# Kittens Game vs Magic Research 2

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Kittens Game | Magic Research 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.69 |
| Rating | [4.5 (322 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kittens-game/id1198099725/reviews) | **[4.8 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **322** | 115 |
| Positive reviews | 67.9% of reviews | **82.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #97 | **#18** |
| Size | 22 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dmitrii Popov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198099724) | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) |

## What reviewers say

### Kittens Game

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

**Currently charting:** #97 Top Paid · Strategy, #104 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


### Magic Research 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Paid · Role Playing, #60 Top Paid · Simulation, #178 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one


## Frequently asked 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 #97 in the App Store charts, and Magic Research 2 at #18. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*