# Orbital > Addictive one-thumb puzzle game about destroying orbs for points. (iPhone/iPad app by Bitforge.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbital/id324012853 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Bitforge](https://appshunter.io/developer/289719102) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Puzzle, Strategy - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 4.50/5 from 42 App Store ratings · 254 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 23 MB - Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, European Spanish - Released: 2009-08-13 - Data updated: 2026-08-28 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbital/id324012853/reviews.md ## What is Orbital? Get the Game of the Year** now! ORBITAL is a 1-thumb experience with a simple goal: score points by destroying orbs. A simple puzzle game for all with beautiful visual effects, it can be played in short sessions and is highly addictive. HOW FAR CAN YOU GO? ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Awards and Prizes: **Game of the Year denki.co.uk *Winner DiscoveryBeats Apps Contest *Silver Award pocketGamer.co.uk ----------------------------------------- VIDEO TRAILER 1) www.tinyurl.com/orbitaliphone ----------------------------------------- AWARDS TOP RATED - jayisgames.com SILVER AWARD - pocketgamer.co.uk ----------------------------------------- WHAT THE CRITICS SAY «ORBITAL is a game of skill, it's a game of strategy, it's a game of reflexes, and it's a game you will keep front and center of your iPhone for weeks on end.» - John Bardinelli (jayisgames.com) «A picnic to understand, but a marathon to get beyond the first few minutes, Orbital's simple style is perfect for those looking for fill the odd spare moment.» 8/10 - Keith Andrew (pocketgamer.co.uk) «Orbital is the most visually appealing brick breaker type game that I have ever laid eyes on and had the chance to play.» 5/5 - Mike (iphoneincanada.ca) «While there are already a few iPhone games that share the same gameplay mechanics as Orbital, none of them look anywhere near as cool.» - Eli Hodapp (toucharcade.com) «BitForge has managed to combine the addictive gameplay of Peggle and the beauty of Geometry Wars, two digital forms of crack, into one easy to use package.» - Chad George (thatvideogameblog.com) «Orbital takes simple gameplay and dresses it up with a unique “gravity” feature and enhanced graphics. The game can be very frustrating at times, but that won’t keep you from coming back for another try.» 4/5 - Will Raskin (148apps.com) «Orbital has got fantastic graphics and unfussy features. Come to think of it, there are really no negative points about the game. Good going, Bitforge!» 5/5 - Yoyo (iphonefootprint.com) ----------------------------------------- GAMEPLAY You must shoot orbs into a grid with your cannon. The orb you fired will expand until it touches a wall or another orb. Each orb contains the number ‘3’, which decreases by one every time it is hit. After 3 hits they explode and you earn a point. The game could be endless… There is just one condition: a shot orb must not touch the death line above the cannon! If it does, the game is over. A simple concept to rack your brains and nerves. ----------------------------------------- FEATURES - Single & Two player mode - 3 game modes: Gravity, Pure & Supernova - Beautiful particle effects - All-time & 24 Hours online Leader board - Facebook connection: Compare with your friends on Facebook ----------------------------------------- ORBITAL is based on Gimme Friction Baby by Wouter Visser. ## Key features - One-thumb gameplay - Score points by destroying orbs - Beautiful visual effects - Single & Two player modes - 3 game modes (Gravity, Pure, Supernova) - Online leaderboards - Facebook integration ## What do users think of Orbital? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 💎 Great little distraction - 💎 Classic game - 💎 A keeper - 💎 Timeless - 💎 Love the game - 💎 Awesome gameplay - 💎 Fantastic - 💎 Addictive - 💎 Mesmerizing experience - 💎 Gorgeous graphics - 💎 Challenging yet simple - 💎 Perfect for casual play - 💎 Replayability **Cons** - 🐛 Startup sound issue - 🔋 High battery consumption - 🐛 Crashes on newer iOS - 🔇 Missing original music - 🐛 Score reset issue **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes on iOS 13+ - Leaderboards not working - Inconsistent physics on newer devices **Most requested features** - Undo feature - New game modes - Power-ups - Online multiplayer - PC/Mac version - Original music option - Customizable controls ## Recent user reviews (10 of 254) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbital/id324012853/reviews.md ### 5/5 — A game that stands the test of time *2026-07-21* I have played this game on and off, always having a place for it on my phone, for easily the last 15 years. Simple yet elegant. I just wanted to let whomever made this know, their work is appreciated. ### 5/5 — Deceptively Simple - ultra casual *2026-06-08, version 1.5.0* This game is a concept based on “Gimme Friction Baby” by Wouter Visser. This rules are super simple: Tap on the screen to fire projectiles from your cannon’s continuously oscillating barrel. When a projectile comes to rest it will become an orb, expanding until it touches another orb or the edge of the playfield. Ricochet your shots off orbs, each impact reduces their value by one, until it reaches zero which removes that orb from the game and rewards you with one point, but do not let your projectile cross the “death line” at the bottom of the playfield or it’s game over. Easy to pick up, difficult to master. ### 5/5 — Stands the test of time *2026-03-26, version 1.5.0* Installed on my first iPhone in 2009, still playing it regularly 17 years later. I’m sad the global high score server went off-line, but at least the game continues to work perfectly and provides joy, relaxation, satisfaction and amusement. ### 5/5 — Classement mondial *2026-01-11* Bonjour, j’adore ce jeu, j’aimerais bien avoir le classement mondial et pas seulement avec mes amis car personne ne joue bis ### 5/5 — Great little distraction *2025-03-22* I’ve been playing this game for 16 years — and in that time it’s been a perfect little device to get me out of my own head and find calm. (I do play in silent or very low volume) Unlike some of my original games on my first iPhone, this has remained a classic. Thank you ### 5/5 — Classic *2024-12-28* I remember playing this game in the waiting room to pass the time while my son was being born. He’s 15 now and I’m still enjoying this challenging, yet simple, colorful game. ### 5/5 — A keeper *2024-12-16* I think I’ve had this game more than 13 years. It’s still great, I still play it. Thanks to the developers for keeping it going; it even runs on Macs now. I do miss the original music, though. ### 5/5 — I’ve had this game longer than my 14 year old daughter! *2024-11-06, version 1.5.0* I remember playing this for ages waiting in hospital while my wife was pregnant. My daughter turns 14 in a month or so! I might not play it for a year or two and then get addicted again. Great game. 139 in gravity is my latest high score (I think my highest, have changed device a few times!) ### 1/5 — One star. Less than one. *2023-09-20, version 1.5.0* It has a setting to turn off sounds, so that’s good. However even with sounds turned off and music turned off, it still has a full volume blast of unwanted startup jargon. Hey devs? Having a no sounds setting means, (NO SOUNDS). I don’t want some startup theme song intro. One star. Less than one star. ### 5/5 — Still a great game *2023-08-04* I probably paid for this game more than a decade ago and I’m thankful that it still functions beautifully on my iPhone thanks to periodic (surprise) updates. FYI, I recently discovered that the original background music appears to be the song “Drop Back” by the artist Vaisnava. Thanks, Bitforge! <3 ## Frequently asked questions about Orbital ### What is Orbital? Orbital is a puzzle game where the objective is to score points by destroying orbs. You shoot orbs from a cannon, and they expand until they hit a wall or another orb. After three hits, they explode and award points. ### What are the main features of Orbital? Key features include one-thumb gameplay, beautiful particle effects, single and two-player modes, three distinct game modes (Gravity, Pure, and Supernova), an online leaderboard, and Facebook connectivity to compare scores with friends. ### How much does Orbital cost? Based on the provided information, the application is a paid game. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting a one-time purchase model. ### What are the rules for playing Orbital? The core rule is to shoot orbs from your cannon. Each orb decreases in value with each hit and explodes after three hits, granting points. A critical condition is that a shot orb must not touch the 'death line' above the cannon, as this will end the game. ### Who is Orbital designed for? This game is designed for players who enjoy skill-based puzzle games with simple mechanics but challenging gameplay. Its visual appeal and short session potential make it suitable for casual gamers looking for an addictive experience. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.5.0 — 2020-09-23 ORBITAL has been refreshed for the latest iOS update - the Game now works properly on iOS 14 and now also supports Devices with 120hz Displays (e.g. iPad Pro 2020). ### 1.4.1 — 2015-05-29 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. We are celebrating 5 years of Orbital and we’re happy to present a small but much anticipated update with a range of improvements. The newest version of Orbital displays nicely on high resolutions and supports current 16:9 screens natively. And since it is built as a universal App it runs better on the iPad than ever. Finally you can again connect Orbitals Leaderboard to Facebook to compete with your friends in all game modes. Also the game now keeps the score if it gets suspended and the game music now stops if you start listening to your own music. Thank you for playing Orbital – have fun! ### 1.4.0 — 2015-04-20 We are celebrating 5 years of Orbital and we’re happy to present a small but much anticipated update with a range of improvements. The newest version of Orbital displays nicely on high resolutions and supports current 16:9 screens natively. And since it is built as a universal App it runs better on the iPad than ever. Finally you can again connect Orbitals Leaderboard to Facebook to have your private and compete with your friends in all game modes. Thank you for playing Orbital – have fun! ### 1.3.1 — 2011-04-22 ★Thank you for your ongoing support★ We haven’t forgotten about you! We hope you’ll enjoy the following improvements: - Graphics optimized for iPhone 4G-display - Up to 30% performance improvement - High resolution textures - High definition sound - Stereo sound effects (use your headphones) Thank you very much for playing Orbital and we hope you’ll have fun trying out the new updates. Feel free to tell us what you think via Facebook, Twitter or our Web page www.orbital-game.com ### 1.3.0 — 2011-04-15 ★Thank you for your ongoing support★ We haven’t forgotten about you! We hope you’ll enjoy the following improvements: - Graphics optimized for iPhone 4G-display - Up to 30% performance improvement - High resolution textures - High definition sound - Stereo sound effects (use your headphones) Thank you very much for playing Orbital and we hope you’ll have fun trying out the new updates. Feel free to tell us what you think via Facebook, Twitter or our Web page www.orbital-game.com ## Apps similar to Orbital | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Orbit – Gravity Puzzle Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-gravity-puzzle-game/id1576175691) | 4.6 (8) | Free | Games | | [Orbit - Playing with Gravity](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817) | 4.8 (7,526) | Free | Games | | [Pocket Galaxy: Space Sandbox](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-galaxy-space-sandbox/id1214937203) | 4.8 (9,937) | $3.99 | Games | | [Abysstris](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abysstris/id6747412692) | — | Free | Games | | [One More Bubble](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-more-bubble/id1151836496) | 4.5 (170) | Free | Games | | [FIBO Puzzle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fibo-puzzle/id6752569211) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Games | ## More apps by Bitforge - [Swiss AR Map](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiss-ar-map/id1516813280) - [Yago Scenes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yago-scenes/id1641510508) - [BadiBuddy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/badibuddy/id6503250404) All apps by Bitforge: https://appshunter.io/developer/289719102 ## Related topics [orbital](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orbital) · [orbital mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orbital-mobile) · [eooeies](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/eooeies) · [orbital mechanics](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orbital-mechanics) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*