured balls, and set off a chain that ripples across the screen. Time it right and every ball explodes, time it wrong and you'll leave too many behind. SIMPLE TO LEARN One tap. No tutorial required. The physics do the rest. TWENTY HANDCRAFTED LEVELS Normal mode eases you in at 33% and ramps up to 80% of balls required. Twenty levels: each one a new puzzle in how many balls you need to catch. HARD MODE - UNLOCKABLE Beat all 20 Normal levels to unlock Hard Mode: tighter targets (50% โ†’ 94%), double the score multiplier, and the same satisfying chain reactions at a whole new level of difficulty. GAME CENTER Compete on the global leaderboard with your total score across the full run. Collect seven achievements - from your first chain to half a million points. LOOKS AND FEELS GREAT Smooth 60fps physics, animated gradient backdrop, satisfying haptic feedback on every chain, and seven distinct pop sounds that play in the order of your chain depth. SETTINGS THAT RESPECT YOU Toggle sound, haptics, and a Reduce Motion mode that freezes all decorative animations without touching gameplay.

Screenshots

Emoji Runner4 screens
Chain2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chain at none against Emoji Runner's 1. Chain also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 136 months) and device support. Emoji Runner's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Emoji Runner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chain asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emoji Runner ships an update every 136 months, Chain weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 2 level
Emoji Runner versus Chain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmoji RunnerChain
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 136 monthsWeekly โ€” better
Adsโ€”Yes
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
Devicesโ€”iPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better18.6
Further details โ€” not scored
Size17 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCentral Domains LLCSimon Steinhage

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Emoji Runner

One-time1
  • Go Pro Upgrade$1.99
None

Chain

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Emoji Runner free?
Emoji Runner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chain free?
Chain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which is updated more often, Emoji Runner or Chain?
Emoji Runner ships an update every 136 months, and Chain weekly. Most recently, Emoji Runner was updated on October 24, 2026 and Chain on October 7, 2026.

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