Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Magic vs Viola’s Quest

Magic 4.4★ · Free + IAP 40
Winner Viola’s Quest
Viola’s Quest 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65

Viola's Quest is the better choice for a casual match-3 experience, offering more consistent gameplay despite its own issues, while Magic is plagued by severe technical problems and aggressive monetization.

Full reviews: Magic · Viola’s Quest

Magic, a Magic: The Gathering themed match-3 game, suffers from frequent crashes, update loops, and a strong 'pay-to-win' monetization strategy. Viola's Quest, a bubble shooter, also faces criticism for crashes and 'pay-to-win' mechanics but generally provides a more stable and enjoyable experience for casual players.

Head to head

Gameplay Experience edge: Viola’s QuestR5R8R9R11
Magic Magic offers an addictive blend of Magic: The Gathering and gem matching, appealing to fans of both genres, with players finding it easy to lose track of time R5R8R11. However, many users report the game is rigged, with AI opponents having unfair advantages and massive cascades R9R34.
Viola’s Quest Viola's Quest is described as an addictive and fun marble shooter, good for distraction and stress relief, with challenging levels that keep players engaged . Some players find later levels frustrating due to mechanics that punish good play or are intentionally rigged .
Technical Performance & Reliability tieR3R4R10R13
Magic Magic is plagued by severe technical issues, including frequent crashes during gameplay, especially in heroic mode or events R4R25R34. Many users report being stuck in an update loop, unable to play R10R13, and some experience server outages . The game also lacks cloud save or Game Center integration, leading to lost progress when changing devices R3.
Viola’s Quest Viola's Quest also suffers from significant technical problems, with many users reporting constant freezing and crashing, often mid-game or after watching ads . Some users experience issues with the app not opening or loading , and it may not work with the latest iOS updates .
Monetization & Value tieR1R7R16R18
Magic Magic is heavily criticized for its aggressive 'pay-to-win' model, with many users feeling forced to spend money to progress, get better cards, or compete R1R7R18R20. Recent updates have reportedly reduced free rewards, increased prices for in-app purchases, and made events costly to enter R1R16R18R20.
Viola’s Quest Viola's Quest is also seen as 'pay-to-win,' with players feeling pressured to buy boosters or gold due to stingy in-game rewards and rigged levels . Some users report that promised rewards for watching videos or participating in events are not delivered .
Support & Communication tieR25R26R32R34
Magic Magic's support is criticized for not responding to issues like crashes R25 and for failing to fix basic problems despite high prices R26R34. There's also a lack of developer response to widespread cheating R32.
Viola’s Quest Viola's Quest customer service is largely described as nonexistent or unresponsive, with long delays in replies and requests for screenshots that are difficult to provide .
Pick Magic if

you are a dedicated Magic: The Gathering fan willing to overlook significant technical issues and aggressive monetization for the themed gameplay, and you enjoy match-3 mechanics R5R8R11.

Pick Viola’s Quest if

you enjoy casual marble shooter games, appreciate good graphics, and are looking for an addictive time-killer, even if it has occasional crashes and 'pay-to-win' elements .

Evidence note: Both apps have a high volume of negative recent reviews, particularly regarding technical issues and monetization, which contrasts with their higher lifetime ratings. The free-to-play model for both contributes to user frustration with in-app purchases and limitations.

Frequently asked

Are Magic and Viola's Quest truly free to play?
Magic and Viola's Quest are both free to download and play, but many users report that progression in both games is heavily geared towards in-app purchases, making them feel 'pay-to-win' (R1, R7, R18, R20, , R26, for Magic; , , , , for Viola's Quest).
Do these games have technical problems?
Yes, both games are frequently reported to have significant technical problems, including constant freezing and crashing during gameplay (R4, R25, R34, , , for Magic; , , , , , , , , , , for Viola's Quest). Magic also has issues with update loops and lack of cloud saves R3R10R13.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 100 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R5] Magic 5/5 · GB Addictive: The combination of MTG and gem matching got me hooked on straight away! Brilliant!
  2. [R8] Magic 5/5 · GB Addictive: An amazing game of MTG, very easy to play lose track of time
  3. [R9] Magic 3/5 · GB Rigged: I really enjoy this game but there are issues with it that are very irritating. The battles against 'real' opponents are actually battles against real opponent's decks. The AI controls the deck & the match. This removes the possibility of human error & can stack a game against you. The enemy AI is incredibly 'lucky' the higher the level of the matches. I'm an average skilled player, nothi
  4. [R11] Magic 5/5 · GB Really captures the experience of playing MtG: Very fun game. Effectively a match 3 game very strongly in the theme of mtg, with deck building and casting spells.
  5. [R3] Magic 3/5 · GB So far so good: However this app doesn't seem to have a cloud save or Game Centre save option. What if I want to change phone?
  6. [R4] Magic 2/5 · GB Glitch on heroic mode: When I battle Nissa in the heroic challenge and you face Gaia's revenge with evolutionary leap, it keeps crashing whenever that support is destroyed. Please fix it
  7. [R10] Magic 1/5 · GB Won't work. Stuck in update loop: Start game, says there's an update and forces an open of the AppStore. The AppStore doesn't have an update. No way to bypass. Uninstalled.
  8. [R13] Magic 1/5 · GB App sends me to AppStore for update: ...But app stores says I'm upto date and sends me back to App... in a loop right now!!!
  9. [R1] Magic 1/5 · GB Greedy devs get worse with each update: only 1 free card at a time now rather than 3 forcing me to log in every 2 hours. not going to happen think i've hit the end of the road with this - great game but too heavily geared towards pay to win
  10. [R7] Magic 1/5 · GB Just like the real game.: Been playing this for a few months now. Many complaints. The app is very play to win. Somebody that has invested money into getting gems etc. Will have better cards, a better planeswalker, and better ranking than you. All this because they have money to spend. So either you grind forever in the hopes of getting something good. Or just buy everything and win every game wi
  11. [R16] Magic 1/5 · GB This was the best of Mtg and Puzzle Quest...avoid now: I've been playing the game for a year and have decided to downgrade the review to one star. Frequent bugs, a substantial reduction of in-game rewards, and now more expensive purchases. This was fun once...but not any more.
  12. [R18] Magic 1/5 · GB Recent update removes enjoyment: I'd read a few reviews before I downloaded this game last month to suggest the game was stacked against players who didn't spend £££'s but found it to be fun nonetheless And a game I was willing to make in app purchases for. The recent update removes any balance and asks for more cash to progress. The daily challenges were fun, but now one comes at a cost to win a
  13. [R25] Magic 4/5 · GB Good but...: Hi. Love the game, but keeps kicking me out all the time, and now more with the new update don't let m play at all, I wrote to email support and not even a replay...
  14. [R26] Magic 1/5 · GB This game goes from bad to worse: Every update brings more disappointment, unless you have a spare few hundred to spend on this game each month, I would give it a wide birth. The developers are greedy and yet despite the $100 price tag on items they fail to fix the most basic of problems, give out fewer awards to the genuine top players after each patch and continue to leave the top spots to the c
  15. [R32] Magic 1/5 · GB Hacked Hacked Hacked: The game is riddled with cheaters and hacked apps. Don't waste your time expecting to compete. The Developers don't care it has been going on for months. They clearly have enough paying already.
  16. [R34] Magic 1/5 · GB Fix the issues!: This could be a great game if they focussed on fixing the issues instead of releasing overpriced mythics and card packs. Crashes several times a day losing the battle, particularly frustrating during events. The AI is really poor at playing decks so they compensate by having it generate huge mana gains with cascades, it's clear that the AI can see all of the upcoming gems that the
  17. [R20] Magic 1/5 · GB Used to be my favourite game: But now seems to be worse in every way. Prices have only gone up, bugged cards will still rob victories from you, and the ai getting massive cascades, which used to be a necessary balance to make up for the terrible ai, makes a battle against a mythic deck an exercise in frustration. Combine this with having to pay crystals to enter events which used to be a hard won

Synthesized from 100 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store