Mars vs Populus Run
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mars
Embark on a thrilling space adventure as a volunteer on a mission to Mars. Pilot a jetpack to explore the Martian surface, capture unique selfies, and navigate the challenges of interplanetary travel. Prove the doubters wrong and make history on this groundbreaking expedition.
- Explore Mars on a jetpack
- Take selfies on Mars
- Avoid Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies
- Discover Martian sights
- Volunteer for a space mission
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MarsCorp is ready to take the first group of volunteers on an exciting mission to Mars! Fly around Mars in one of our brand new jetpacks and discover what’s out there. As part of the “Put A Human On Mars No Matter What” program, we are proud to announce that MarsCorp is the first company cutting enough corners to make human flights to Mars finally viable. So-called “professional” astronauts will tell you things like “No sane person would travel across space on that thing” or “The fuel on that jetpack lasts about 30 seconds”, but you can prove them wrong! Here’s your chance to make history! - Explore Mars on a jetpack. - Take selfies on Mars's greatest sightings. - Avoid Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies. - Have fun!
Populus Run
Control a crowd of people in this unique running game. Dodge obstacles, battle quirky bosses, and discover hidden characters. Enjoy the full experience with a one-time purchase.
- Control a crowd of people
- Dodge giant fast food
- Slide down pipes
- Battle rapper bosses
- Hardcore mode
- Collect secret characters
- Original soundtrack
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Play the opening levels for free with no ads. Unlock the full game forever with a single in-app purchase. Populus Run is the unconventional running game where you control a crowd of people. • Dodge giant fast food • Slide down pipes like at a waterpark • Battle rapper bosses, including Macaron, Donut, and Burger • Test yourself in Hardcore mode • Collect all the secret characters who are hidden in the levels • Show your respect for the upbeat original soundtrack with its choral singing Populus Run was originally released exclusively on Apple Arcade. Now it's available on the App Store. If you've played the game before, your progress and achievements will be carried over.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Populus Run at none against Mars's shown. Mars's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 70%) and ratings volume (22K vs 1.6K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Mars sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Populus Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Mars against 4.7 for Populus Run. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars has 22K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Mars's written reviews are positive against 70% of Populus Run's.
Mars ships an update monthly, Populus Run every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mars | Populus Run |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (22K ratings) — better | 4.7 (1.6K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews — better | 69.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22K — better | 1.6K |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 256 MB | 523 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Pomelo Games | FIFTYTWO |
Customer experience
Mars
Populus Run
User reviews
Mars
From 22K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Simple and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing and calming experience
- 👍 Variety of unique characters with different themes
- 👍 Optional ads that provide rewards
- 👍 Offline playability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Repetitive and can get boring over time
- 🔁 Lack of difficulty progression
- 🔁 Duplicate character unlocks can be frustrating
Populus Run
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Amazing game
- 👍 Great developers
- 👍 Fantastic music
- 👍 Relaxing and fun
- 👍 Colorful and visually appealing
Room to improve
- 💰 Paywall after first few levels
- 🐛 Occasional performance issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems on some devices
Bugs and requests
Mars
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when taking selfies
- Streak resets when returning to a previous level
- Inconsistent controls and fuel usage
Requested features
4 requests- Add new planets and environments to explore
- Introduce different gameplay modes (e.g., time trials, challenges)
- Allow players to customize platforms and backgrounds
- Implement a way to revisit previous levels
Populus Run
Reported bugs
3 issues- Freezing on login screen
- Graphical glitches on certain devices
- Saved data not restoring properly
Requested features
4 requests- Make the full game free to play
- Add more levels and worlds
- Improve level selection UI
- Allow customization of controls
In-app purchases
Mars
- Arnold$0.99
- Little Martha$0.99
- Marselot$0.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Nigiri$0.99
- Ufo$0.99
- Discman$0.99
- Kestrel 5$0.99
- Eagle$0.99
- Stephen$3.99
- El Dorado$3.99
Populus Run
- Full Game$3.99









