Real Fish Simulator vs Upstream Struggle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Real Fish Simulator
Embark on an underwater adventure as a fish, exploring the ocean's depths. Navigate challenges, evade predators, and complete missions to survive. Experience a realistic ocean environment with dynamic movements and aquatic landscapes.
- Escape from sharks
- Rescue sea creatures
- Break free from aquarium
- Realistic ocean environment
- Simple & smooth controls
- Underwater effects
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Dive into an Epic Underwater Adventure! Explore the depths of the ocean and take control of a brave fish on an unforgettable journey! Face thrilling challenges, escape deadly predators, help sea creatures, and complete daring missions to survive in the vast underwater world. Control your fish and swim in deep sea. There are several sea creatures like sharks, turtles, starfishes and blowfishes. - Escape from Sharks – Outswim and outsmart hungry sharks as you navigate the deep sea. - Rescue Sea Creatures – Help your underwater friends by solving unique missions. - Break Free from the Aquarium – Find a way to shatter the glass and escape back into the wild! - Realistic Ocean Environment – Stunning visuals bring the deep sea to life with dynamic fish movements and aquatic landscapes. - Simple & Smooth Controls – Use the joystick to swim and explore freely in a vast open world. Can You Survive the Ocean? From escaping terrifying sharks to breaking out of captivity, every level brings a new adventure. Experience the thrill of the deep sea and prove your survival skills! Features -Underwater effects. -Sunlight refraction effect -Underwater bubbles. -Moving mosses. -Some fishes. -Some jellyfishes. -Wandering fishes. -Real underwater sounds. How to play Left joystick : Move forward and backward. Turn left or right while moving. Screen Right Side : Turn up or down and also turn left or right. Swim trough the glowing worms to eat. Best audio experienced with headphones.
Upstream Struggle
Embark on an endless salmon run, swimming upstream to reach home. Dodge a variety of enemies for as long as possible to unlock new fish species and improve your score.
- Endless salmon run gameplay
- Dodge enemies
- Unlock new fish
- High score challenges
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In Upstream Struggle, you play as a salmon swimming upstream to return home (except right now it's just endless, oops). Dodge enemies for as long as you can to unlock new fish.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Upstream Struggle at 87% against Real Fish Simulator's 28%. Upstream Struggle also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. Real Fish Simulator sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Upstream Struggle asks for nothing beyond the download.
Upstream Struggle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upstream Struggle has 9.7K ratings behind it against 117, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Real Fish Simulator's written reviews are positive against 87% of Upstream Struggle's.
Real Fish Simulator ships an update monthly, Upstream Struggle every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Real Fish Simulator | Upstream Struggle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (117 ratings) | 4.9 (9.7K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.4% of reviews | 86.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 117 | 9.7K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 312 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NeonWings | Jack LaLonde |
Customer experience
Real Fish Simulator
Upstream Struggle
Bugs and requests
Real Fish Simulator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Upstream Struggle
Reported bugs
3 issues- Getting stuck in the waterfall at the start
- Crashes and freezes, especially at higher levels
- Issues with the bird/flying obstacle
Requested features
4 requests- Add more variety to levels and obstacles
- Improve controls and jumping mechanics
- Implement a leaderboard or competitive mode
- Introduce new fish skins and customization options
In-app purchases
Real Fish Simulator
- 250 Golds$0.99
- 500 Golds$1.99
- Starter Pack (Stackable)$1.99
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- 800 Golds$2.99
- No Ads$3.99
- Gold Bundle$3.99
- 1250 Golds$3.99
- Ocean Bundle$4.99
- 2000 Golds$4.99
- 3500 Golds$5.99
Upstream Struggle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Real Fish Simulator free?
Is Upstream Struggle free?
Which has better reviews, Real Fish Simulator or Upstream Struggle?
Do Real Fish Simulator or Upstream Struggle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Real Fish Simulator or Upstream Struggle?
Other comparisons
