Comparison

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium vs DESERTOPIA

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

Head to head
About

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium

Breed and sell virtual fish to upgrade your aquarium and store. Discover over 400 unique species, nurture them with magical plants, and decorate your tank. Become the ultimate fish store tycoon in this real-time simulator.

Highlights
  • Breed and sell over 400 unique fish species
  • Upgrade and decorate virtual aquarium tanks
  • Renovate and expand your fish store
  • Nurture fish with magical plants
  • Research fish care and advertising
  • Hire mascots to attract customers
Features
Read full description

Dive into a delightfully fishy adventure of a real time virtual aquarium: it’s an adorable fish tank game! In Fish Tycoon 2: Virtual Aquarium, your goal is to breed your pet fish so you can sell them for money to upgrade and decorate your tank or renovate your store! This tycoon simulator is free, fun and one of the top fish tank sim games available! Just like a real world, this one will be changing and growing along with the families of pet fish you collect, breed and care for in your game! Start with just a few eggs, and before you know it you'll be taking care of Koi, Catfish, Groupers and even Sharks! There are plenty of fish in the sea! - Start with access to 400+ unique species of fish! - Unlock an array of useful upgrades and power-ups! - Renovate your store and reveal special surprises to expand your fish empire! - Nurture and cure your fish using magical zen plants and marine life! - Hire a colorful mascot to draw in the big crowds! - Decorate your tank with a plethora of gorgeous items! - Research advertising, environment and food to sustain rare species and increase your revenue! Fish Tycoon 2: Virtual Aquarium is fun for all ages! Discover all the lost fish in the ocean in this one stop shop! Feed, breed, sell and succeed! Make lots of money and become the boss of your very own fish store in this real time simulator! Check out our other hit games like Virtual Families, Virtual Villagers, and more!

About

DESERTOPIA

Transform a barren desert island into a thriving habitat at your own pace. Care for the island, restore wildlife, and make choices that influence its development. Enjoy a therapeutic idle simulator with beautiful art and evolving music.

Highlights
  • Storybook-style art
  • 100+ animals and 25+ terrain types
  • Weather and water evaporation mechanics
  • Multi-layered, evolving music
  • Interactive events influencing island development
  • Collect trash to clean the environment
Features
Read full description

///// Achievements ///// ・2018 Tokyo Game Show | Official Selection ・2018 Kyoto BitSummit Vol.6 | Official Selection ・2018 Kyoto BitSummit Vol.6 | Indie Megabooth Selection ・2017 IMGA Global | Nominee ・2017 IMGA SEA | Nominee ・App Store Earth Day 2018, 2019, 2020 | Featured “A simple game with a deep meaning.” — INSIDE “Experience the role humans play in the ecosystem, and understand that we cannot take whatever we want from Mother Nature without repercussion. Learn how to cherish valuable resources.” — App Store Feature ///// Introduction ///// Desertopia is a relaxing and therapeutic idle simulator where you can spend just 5–10 minutes a day transforming a barren desert island into a vibrant, thriving habitat — all at your own pace. Your goal is to care for the island and help restore its wildlife. Occasionally, you’ll need to pick up floating trash to keep the environment clean. You’ll also make decisions about events triggered by human activity. Will you allow a tour group to visit the island? Should you build a resort? Every choice you make will directly influence how the island develops. ///// Features ///// ・Storybook-style art: Simply watching the animals roam the island can feel therapeutic on its own. ・100+ animals: Desertopia features over 100 unique creatures and 25+ terrain types. More than 15 legendary species may appear under special conditions — some only during festivals and holidays! ・Weather and water evaporation: Water evaporation is a unique gameplay mechanic. You’ll need to summon rain regularly to maintain livable conditions for your wildlife. If neglected, the island will gradually revert to a barren desert. ・Multi-layered music: Enjoy rich, evolving background music that shifts depending on the area and the animals inhabiting it. ・Events: Cruise ships bring visitors and special events to the island, each with both benefits and drawbacks. How your island evolves is entirely up to you. //////////////////// This game contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premium items with real-world currency (or with virtual coins and other in-game currencies purchasable using real-world money), where players do not know in advance which specific items they will receive (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, or mystery rewards). Terms of Use: https://gamtropy.com/term-of-use-en/ Privacy Policy: https://gamtropy.com/privacy-policy-en/ © 2017 Gamtropy Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium4 screens
DESERTOPIA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DESERTOPIA at 4.5 against Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium's 4.2. DESERTOPIA also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 36%). Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium's advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 287) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and DESERTOPIA sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DESERTOPIA holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium has 3.8K ratings behind it against 287, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium's written reviews are positive against 45% of DESERTOPIA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium ships an update monthly, DESERTOPIA every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium versus DESERTOPIA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFish Tycoon 2 Virtual AquariumDESERTOPIA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (3.8K ratings)4.5 (287 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.9% of reviews45.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.8K — better287
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size213 MB218 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLDW Software, LLCGamtropy Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium

All ratings3,817 ratings
Positive81.1%
Neutral5.1%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews398 reviews
Positive35.9%
Neutral12.1%
Negative52.0%

DESERTOPIA

All ratings287 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive45.3%
Neutral17.6%
Negative37.1%

User reviews

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium

From 3.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🐠 Fun and addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
  • 🕰️ Nostalgic throwback to original game
  • 💎 Ability to earn in-game currency through ads

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive upgrades and supplies
  • 🐟 Fish die too quickly when not playing
  • 🔍 Difficult to progress without spending money
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and server connection issues

DESERTOPIA

From 287 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌳 Beautiful art style and relaxing atmosphere
  • 🌱 Environmentally-conscious themes
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases required to progress

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Slow progression and long wait times
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes preventing gameplay
  • 🤔 Unclear game mechanics and lack of instructions

Bugs and requests

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Eggs and fish disappearing after leaving the game
  • Goals and achievements not tracking properly
  • Ads not working or crashing the app
  • Selling fish causing the app to crash

Requested features

4 requests
  • More fish species and breeding combinations
  • Ability to pause game or extend fish lifespan
  • Easier way to earn in-game currency
  • More tanks and customization options

DESERTOPIA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to exit tutorial or instructions screen
  • Disappearing wetlands and other lost progress
  • Compatibility issues on certain devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More in-depth tutorial and gameplay explanations
  • Ability to reset or restart progress
  • Faster ways to earn resources and unlock new areas

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium

One-time10
  • Handful of Coins$1.99
  • Handful of Gems$1.99
  • Shell of Coins$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Chest of Coins$4.99
  • Shell of Gems$4.99
  • Chest of Coins$9.99
  • Chest of Gems$9.99
  • Barrel of Coins$19.99
  • Barrel of Gems$19.99
  • Net of Coins$49.99
15 purchases

DESERTOPIA

Subscriptions1
  • Ad-Free Pass (30 Days)$19.991 Month
One-time14
  • Gem Pack I$0.99
  • Ad Ticket Pack 1$1.99
  • Gem Pack II$4.99
Show 11 more
  • NewbiePack$4.99
  • Coral reef$4.99
  • Ad Ticket Pack 2$4.99
  • DNAPack001$4.99
  • Gem Pack III$9.99
  • Unlock Ancient Island$9.99
  • Cat Pack 1$9.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pass$9.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pack 3$9.99
  • Gem Pack IV$19.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pack 4$29.99

Questions

Is Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium free?
Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DESERTOPIA free?
DESERTOPIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium or DESERTOPIA?
DESERTOPIA is rated higher. Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium averages 4.2 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 from 287 ratings.
Do Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium or DESERTOPIA have ads?
Both Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium and DESERTOPIA show ads.
Which is updated more often, Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium or DESERTOPIA?
Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium ships an update monthly, and DESERTOPIA every 2 months. Most recently, Fish Tycoon 2 Virtual Aquarium was updated on September 22, 2026 and DESERTOPIA on September 22, 2026.

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