Last updated on January 15th, 2026 at 06:27 am
Shift Shaft – Puzzle Game Review
Shift Shaft is a Puzzle/Casual game from William Katz, first launched in 27th February 2022.
It’s rated 9+ and currently has 139+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Shift Shaft Stand Out
“What really blew my mind with Shift Shaft and the main thing that makes it feel unlike any other game out there is your ability to rotate the entire board at will. It sounds simple but this changes everything… This is truly a thinking person’s matching game.”
- Jared Nelson, TouchArcade.com
A match & rotate puzzle
Manipulate your player and the board by rotating it and clearing groups of 3 or more rocks.
Build up your player
Collect and spend gems to upgrade your stats and unlock over 30 different items during each run.
Explore the underground world
Go up against 5 unique enemies and the gem-eating spider to uncover the world beneath the mines.
No ads & no in-app purchases
Play for as long you'd like with no ads or pay walls.
This Puzzle game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Shift Shaft is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 3rd April 2023
Recent improvements include:
Minor visual bug fixes
Download & Availability
Shift Shaft is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
A rare hidden gem of an premium iOS games. Hats off to whoever designed this, its clever and entertaining. Little difficult to pick up on the strategies compared to some other roguelites that Ive played but its a solid game. Certainly worth $3.
Never played video games before. But this creation from our son, gets us. Love this game. Thanks Billy.
We never play phones games but wow Im hooked on this game. Its easy enough to get into it for a newb like us but strategic enough to really keep you invested. And all upgrades are earned through playing the game itself! So fun.
This game has vibe. Fun to progress. Cool art and sounds. Shifting the board changes the game in really nice ways. Lots of strategies keep things interesting.
Love a match game and this one has some extra fun aspects to it. Really love it.
This is our favorite phone game hands down! Its well designed, the graphics are dope, and the mechanics are well explained and intuitive. Well done making this game! Everyone should try it.
Very challenging. Love the puzzle-ness. Stays new as you unlock new tools/possibilities. Slightly obsessed.
Great game, great dev. Hes been listening to feedback and improving on this already addictive puzzle/strategy/roguelite rpg.
The shift mechanic is really a clever way of offering players a strategic way of interacting with the core objective.
We really enjoy match-three games but havent played one with a rotating board! The concept and monsters added to it makes it a challenging and fun way to pass time. What a fun game :).
Everything about this game is awesome, from the great design, good tutorial, clever concept (that no one has ever done before), to fair monetizing with no ads or IAP. We applaud the developer for this. The game is also good on storage and battery. We also appreciate the no data collection. We only docked one star because if you close the app mid-run it doesnt save. We know itll save if you keep it open in the background, but some of us have to turn our phones off, or we only have a few minutes here and there to play, so not saving at any given moment makes us play less because Im afraid we wont be able to finish. We hope you can add at least a menu option to save before quitting. Ill play a lot more often if you can do that. Great game overall, though, and we do recommend it.
Unique game rogue-like play mechanic. The rotating is really unique. First few levels feel like candy crush remix and then the puzzle play kicks in. Building the players base stats by collecting gems gives each run a purpose, even if we didnt make it to the boss level. Have unlocked most items at this point and still cant put it down.
This is our new favorite game. Major plus that we dont need an internet signal to play.
This game is a must have for puzzle lovers! We love being able to rotate the screen to add a new exciting element to the experience. Love you Kuya Billy.
The rotating of the screen was a really fresh and unique concept. It made each level so fun to play. We were hooked from the beginning.
From our AppRaven review- This is a pretty cool match game! Ive not played one with a rotating board mechanic like this, and it definitely makes you think a little more than your standard match three game. It does have roguelite progression, so youre expected to die to be able to progress further. If thats not something youre into, you might still find some interest in the rotating board mechanic. Your main goal is to make it to the ours shaft to descend another level. In each level, you have goals to reach to unblock the ours shaft. These include killing enemies, collecting a certain amount of the colored rocks, among other goals. You use the rotating board to help you make your way towards or away from enemies, rewards, power ups, and the ours shaft. The board rotates by sliding either left or right on a hieroglyphic bar at the bottom of the board, and you have to keep in mind whats around you as you rotate. Once you die, you respawn back at the main menu to use gems you collected to power up before your next run. All in all, Im pretty impressed and really enjoy the graphics, too. Im stoked to see what the future may hold for this game. Its got potential, for sure.
The first app Ive ever paid for, the first game Ive downloaded since flappy bird, and we only stopped playing long enough to write this review.
This game is tough and fun. Great for scavenger hunts. Five Stars.
The best part of this game is that you can rotate the board! The first time we did it blew our mind! So fun, highly recommend to any puzzle lovers.
We are obsessed love it would play at 3am and immediately when wake up. LOVE IT.
This game is challenging and fun! It has great options for boosts and each time we play is different! 15/10 would recommend.
Love the creativity! The game has new surprises and challenges with each level and an intuitive design and set of rules. Very addicting and fun.
This game is different in nuanced ways and it makes for a refreshing fun experience! Love it.
As Billys Dad we might be biased but this game is fun to play! We love watching the rocks fall and stomping monsters and the music. Turning the rock array to navigate adds challenge and strategy to the game play. Billy, we love the game and we love you.
Such a fun, yet challenging game. Who knew destroying bats and rats could be so fun. We love it.
Best mobile game we have played in years! Fun, challenging, and deff worth checking out. Seems simple at first and then packs some surprising punches. Great characters and art.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 0.8.4
- Size: 34.49 MB
- iOS: 14.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
- Developer: William Katz
Last updated: 3rd April 2023 | Genre: Puzzle, Casual | Developer: William Katz