Popular Original iPhone Game Trism Relaunches Today - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Popular Original iPhone Game Trism Relaunches Today

by

Trism, developed by Steve Demeter, was one of the first games in the App Store when it launched 10 years ago. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the App Store, a new version of Trism, Trism 2, is available for download today.

The original version of Trism came out on July 11, 2008, one day after the iOS App Store went live. Trism was a gravity-based puzzler where the goal was to match up three or more like-colored pieces, making it one of the first match-three games to become ultra popular on the iPhone.

trism2screenshots
Two months after its 2008 launch, as it soared up the App Store charts, Trism had earned Demeter $250,000, cementing its place as one of the most well-known original iPhone games.

Trism continues to be available for purchase from the App Store even today, but Demeter has decided to follow it up with the first sequel 10 years later, Trism 2. Like the original Trism, Trism 2 is a match-three game where the goal is to pair three or more bricks of the same color to make matches.


The game boasts an interactive open world, a "deep narrative storyline," branching subquests, episodic content, and multiple endings. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller tweeted about the new app this morning.


In an interview with Variety last week, Demeter said he first began work on Trism 2 in 2010, but it became a "nightmare cycle of starting and restarting, creating and destroying."

"I poured my heart and soul into that game," he said. "I would develop and iterate and then a new thing would come out, like 'Candy Crush,' and I would go back to the drawing board. So I'd develop and iterate again, and then something else would come out."

Trism 2 was built and rebuilt again until it was perfect, with the aim of a Trism game that's "Zelda meets Bejeweled." The game is launching with two complete islands to play through, with another four in the works as downloadable content. There will be no paid DLC, micro transactions, or in-app purchases.

"The game is about the fans," Demeter told Variety. "I really wanted to make this a love letter to them. I couldn't make it free-to-play. I just couldn't. I thought about that early on, but I just couldn't do that."

Trism 2 can be downloaded from the App Store for $2.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Rudy69 Avatar
108 months ago
$2.99? Do I look like I’m made out of money? *sips on my Starbucks*

- posted from my iPhone X
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
108 months ago
Blast from the past.

Bring back Rolando. That game was great.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
palmerc2 Avatar
108 months ago
$2.99? Do I look like I’m made out of money? *sips on my Starbucks*

- posted from my iPhone X
$1,000 iPhone X? Put it on the credit card
$1,000 iPad Pro? Paid with savings. Better get one for my dog too.
$3,000 MacBook Pro? I’ll take two.

$2.99 app?!? Better consult my financial advisor.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timborama Avatar
108 months ago
Blast from the past.

Bring back Rolando. That game was great.
Agreed, Rolando was the best phone app EVER.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rojo Avatar
108 months ago
Wow, the sequel is absolutely TERRIBLE. It strips away all the uniqueness of the original game (pulling the rows, tilting the direction, etc). It’s now a dumbed-down Candy Crush clone on a tilt, with an absolutely non-essential “story” component that is childish and wastes soooooo much time.

I was super addicted to the original, but it was hard to get past just a few levels of this. Instant boredom and frustration. I’ve never been more disappointed about a game sequel than this....
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
108 months ago
The game boasts an interactive open world
I am very confuse…

…with the aim of a Trism game that's "Zelda meets Bejeweled."
WAT. Do we really need this?

There will be no paid DLC, micro transactions, or in-app purchases.
OK, I'm sold.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Creator Studio iWork suite

Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:01 am PDT by
Apple has temporarily removed Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the App Store, just after releasing an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant. It is not clear if the apps were removed intentionally, or if it is a bug. Apple has not said when the apps will be reinstated, but if it was in error, they should return soon. Update: The Mac versions are back without...
iPhone Duo Apps feature

Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo

Thursday October 22, 2026 6:04 am PDT by
Apple today highlighted more than 50 third-party App Store apps that are or will soon be fully optimized for the iPhone Duo and its various layouts and poses. You can hold the iPhone Duo and set it down in a number of ways, such as partially folded like a book, placed down on a surface, or standing on its edges: With the Netflix app, for example, Apple said iPhone Duo users can scroll...
iPhone Duo Slack

Apple Announces iPhone Duo Apps Can Now Be Submitted to App Store

Monday October 5, 2026 7:15 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that apps optimized for the iPhone Duo can now be submitted for App Store approval, ahead of the foldable device launching on Friday, October 23. While existing App Store apps will automatically run on the iPhone Duo, only apps built with the iOS 27.1 SDK or later can dynamically resize to fill the entire space of the inner display, whereas unoptimized apps will have...
Latest Stories
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
18 minutes ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
2 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
2 hours ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
2 hours ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
4 hours ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
5 hours ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
5 hours ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
5 hours ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
6 hours ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
6 hours ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
7 hours ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
7 hours ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
9 hours ago
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
10 hours ago
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
18 hours ago
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
22 hours ago
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
23 hours ago
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
1 day ago
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
1 day ago
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
1 day ago
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
1 day ago
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
1 day ago
MacBook Pro Mini-LED vs. OLED Buyer's Guide: Every Difference
MacBook Pro Mini-LED vs. OLED Buyer's Guide: Every Difference
1 day ago
Where to Pre-Order Apple's New MacBooks, iPad Mini, and iMac
Where to Pre-Order Apple's New MacBooks, iPad Mini, and iMac
1 day ago
Apple Releasing HomePod Mini 2 Tomorrow With These New Features
Apple Releasing HomePod Mini 2 Tomorrow With These New Features
1 day ago
How macOS Adapts Its Controls for Touch on the New MacBook Pro
How macOS Adapts Its Controls for Touch on the New MacBook Pro
1 day ago
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
1 day ago
Apple Announced Scott Forstall's Departure 14 Years Ago Today
Apple Announced Scott Forstall's Departure 14 Years Ago Today
1 day ago
Best Buy Opens Pre-Orders for PROLED XDR MacBook Pro With $100 Bonus Gift Cards
Best Buy Opens Pre-Orders for PROLED XDR MacBook Pro With $100 Bonus Gift Cards
2 days ago
Here's Everything Apple Announced This Week
Here's Everything Apple Announced This Week
2 days ago