# Pukk vs Machinal Instinct

The clearest difference is ads: Pukk at none against Machinal Instinct's shown. Pukk also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 51%) and iOS requirement (8.2 vs 12.0). Machinal Instinct's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (707 vs 124). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pukk sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Machinal Instinct sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Machinal Instinct holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Machinal Instinct has 707 ratings behind it against 124, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Pukk's written reviews are positive against 51% of Machinal Instinct's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pukk ships an update every 2 weeks, Machinal Instinct every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pukk | Machinal Instinct |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pukk/id1216673536/reviews) | **[4.6 (707 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinal-instinct/id1438524773/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 124 | **707** |
| Positive reviews | **82.8% of reviews** | 51.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 346 MB | 337 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.2** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Itatake.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/464653469) | [Pomelo Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/899606172) |

## What reviewers say

### Pukk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pukk/id1216673536)

Embark on an icy adventure as a treasure hunter seeking gold in challenging levels. Smash through obstacles, collect gold, and customize your character's appearance. Face off against bosses and unlock new items through loot boxes.

**Highlights:** Smash and grab gold, Open loot boxes with gold coins, Style and customize character, Defeat bosses, 80 challenging levels, Premium Edition for extra features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Without ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Styling pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Edition | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ❤️ Addictive and fun gameplay
- 👍 Great for killing time
- ✨ Cute and appealing graphics
- 😊 Calming and relaxing experience
- 🎮 Challenging yet enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😩 Frustrating when dying
- 💸 Paywall concerns
- ✋ Difficulty to get caught
- ⏳ Long wait times between levels
- 🤔 Weird character design

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on iPhone X
- Ads after every death
- Game kicks out after buying premium

**Requested features**

- More levels needed
- Add a level editor
- Practice or training mode
- More ways to move character
- Checkpoints for levels


### Machinal Instinct

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinal-instinct/id1438524773)

Engage in fast-paced mech battles in a global tournament where animal pilots command powerful machines. Customize your fighting style with various weapons and upgrade your mech with unlockable parts to climb the global leaderboard.

**Highlights:** Select from 6 mech pilots, Customize melee and ranged weapons, Win supply boxes for rewards, Unlock and combine upgradable mech parts, Battle in 3 different arenas, Climb the global leaderboard

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gems x80 pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gems x500 pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gems x1,200 pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gems x2,500 pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gems x6,500 pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Gems x14,000 pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth animations
- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🕹️ Accessible controls
- 💎 Great fighting game fundamentals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent attack targeting
- 🔧 Buggy mechanics and controls
- 🕰️ Short match duration
- 🤖 Mostly playing against bots
- 📺 Excessive ads and monetization

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Freezing at loading screens
- Matchmaking issues
- Inconsistent performance

**Requested features**

- Longer match duration
- Real-time multiplayer mode
- More character and weapon variety
- Customizable controls
- Additional game modes (e.g. endless, team battles)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pukk free?

Pukk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Machinal Instinct free?

Machinal Instinct is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pukk or Machinal Instinct?

Machinal Instinct is rated higher. Pukk averages 4.3 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while Machinal Instinct averages 4.6 from 707 ratings.

### Do Pukk or Machinal Instinct have ads?

Machinal Instinct shows ads; Pukk does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pukk or Machinal Instinct?

Pukk ships an update every 2 weeks, and Machinal Instinct every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pukk was updated on October 19, 2026 and Machinal Instinct on October 21, 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.*