Comparison

Kittens Game vs Magic Research 2

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

Head to head
About

Kittens Game

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
Read full description

Kittens Game is a village simulation text game. You manage a village of kittens as they acquire resources and unlock new technologies. This is an old school game and a product of many years of love and hard labor. It does not have any ads or micro-transactions.

About

Magic Research 2

Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.

Highlights
  • Over 120 distinct spells
  • Transmute over 250 items
  • Control a team of wizards
  • Semi-automated combat system
  • Explore dozens of areas
  • Discover secrets and storylines
  • Retirement bonuses for faster progress
Features
Read full description

Experience the long-awaited sequel to Magic Research! In Magic Research 2, you are a rookie wizard with a single ambition: to find or create the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary magical item that is said to be able to cure any illness. As you do so, you will learn more than you ever imagined about Magic and about the world around you. What kinds of adventures await you? * Use your arsenal of more than 120 distinct spells to make progress * Study the Elements! Learn new ways to use Magic in your path to mastery * Transmute (magically craft) over 250 different items to help you on your journey * Control a team of Wizards that will cast Spells for you * Enjoy a deep, semi-automated combat system as you make your way through dozens of areas to explore * Discover tons of secrets - many of which will change the way you play the game! * Encounter over a hundred distinct Storylines with powerful bonuses along your journey * Restart the game and make progress faster each time with retirement bonuses * Over 60 hours of addictive gameplay - with a clear ending! (Or perhaps more than one...?) * Optimized both for phones and tablet devices You do not need to have played Magic Research in order to enjoy Magic Research 2!

Screenshots

Kittens Game1 screens
Magic Research 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Magic Research 2 at every 3 days against Kittens Game's every 4 months. Magic Research 2 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (82% vs 68%). Kittens Game's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.69) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Kittens Game costs $2.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magic Research 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 322 and 115 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Kittens Game's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kittens Game ships an update every 4 months, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Kittens Game versus Magic Research 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKittens GameMagic Research 2
Price$2.99 — better$4.69
Rating4.5 (322 ratings)4.8 (115 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.9% of reviews82.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings322 — better115
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#85#13 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB36 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperDmitrii PopovMatias Ezequiel Colotto

Customer experience

Kittens Game

All ratings322 ratings
Positive85.1%
Neutral5.6%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews131 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral12.2%
Negative19.8%

Magic Research 2

All ratings115 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral4.3%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative8.9%

User reviews

Kittens Game

From 322 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Magic Research 2

From 115 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fantastic sequel, better than the first
  • 👍 Incredible sense of progression
  • 💡 Fun build types, best in genre
  • 👍 Incremental masterclass, gold standard
  • 👍 True semi-idle masterpiece

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Extremely complicated, tedious timers
  • 🐛 UI is absolutely atrocious
  • 🐛 Time pieces cap out at 100k
  • 🐛 UI issues, not easy to navigate
  • 🐛 Sorting doesn't sort exactly as wanted

Bugs and requests

Kittens Game

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Magic Research 2

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App instantly crashes on open
  • Game crashes on startup
  • App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
  • Overheating phone
  • Lags and gets choppy in the late game
Show 1 more
  • Compendium doesn't unlock for bosses unless already beat

Requested features

9 requests
  • DLC or sequel news
  • macOS version
  • Better automation and convenience features
  • Tweak familiar search time down
  • Release the next one
Show 4 more
  • More Please
  • Auto fight boss button
  • Compendium unlocks bosses before beating them
  • Less dialogue and descriptions, more functional text

In-app purchases

None

Kittens Game

No in-app purchases

None

Magic Research 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kittens Game free?
Kittens Game costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Magic Research 2 free?
Magic Research 2 costs $4.69, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Kittens Game or Magic Research 2?
Magic Research 2 is rated higher. Kittens Game averages 4.5 out of 5 from 322 ratings, while Magic Research 2 averages 4.8 from 115 ratings.
Do Kittens Game or Magic Research 2 have ads?
Neither Kittens Game nor Magic Research 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kittens Game or Magic Research 2?
Kittens Game ships an update every 4 months, and Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Most recently, Kittens Game was updated on September 29, 2026 and Magic Research 2 on September 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Kittens Game or Magic Research 2?
Kittens Game currently peaks at #85 in the App Store charts, and Magic Research 2 at #13. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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