Nightgate vs Subnautica
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nightgate
Navigate a dark, digital world in the year 2398 as the last remaining life form on Earth. Explore 50 handcrafted levels, avoid enemies, and uncover the mysteries of this futuristic landscape. Enjoy an immersive experience with a stunning minimalist design and original soundtrack.
- 50 handcrafted levels
- Avoid enemies
- Immersive digital environments
- Original soundtrack
- Minimalist design
- Discover achievements
- iCloud progress sync
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In the year 2398, a network of intelligent computers known as Nightgate, is the last remaining life form on Earth. "Stunning" - The Daily Dot "A Neon-Soaked Art Installation" - Stuff TV "One of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while" - MacStories "A Gorgeous Minimalist Experience" - TouchArcade "Top 10 Indie Mobile Games of 2016" - Indie Game Reviewer "10 Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2016" - FACT Magazine "A pretty cool mixture of laid back and frantic" - Gamezebo "Wide range of challenges and mechanics" - Pocket Gamer "Feels right at home on the Apple TV" - iLounge "Wonderfully Intuitive Controls" - Cult of Mac "A Triumph in Design" - TapSmart "Immersive and Captivating" - AppAdvice –– Step into the computer and make your way through 50 handcrafted levels. Avoid enemies as you interact with a dark digital world and explore what lies beyond the futuristic landscapes of Nightgate. Features: • Universal app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV • No ads, no in-app purchases • Immersive digital environments • Over 40 minutes of original soundtrack (also available on iTunes Music Store) • Minimalist design featuring vibrant colors and complex geometries • Discover achievements scattered throughout the game • In-game camera to capture beautiful screenshots • Sync your progress using iCloud • Fully localized for English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese and Russian
Subnautica
Embark on an underwater survival adventure in an arctic alien ocean. Investigate mysteries, craft equipment, and explore new biomes and creatures. Survive the cold and uncover the truth behind an ancient alien civilization.
- Explore alien ocean biomes
- Craft habitats and equipment
- Survive freezing temperatures
- Investigate alien mysteries
- Discover new creatures
- Pilot vehicles like Seatruck and Snowfox
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*Please make sure your device is supported before purchasing Below Zero!* Below Zero is the next chapter of Subnautica, the underwater survival open world set on an alien ocean planet. Submerge yourself in an all-new, sub-zero expedition in an arctic region of Planet 4546B. After crash landing planetside, set out into frigid waters to investigate what happened to your sister... Discover new biomes, creatures, challenges and story! Below Zero expands the Subnautica universe, diving deeper into the adventure and mysteries introduced in the original game. FEATURES UNCOVER THE TRUTH - Who were the aliens who came here before? Why were they on this planet? What really happened to your sister? And will exposing the truth give some closure to your loss? SURVIVE THE COLD - The freezing temperatures of this arctic region pose a new challenge. Craft a toasty cold suit, sip on piping hot coffee, and warm up next to Thermal Lilies to stave off the chill. CRAFT YOUR WAY - Survive the harsh climate by constructing extensive habitats, scavenging for resources, and crafting equipment. Blast across the snowy tundra on a Snowfox hoverbike. Cruise through enchanting and perilous biomes in your modular Seatruck. EXPLORE THE PLANET - Swim beneath the blue-lit, arching expanses of Twisty Bridges, be mesmerized by the Crystal Caverns, venture into the icy caves of Glacial Basin or maneuver between erupting Thermal Vents to discover ancient alien artifacts. MEET NEW CREATURES - Something undiscovered lurks around every corner. Swim through the giant Titan Holefish, encounter the haunting Shadow Leviathan, and visit the adorable Pengwings. Keep your wits about you. Not all creatures in this strange world are friendly. CAREFULLY REDESIGNED FOR MOBILE - Revamped interface – exclusive mobile UI with complete touch control - Game Center achievements - Cloud Save – Share your progress between iOS devices - iPhone 17 Optimization (including Pro Max) ----- *DEVICES NOT SUPPORTED (THE GAME WON'T WORK)*: - iPhone Xr, iPhone SE Gen 2 (2020) - iPad Mini Gen 5, iPad Air Gen 3, iPad Gen 8, iPad Gen 9 *SUPPORTED DEVICES ON LOW RESOLUTION ONLY*: - iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone SE Gen 3 (2022) - iPad Pro 10.5", iPad Mini Gen 6, iPad Air Gen 4, iPad Gen 10, iPad Pro 11" Gen 1, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 3 *SUPPORTED DEVICES* : - iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 AND ABOVE - iPad Pro 11" Gen 2, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 4, iPad Air Gen 5, iPad Pro 11" Gen 3, iPad Pro 11" Gen 4, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 5, iPad Pro 12.9" Gen 6 AND ABOVE
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Subnautica at fortnightly against Nightgate's every 5 months. Subnautica also leads on chart position (#122 vs unranked). Nightgate's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $9.99) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 107). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Nightgate costs $3.99 and Subnautica $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Nightgate against 4.6 for Subnautica. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nightgate has 1.3K ratings behind it against 107, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Nightgate's written reviews are positive against 86% of Subnautica's.
Nightgate ships an update every 5 months, Subnautica fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Nightgate | Subnautica |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better | 4.6 (107 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.8% of reviews — better | 86.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K — better | 107 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #122 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 162 MB | 2.2 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Semidome Inc. | Unknown Worlds |
Customer experience
Nightgate
Subnautica
Bugs and requests
Nightgate
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game crashes when switching apps
- Levels sometimes reset unexpectedly
Requested features
3 requests- More levels and content updates
- Ability to reset progress
- Multiplayer or online features
Subnautica
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Nightgate
No in-app purchases
Subnautica
No in-app purchases
