# Abalon vs Once Upon a Galaxy

The clearest difference is update cadence: Abalon at every 2 days against Once Upon a Galaxy's fortnightly. Abalon also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Abalon sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Once Upon a Galaxy sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Abalon against 4.8 for Once Upon a Galaxy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 84% and 83% positive.

Abalon ships an update every 2 days, Once Upon a Galaxy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Abalon | Once Upon a Galaxy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abalon/id1235934798/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/once-upon-a-galaxy/id6504776189/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1K | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **84.3% of reviews** | 83.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 118 MB | 195 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [D20Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/516465511) | [Million Dreams Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1753775797) |

## What reviewers say

### Abalon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abalon/id1235934798)

Engage in tactical turn-based combat and deck-building adventures in a tabletop-inspired world. Command units, cast spells, and unleash creative combos to outwit opponents. Explore diverse biomes and expand your card collection.

**Highlights:** Turn-based tactical combat, Deck building strategy, Top-down command perspective, Over 500 cards and 225 characters, Exploration of fantasy world, Dice rolling for encounters, Undo failed attacks

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Animal Gear | $3.99 | one-time |
| Angels & Demons | $7.99 | one-time |
| Dark Legion | $7.99 | one-time |
| Mean & Green | $7.99 | one-time |
| Space & Time | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic strategy game
- 👍 Fun game
- 👍 Highly recommended
- 👍 Great for busy RPG parents
- 👍 Way better than expected

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not recommended at the moment
- 🐛 Very unbalanced and costs $30
- 🐛 Game crashes after loading
- 🐛 Koumpounophobia (fear of buttons)
- 🐛 Controlling units is frustrating

**Reported bugs**

- Bugs in second chapter dungeon
- Unable to use satchel items

**Requested features**

- Controller support for Backbone and other third party controllers
- More variation in encounter types
- Dark mode option


### Once Upon a Galaxy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/once-upon-a-galaxy/id6504776189)

Embark on a fantasy card battling adventure where you draft unique captains and their friends to complete quests. Choose your path with diverse characters and strategic gameplay. Experience a game free of ads and AI art, focusing on player choice and engaging battles.

**Highlights:** Fantasy card battling, Captain drafting, Quest completion, Strategic gameplay, No AI artwork, Asynchronous play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Welcome Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 2026 Galaxy Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| March 2026 Galaxy Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| December Galaxy Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| October 2025 Galaxy Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| September 2025 Galaxy Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1,100 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2,300 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive and streamlined
- 🎨 Charming art style
- 🕹️ Engaging strategy
- ⏱️ Asynchronous play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔒 Locked content behind paywall
- 🤖 Imbalanced heroes/abilities
- 🕰️ Slow progression

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen on startup
- Infinite loading issues
- Progression loss after updates

**Requested features**

- More hero/card variety
- Improved tutorial and learning tools
- Offline/save progress mode
- Cosmetic/non-gameplay monetization
- Competitive/ranked modes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Abalon free?

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

### Is Once Upon a Galaxy free?

Once Upon a Galaxy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Abalon or Once Upon a Galaxy?

Once Upon a Galaxy is rated higher. Abalon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Once Upon a Galaxy averages 4.8 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Abalon or Once Upon a Galaxy have ads?

Neither Abalon nor Once Upon a Galaxy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Abalon or Once Upon a Galaxy?

Abalon ships an update every 2 days, and Once Upon a Galaxy fortnightly. Most recently, Abalon was updated on November 11, 2026 and Once Upon a Galaxy on November 8, 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.*