What the Shell Downloads & RevenueWhat the Shell · App Store
Not in any tracked top chart right now.
Updated 8 Nov 2026 · rankings refresh through the day
DeveloperChuck Smith
CategoryGames
PriceFree
Released
Rating★ 4.8 (4)
Version4.2.0
Age rating4+
First seen by us
23 Oct 2026
Full timeline · 4 events
- 📦What the Shell updated to version 4.2.0NEW: The controller cursor wraps around the edges of the board
Polish: Live Play (Beta) more stable when you change apps mid-game, and shows how many people are playing
Polish: Improved controller navigation in the games list and difficulty picker… more - 🆕What the Shell first spotted by AppInsiderGermany (found via developer)
- 📦What the Shell version 4.1.0NEW: Eggsodus comes to panda games NOW!
NEW: Eggsodus in all online games started after 19 Oct (13:00 Berlin)
Polish: Improved long-term sign-in
Polish: The screen stays on while a replay plays itself
Polish: Games list stays smoother while you scroll
Coming soon: Live Play! A whole game in minutes instead of days… more - 🆕What the Shell released on the App Store
Collected from the stores by AppInsider since we first spotted the app. Dates are when we saw each change.
Rating
4.8 ★
4 ratings
Measured
What the Shell on the App Store
App details
App ID
925447970
Publisher
Chuck Smith
On the store since
Jan 2015
11 years on the store
Minimum OS
iOS 16.0+
iPhone 8 and later
Devices
iPhone · iPad
Universal purchase
Content rating
4+
Languages
12
CS NL EN EO FR DE HU IT JA KO PT ES
Size
145 MB
Also listed in
Entertainment, Strategy, Board
Where it ranks now
Every top chart it appears in across 30 countries.
| Country | Charts | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Not charting right now. | ||
Ratings
App Store, worldwide.
Rating
4.8 ★
4 ratings
Measured
Ratings
4
Measured
About What the Shell
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.
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.
Latest updates
4.2.0
NEW: The controller cursor wraps around the edges of the board
Polish: Live Play (Beta) more stable when you change apps mid-game, and shows how many people are playing
Polish: Improved controller navigation in the games list and difficulty picker
4.1.0
NEW: Eggsodus comes to panda games NOW!
NEW: Eggsodus in all online games started after 19 Oct (13:00 Berlin)
Polish: Improved long-term sign-in
Polish: The screen stays on while a replay plays itself
Polish: Games list stays smoother while you scroll
Coming soon: Live Play! A whole game in minutes instead of days