Heart Star vs Donut County
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Heart Star
Guide two characters through parallel worlds in this charming puzzle platformer. Swap between dimensions to solve intricate puzzles and overcome obstacles using teamwork. Enjoy retro graphics and a catchy soundtrack.
- Unique world swapping gameplay
- 60 levels of puzzles
- Retro pixel graphics
- Catchy retro soundtrack
- Teamwork mechanics
Read full descriptionHide full description
Pocket Gamer Silver Award "A bright and smart platformer with a lot going for it" – Pocket Gamer, 8/10 Heart Star is an adorable puzzle platformer where you guide two little friends through two parallel worlds. Swap between the worlds to solve unique puzzles. Overcome all obstacles with the power of teamwork! Game Features: - Unique world swapping gameplay! - 60 levels of mind bending puzzles! - Cutting edge retro pixel graphics! - Catchy and cute retro soundtrack! - Important information! - This game is funded by adverts, but is completely free to play with no timers or boosters to ruin your experience. There is an option to remove popup ads for a one time in-app purchase.
Donut County
Control an ever-growing hole in the ground to swallow objects and characters in this story-based physics puzzle game. Explore unique environments, combine items for wild effects, and solve puzzles by manipulating what you consume.
- Story-based gameplay
- Physics puzzles
- Growing hole mechanic
- Explore unique environments
- Combine objects for effects
- Catapult items
Read full descriptionHide full description
Donut County is a story-based physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole. WHERE TRASH IS TREASURE Raccoons have taken over Donut County with remote-controlled trash-stealing holes. You play as BK, a hole-driving raccoon who swallows up his friends and their homes to earn idiotic prizes. When BK falls into one of his own holes, he’s confronted by his best friend Mira and the residents of Donut County, who are all stuck 999 feet underground… and they demand answers! THE HOLE KEEPS GROWING • EXPLORE every character’s home, each with their own unique environment. • MOVE the hole to swallow up their stuff, growing bigger each time. • COMBINE objects inside for crazy effects: cook soup, breed bunnies, launch fireworks, and more. • CATAPULT things back out of the hole. You can use it to solve puzzles...or just destroy stuff. • DEVOUR everything. The hole won’t stop until the whole county is all gone. Donut County was created by Ben Esposito, designer on What Remains of Edith Finch and The Unfinished Swan. It is the result of six years of solo development, dozens of donuts (for research), and one fateful encounter with a raccoon.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Heart Star at Free against Donut County's $4.99. Heart Star also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (85% vs 56%). Donut County's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On 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
Heart Star is free to download; Donut County costs $4.99 up front. Heart Star sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Donut County asks for nothing beyond the download.
Heart Star holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 745 and 2.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Heart Star's written reviews are positive against 56% of Donut County's.
Heart Star ships an update every 7 months, Donut County every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Heart Star | Donut County |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (745 ratings) — better | 4.0 (2.8K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better | 56.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 745 | 2.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #145 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 336 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jussi Simpanen | Annapurna Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Heart Star
Donut County
User reviews
Heart Star
From 745 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💕 Cute and adorable characters
- 🎨 Retro pixel art style
- 🎶 Catchy and enjoyable music
- 🤔 Challenging but not overly difficult puzzles
- 🕹️ Simple and intuitive controls
Room to improve
- 🕹️ Occasional control issues and character sliding
- 🔍 Lack of difficulty options or progression
- 🕰️ Game is too short, can be completed quickly
- 📺 Frequent ads can be disruptive
Donut County
From 2.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Satisfying gameplay
- 👍 Charming characters and story
- 🎨 Beautiful visuals and music
- 🕹️ Innovative and unique concept
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Short gameplay duration
- 💰 Overpriced for the content
- 🧠 Lack of challenge or difficulty
- 📜 Too much dialogue, not enough gameplay
Bugs and requests
Heart Star
Reported bugs
2 issues- Teleportation issues causing unexpected deaths
- Freezing or crashing when interacting with ads
Requested features
4 requests- More levels and increased difficulty
- Customization options for characters
- Multiplayer or co-op mode
- Ability to turn off music and sound effects
Donut County
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes or performance issues on some devices
- Compatibility problems with certain controllers
Requested features
4 requests- Longer campaign or additional levels
- Sandbox/free-roam mode
- More puzzles and challenges
- Ability to skip dialogue
In-app purchases
Heart Star
- Remove Ads$1.99
Donut County
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Heart Star free?
Is Donut County free?
Which has better reviews, Heart Star or Donut County?
Do Heart Star or Donut County have ads?
Which is updated more often, Heart Star or Donut County?
Other comparisons















