Comparison

Alphaputt vs ArcEmu

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Alphaputt

Experience a unique blend of typography and mini-golf. Navigate through alphabet-themed courses, create your own wordy challenges, and compete with friends. Beware of unexpected obstacles like UFOs and vacuum cleaners.

Highlights
  • Alphabet-themed mini-golf courses
  • Create custom word courses
  • Multiplayer mode (1-4 players)
  • 30 unique levels
  • Randomly generated courses
  • Par-fection challenge
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Alphaputt is that beautiful place where typography meets crazy golf. Putt your way through the alphabet, complete your own wordy courses and challenge your friends. Just watch out for the UFOs. And the vacuum cleaners. Features: ● Multiplayer (1-4 players) ● 30 levels, infinite courses ● Different game modes Alphaputt is our typographic take on the classic mini-golf course. Up to 4 players can play on the same device. There are 30 beautifully designed levels, one for each letter of the alphabet – from A for Airport to Z for Zen Garden. Each has its own soundscape and unique theme which brings its own gameplay challenges. The intuitive shot system and minimal controls make sure the letters are the true protagonists of the scene. Players can move around them to get the best angle, set direction and adjust power. Players can create personalised courses by typing in the words they want to play or tackle randomly generated ones. Individuals can also take the par-fection challenge by attempting to complete the entire alphabet under par. There are virtually endless combinations and challenges that can be set, making Alphaputt a game you will want to play again and again.

About

ArcEmu

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
  • Multiplayer support
  • Cheat codes
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Save State sharing
  • iCloud support
Features
Read full description

ArcEmu brings retro game emulation to Apple Watch. It also works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, delivering a seamless gaming experience across your Apple devices. Supported Consoles - Game Boy (.gb) - Game Boy Color (.gbc) - Game Boy Advance (.gba) - Pokémon Mini (.min) - Nintendo Entertainment System (.nes) - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (.sfc and .smc) - Atari 2600 (.a26 and .bin) Main Features - Accurate, high-performance emulation powered by the mGBA and Ares cores - Game Link Cable support with online multiplayer for up to four players* - Cheat-code support with a built-in database of popular codes** - Frame-independent emulation at 30 or 60 FPS - Multi-touch and Digital Crown support on Apple Watch - Support for all screen orientations on iPhone and iPad - Precise, thoughtfully designed on-screen controls - Customizable control position and transparency on iPhone and iPad - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom color palettes for Game Boy games - Button hold/sustain feature - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone - Game controller support with customizable button mappings - ZIP archive support - Automatic saving - Save-state sharing between devices - iCloud support for ROMs and save states - ROM sharing through iCloud using share codes - Support for Apple Watch devices configured with Family Setup - ROM sorting and search Apple Watch Compatibility - Apple Watch Series 4 or later - Apple Watch SE or later - Apple Watch Ultra or later ArcEmu does not include any games or ROMs. You can import compatible ROM files from your iPhone and store them in iCloud. Your Apple Watch can then download them directly from iCloud. On an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup, ROMs can be downloaded from iCloud using share codes. Games Featured in the Screenshots - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Anguna: https://gauauu.itch.io/anguna - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance * Requires a Game Center account. ** Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Nintendo and the names of its game systems are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Screenshots

Alphaputt4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ArcEmu at 4.9 against Alphaputt's 4.1. ArcEmu also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 61%) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). Alphaputt's advantage is chart position (#163 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.5). On update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Alphaputt costs $4.99 and ArcEmu $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 262 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Alphaputt's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Alphaputt ships an update every 3 weeks, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Alphaputt versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlphaputtArcEmu
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.1 (262 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.7% of reviews94.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2621.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#163 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size545 MB172 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSennepRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Alphaputt

All ratings262 ratings
Positive74.0%
Neutral9.5%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews272 reviews
Positive60.7%
Neutral10.7%
Negative28.7%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews528 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.7%

User reviews

Alphaputt

From 262 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unique and creative gameplay
  • 👍 Beautiful and detailed graphics
  • 🎨 Impressive level designs
  • 🎢 Fun and challenging physics
  • 🎉 Addictive and entertaining

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues on older devices
  • 🤔 Repetitive gameplay after completing all levels
  • 🤯 Extremely challenging and frustrating at times
  • 🕹️ Inconsistent and fiddly controls

ArcEmu

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fully functional
  • 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
  • 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
  • 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
  • 👍 Customizable controls and layout

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
  • 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
  • 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
  • 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

Bugs and requests

Alphaputt

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on launch for some users
  • Scorecard issues when trying to resume a game

Requested features

5 requests
  • More levels and variations for each letter
  • Online/remote multiplayer mode
  • Ability to create custom levels
  • Option to disable music/sound effects
  • Difficulty settings or accessibility options

ArcEmu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
  • Save data not transferring properly between devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add cheat/GameShark support
  • Improve volume controls
  • Implement fast forward/slow motion options
  • Allow multiple save slots per game
  • Improve Game Boy Color support
Show 1 more
  • Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch

In-app purchases

None

Alphaputt

No in-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Alphaputt free?
Alphaputt costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Alphaputt or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. Alphaputt averages 4.1 out of 5 from 262 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Alphaputt or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Alphaputt nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Alphaputt or ArcEmu?
Alphaputt ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Alphaputt was updated on October 15, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 15, 2026.

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