Old Man's Journey vs The First Tree™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Old Man's Journey
Embark on a poignant adventure exploring life's journey, loss, and hope through a visually stunning, award-winning narrative. Solve handcrafted puzzles in whimsical, hand-drawn landscapes with a unique mechanic that shapes the world around you.
- Emotional narrative told through imagery
- Whimsical hand-drawn landscapes
- Handcrafted, pressure-free puzzles
- Unique landscape-shaping mechanic
- Compact game experience
- Original soundtrack
Read full descriptionHide full description
A soul-searching adventure about life’s precious moments, broken dreams, and changed plans. Over 17 International Awards, including: - Apple Design Award (USA) - Emotional Game Award (France) - Innovation Award (Brazil) - Best Art Award (Japan) Features: - A powerful and emotional narrative told only through imagery - Gorgeously whimsical landscapes with hand-drawn art and animations - Handcrafted, pressure-free puzzles - Unique landscape-shaping mechanic - A compact game experience perfect for a wanderlust-evoking escape - Original and emotionally compelling soundtrack by SCNTFC "A gorgeous experience." - TouchArcade (10/10) "An absolute joy to look at and play" - The Guardian "A whimsical poem" - Polygon (8/10)
The First Tree™
Embark on a poignant third-person adventure as a fox searching for her lost cubs, interwoven with a son's journey to reconnect with his father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts and stories that reveal the son's life as you explore a beautiful world.
- Third-person exploration
- Parallel storytelling
- Emotional narrative
- Orchestral soundtrack
- Light puzzle solving
- Platforming elements
Read full descriptionHide full description
The First Tree is a third-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Players take control of the fox on a poignant and beautiful journey that crescendos at the source of life, and perhaps result in an understanding of death. Along the way, players can uncover artifacts and stories from the son's life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree. Features: • Not a "fox simulator," but an emotional, intimate story by a one-man team with an ending you won't soon forget. • Featuring a gorgeous, orchestral soundtrack by acclaimed artists like Message to Bears, Lowercase Noises, and Josh Kramer. • A short story-driven game (about 2 hours long) with some light puzzle solving, platforming, and no enemies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Old Man's Journey at 2.4K against The First Tree™'s 155. The First Tree™'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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
Old Man's Journey costs $4.99 and The First Tree™ $4.99 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 Old Man's Journey against 4.5 for The First Tree™. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Old Man's Journey has 2.4K ratings behind it against 155, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Old Man's Journey's written reviews are positive against 72% of The First Tree™'s.
Old Man's Journey ships an update every 2 months, The First Tree™ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Old Man's Journey | The First Tree™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (2.4K ratings) | 4.5 (155 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.1% of reviews | 72.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.4K — better | 155 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.3 GB | 1.0 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Broken Rules | David Wehle |
Customer experience
Old Man's Journey
The First Tree™
User reviews
Old Man's Journey
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎶 Calming and soothing soundtrack
- 👍 Relaxing and meditative gameplay
- 💡 Unique and innovative puzzle mechanics
- 🤗 Touching and emotional story
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Short game length
- 🤔 Repetitive gameplay
- 💰 Perceived as overpriced for the content
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
The First Tree™
From 155 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎶 Captivating soundtrack
- 🦊 Enjoyable gameplay as a mother fox
- 🧠 Thought-provoking and emotional story
- 🧘♀️ Calming and meditative experience
Room to improve
- 🤔 Unclear objectives and lack of direction
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 🕰️ Short length of the game
- 💬 Divisive opinions on the narration and commentary
Bugs and requests
Old Man's Journey
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game freezing or getting stuck on certain levels
- Compatibility issues with some devices
- Inability to reset or restart the game
Requested features
3 requests- More levels and content
- Ability to save progress and resume later
- Difficulty options or more challenging puzzles
The First Tree™
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game crashing at a specific point in the story
- Inconsistent controls and camera movement
Requested features
3 requests- Add more save points throughout the levels
- Provide an option to turn off the narration
- Expand the game with additional chapters or content
In-app purchases
Old Man's Journey
No in-app purchases
The First Tree™
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Old Man's Journey free?
Is The First Tree™ free?
Which has better reviews, Old Man's Journey or The First Tree™?
Do Old Man's Journey or The First Tree™ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Old Man's Journey or The First Tree™?
Other comparisons
