# Kittens Game vs Despotism 3k

The clearest difference is monetization model: Kittens Game at free against Despotism 3k's paid. Kittens Game also leads on ratings volume (324 vs 32) and chart position (#84 vs unranked). Despotism 3k's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 11.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Kittens Game costs $2.99 and Despotism 3k $2.99 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 — 4.5 for Kittens Game against 4.4 for Despotism 3k. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kittens Game has 324 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Kittens Game's written reviews are positive against 71% of Despotism 3k's.

Kittens Game ships an update every 4 months, Despotism 3k every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kittens Game | Despotism 3k |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (324 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kittens-game/id1198099725/reviews)** | [4.4 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/despotism-3k/id1462908562/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **324** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 66.9% of reviews | **71.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#84** | — |
| Size | 22 MB | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dmitrii Popov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198099724) | [Nikolai Kuznetsov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462908561) |

## What reviewers say

### Kittens Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kittens-game/id1198099725)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Paid · Strategy, #88 Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store)

Manage a growing village of kittens in this text-based simulation game. Gather resources, research technologies, and expand your settlement. This old-school experience is free of ads and micro-transactions.

**Highlights:** Village simulation, Resource management, Technology research, Text-based gameplay, Kitten management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Captivating gameplay
- 👍 Engrossing incremental game
- 💡 Impressive depth and complexity
- 🚀 Rewarding progression
- 👍 Minimal UI, focus on gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy UI, screen jumping
- 🐛 Inconsistent save/load behavior
- 🐛 Compatibility issues on newer devices
- 🐛 Broken or underperforming features
- 🔋 Slow progression can be tedious

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing buttons and UI elements
- Progress loss or reset when switching apps
- Broken or non-functional features (e.g. solar farms)
- Compatibility issues on iPhone X and newer devices

**Requested features**

- Bulk crafting/upgrading options
- Ability to disable pollution mechanics
- Better UI optimization for larger screens
- Vibration/notification support for events
- More detailed analytics and tracking


### Despotism 3k

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/despotism-3k/id1462908562)

Manage enslaved humans to extract power and build your empire in this dark humor resource management sim. Features rogue-lite elements with unique playthroughs and a dramatic plot filled with pop culture references.

**Highlights:** Dark humor and satirical plot, Intense resource management, Rogue-lite gameplay with random events, Procedurally generated maps, Unique playthroughs with permadeath, Expedition and raid mechanics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kittens Game free?

Kittens Game costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Despotism 3k free?

Despotism 3k costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Kittens Game or Despotism 3k?

Kittens Game is rated higher. Kittens Game averages 4.5 out of 5 from 324 ratings, while Despotism 3k averages 4.4 from 32 ratings.

### Do Kittens Game or Despotism 3k have ads?

Neither Kittens Game nor Despotism 3k shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kittens Game or Despotism 3k?

Kittens Game ships an update every 4 months, and Despotism 3k every 2 months. Most recently, Kittens Game was updated on October 24, 2026 and Despotism 3k on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*