Comparison

Playdead's INSIDE vs Alien

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

Head to head
About

Playdead's INSIDE

Embark on a dark, narrative-driven adventure in this critically acclaimed indie platformer. Solve challenging puzzles and experience intense action within a moody, unsettling atmosphere. This award-winning game is known for its stunning art style and ambient soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Narrative-driven adventure
  • Challenging puzzles
  • Intense action
  • Moody art style
  • Ambient soundtrack
  • Unsettling atmosphere
Features
Currently charting
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Discover Playdead's unique indie adventure game Inside, a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has received critical acclaim for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere. Apple Design Award Winner. What the press said: “MASTERPIECE! Inside is a 2D puzzle platformer that builds upon what made Limbo great, and in fact builds something greater.” IGN — 10/10 “Inside expands on the concepts and scope of its predecessor in wildly creative ways, and it's so immaculately designed and constructed from top to bottom that it almost feels suitable for display in an art museum. This is one hell of a follow-up.” Giant Bomb — 5/5 “Gorgeous art and animations, devious puzzle design and a pitch-black sense of humor. A perfectly paced series of escalating "holy shit" moments.” Kotaku Winner of more than 100 awards, including: - Artistic Achievement (BAFTA) - Game Design (BAFTA) - Narrative (BAFTA) - Original Property (BAFTA) - Best Independent Game (Game Critics Awards) - Best Independent Game (The Game Awards) - Best Art Direction (The Game Awards) - Spite Award (D.I.C.E. Awards) - Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction (D.I.C.E. Awards) - Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction (D.I.C.E. Awards) - Best Audio (Game Developers Choice Awards) - Best Visual Art (Game Developers Choice Awards)

About

Alien

Embark on a terrifying quest for survival aboard a space station. Unprepared and underequipped, you must use your wits and courage to escape an unknown menace. Experience a faithful mobile replication of the classic survival horror game, complete with AAA visuals and an arresting narrative.

Highlights
  • Survival horror gameplay
  • Stealth and evasion mechanics
  • Resource scavenging and crafting
  • Touchscreen controls with customization
  • Gamepad and mouse/keyboard support
  • Faithful mobile replication of AAA visuals
  • Includes all DLC content
Currently charting
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READ BEFORE DOWNLOADING: Please expand this description and read the full list of supported devices below to confirm that your device is supported. When she left Earth, Ellen Ripley promised her daughter she would return home to celebrate her 11th birthday. She never made it. Fifteen years later, Amanda Ripley learns that the flight recorder from her mother’s ship has been recovered. Amanda enters Sevastopol space station to finally solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance, only to confront an unknown menace. Engage in a terrifying quest for survival as you navigate the labyrinthine Sevastopol station. Unprepared and underequipped, you will need all your wits and daring to get out alive. TWO MISSIONS FREE Play missions 1 and 2 for free, then unlock the complete game and all DLC via a single in-app purchase. A SURVIVAL HORROR MASTERPIECE The stunning AAA visuals, arresting narrative and terrifying atmosphere of Creative Assembly’s classic – faithfully replicated on mobile. This is the complete survival horror experience brought to mobile without compromise. TAILORED FOR MOBILE Run, hide and survive using a redesigned interface, offering total touchscreen control and full customisation options. Resize and reposition on-screen buttons and joysticks, or play with a gamepad or any iPadOS-compatible mouse & keyboard. INSPIRED BY THE 1979 FILM ‘ALIEN’ A game that returns to the roots of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror masterpiece, using its atmosphere, art direction and production values to deliver the same terrifying thrills. IMPROVISE AND SURVIVE Explore Sevastopol station and scavenge for hidden resources, crafting items and tech to improvise weapons and deterrents against the ultimate threat. ADAPT TO THE ALIEN’S MOVES To evade the Alien as it hunts you down, make calculated moves and use your environment, from crawling through ventilation ducts to hiding in the shadows. THE COMPLETE COLLECTION Buy the full game with all seven DLCs included, such as ‘Last Survivor’ — a recreation of Ellen Ripley’s final mission on board the Nostromo. === Alien: Isolation requires iOS 16.5 or later and 11GB of storage. For installation we recommend having at least 22GB of free space. Supported iPhones: • iPhone 8 Plus • iPhone X and later • iPhone SE 2 (2020) and later Supported iPads: • iPad mini 5 (2019) and later • iPad Air 3 (2019) and later • iPad 7 (2019) and later • iPad Pro 1st gen (2015), 12.9" model only • iPad Pro 2nd gen (2017) and later • If you require assistance, please contact our support team at support@feralinteractive.com © 2024 20th Century Studios. Alien: Isolation game software, excluding 20th Century Studios elements © SEGA. Originally developed by The Creative Assembly Limited. Creative Assembly and the Creative Assembly logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of The Creative Assembly Limited. SEGA and the SEGA logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. Developed for and published on iOS by Feral Interactive. iOS and the iOS logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Feral and the Feral logo are trademarks of Feral Interactive Ltd. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Playdead's INSIDE4 screens
Alien4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Playdead's INSIDE at 30K against Alien's 1.3K. Playdead's INSIDE also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.5). Alien's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Playdead's INSIDE sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Alien sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Playdead's INSIDE against 4.5 for Alien. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Playdead's INSIDE has 30K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Playdead's INSIDE's written reviews are positive against 80% of Alien's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Playdead's INSIDE versus Alien: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlaydead's INSIDEAlien
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (30K ratings)4.5 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.0% of reviews79.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings30K — better1.3K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#71 — better#189
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.5
Further details — not scored
Size705 MB1.9 GB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperPlaydeadFeral Interactive Ltd

Customer experience

Playdead's INSIDE

All ratings30,447 ratings
Positive83.2%
Neutral4.0%
Negative12.8%
Written reviews2,454 reviews
Positive77.0%
Neutral6.8%
Negative16.1%

Alien

All ratings1,292 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral2.6%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews870 reviews
Positive79.7%
Neutral5.1%
Negative15.3%

User reviews

Playdead's INSIDE

From 30K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Stunning graphics and atmosphere
  • 🧠 Clever and challenging puzzles
  • 🎨 Unique art style
  • 🎢 Thrilling and suspenseful gameplay
  • 🔍 Intriguing and mysterious story

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Game is too short
  • 🤔 Ending is confusing or unsatisfying
  • 💰 Game is overpriced
  • 🤖 Some controls can be finicky
  • 📱 Compatibility issues on older devices

Alien

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent port with great performance
  • 👍 Impressive graphics and visuals
  • 🎮 Smooth controls and controller support
  • 🎬 Captures the Alien franchise atmosphere well
  • 🕹️ Immersive gameplay experience

Room to improve

  • 🔋 Device overheating and battery drain issues
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🕹️ Touchscreen controls not ideal for certain gameplay elements
  • 🕰️ Long loading times and unskippable intro

Bugs and requests

Playdead's INSIDE

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes
  • Progress not saving properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Longer gameplay or additional levels
  • More explanation or closure for the story
  • Controller support
  • Lower price point

Alien

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Certain puzzles/objectives not triggering correctly
  • Sound issues like audio cutting out
  • Compatibility problems with older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more graphics/performance options
  • Improve auto-save and checkpoint system
  • Implement Magic Keyboard support
  • Include Chinese language support

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Playdead's INSIDE

One-time1
  • INSIDE full game$9.99
1 purchases

Alien

One-time1
  • Full Game Unlock$14.99

Questions

Is Playdead's INSIDE free?
Playdead's INSIDE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Alien free?
Alien is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Playdead's INSIDE or Alien?
Alien is rated higher. Playdead's INSIDE averages 4.4 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while Alien averages 4.5 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Playdead's INSIDE or Alien have ads?
Neither Playdead's INSIDE nor Alien shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Playdead's INSIDE or Alien?
Playdead's INSIDE ships an update every 2 months, and Alien every 2 months. Most recently, Playdead's INSIDE was updated on September 25, 2026 and Alien on September 22, 2026.
Which is more popular, Playdead's INSIDE or Alien?
Playdead's INSIDE currently peaks at #71 in the App Store charts, and Alien at #189. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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