Panda Games, the free panda mini-game app from Chinese Powered, has grown into Merge Panda: one deeper drop-and-merge puzzle instead of a collection of short mini-games. It comes as an update to the same app, from the same developer, and it’s still free with ads. If you played the original on the same device, the first launch of Merge Panda welcomes you back with 100 to 2,000 bonus coins based on your old progress, plus the Golden Grove board and the Founding Panda title, which nobody else can get.
What changed from Panda Games to Merge Panda? #
| Panda Games (original) | Merge Panda | |
|---|---|---|
| What you play | A collection of panda mini-games | One drop-and-merge puzzle with an 11-tier ladder |
| Goal | Win individual mini-games | Merge snacks up to the Emperor Panda and beat your best score |
| Daily content | Daily plays | 3 daily missions, a daily gift and a streak |
| Collection | Achievements | 22 achievements and a Panda-dex |
| Shop | Coin shop | Panda Shop: snack skins, board themes, hats, titles |
| Price | Free, ad-supported | Free, ad-supported, no in-app purchases |
| Account | None | None |
The update describes it as “Panda Games has grown up.” You drop snacks into a bamboo crate, two matching snacks merge into the next size up, and the ladder climbs from a tiny Sprout through Bao Buns and Watermelons to Panda Cubs, a Mama Panda and the crowned Emperor Panda.
What do founding pandas get? #
If Merge Panda finds your old Panda Games save on the device, it shows a Welcome back! screen the first time you open it. You get:
- Bonus coins, scaled to what you did in the original. The screen shows the amount along with your old wins, coins and best streak.
- The Golden Grove board theme, marked “founders only.” It isn’t sold in the shop.
- The Founding Panda title and badge, also not for sale.
How the founder coins are calculated #
The bonus starts at 100 coins and adds:
- 10 coins for every coin you had in Panda Games
- 5 coins for every win
- 20 coins for each day of your best streak
- 50 coins for each achievement you earned
The total is capped at 2,000 coins. For comparison, the most expensive snack skin in the Panda Shop costs 500 coins, so a long-time player can walk in and buy several items on day one. Our guide to earning coins in Merge Panda shows what else coins are good for.
How to make sure you get your founder rewards #
The welcome-back check reads the old save on your phone, one time. To make sure it finds it:
- Update the app. Don’t delete it. Panda Games stored your progress on the device, not in an account. Deleting the app deletes that data, and the rewards can’t be recovered.
- Use the same phone. The old save only exists on the device where you played.
- Open Merge Panda after updating. The check runs on first launch.
The update never writes over or deletes your old save, so the check doesn’t affect anything else on your phone.
Where to find Merge Panda in the app stores #
On Google Play, the Panda Games app has already updated to Merge Panda.
On the App Store, the listing name for the update is Panda Games: Merge Panda, keeping the original name alongside the new one. If your App Store page still shows the old mini-game collection, the new version hasn’t reached the App Store yet. Your old save stays on your phone in the meantime.
The Merge Panda website links to both store pages.
What stayed the same #
- It’s still free. Merge Panda is supported by ads. Most are optional rewarded videos you choose to watch, to rescue a run or double your coins. There’s also an occasional ad between runs, at most one every 2.5 minutes and never before you’ve finished two runs.
- Still no account. No sign-up, no login. Progress is saved on your device.
- Still made for everyone. Cute art, no violence, no chat, and ad content capped at a family-appropriate rating.
- Still offline-friendly. You can play without a connection. The ad-based offers just won’t appear.
New to the game? #
If you’re arriving from the original, the core rule takes seconds to learn: drag to aim, release to drop, and two matching snacks merge. From there, our Merge Panda tips cover combos, the danger line and the Panda Rescue. When you’re ready for a long-term goal, how to get the Emperor Panda walks through the whole ladder.
Frequently asked questions #
Is Panda Games gone? #
The app is still there, and the update turns it into Merge Panda. It’s the same app from the same developer, and it keeps the panda theme and the free, ad-supported model. The mini-games aren’t part of Merge Panda; the app now focuses on one puzzle.
Do I need to download a new app? #
No. Merge Panda arrives as an update to the Panda Games app you already have. If you don’t have the original, just install Merge Panda from the App Store or Google Play.
Will I lose my Panda Games progress? #
Your old save isn’t deleted by the update. Merge Panda reads it once to calculate your founder rewards. Your progress doesn’t carry over as mini-game scores, since those games aren’t in Merge Panda, but it’s converted into coins, an exclusive board and a title.
Why didn’t I get the founder rewards? #
The most common reasons are playing on a different device, having deleted and reinstalled the app (which removes the old save), or never having recorded any progress in the original. The welcome-back screen only appears once, on the first launch after the update.
Can I buy the Golden Grove board? #
No. The Golden Grove board and the Founding Panda title are only given to players who had the original Panda Games on their device. They never appear in the shop.