Comparison

A Step Ahead Challenge vs Gem Cat Minesweeper

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

Head to head
About

A Step Ahead Challenge

Embark on a virtual walking adventure where your real-world steps power your survival against zombies, robots, and aliens. Complete missions, upgrade your character, and join teams to conquer challenges in a post-apocalyptic world. New adventures are released regularly.

Highlights
  • Sync steps from fitness trackers
  • Form teams and get active
  • Use steps to complete missions
  • Use exercise to battle enemies
  • Track progress on maps and leaderboards
  • Regular content expansions
Read full description

It's finally happened... the apocalypse is here and your only hope for survival is to outrun the zombies, rogue robots and alien invaders who've taken over! A Step Ahead™ is a walking adventure game that's powered by your physical activity. Use your real-world steps and exercise to complete missions in the wasteland, upgrade your character, and go on an epic fitness adventure. Getting started is simple: 1. Download the A Step Ahead™ app 2. Click your organization's personalized invite link or enter the Invite Code for your organization's challenge in the ASA app** 3. Use your real-world steps and exercise to go on an interactive fitness adventure Adventure through all of the ASA™ challenge series: The Outbreak™ Zombies are here… and they're hungry! You and your team will face a variety of challenges, obstacles and distance goals as you run (or walk) through a zombie-infested wasteland, helping other survivors and working to help those in need and rebuild society. Robotica™ What happens when the world's richest man, Albus Mousse, builds a sentient A.I. and charges it with protecting humanity? It determines that the biggest threat to mankind is… mankind. Race to avoid capture while you look for a way to shut down the servers and free the people "helped" by the army of rogue robots. Invasion™ They came from beyond the horizon, but why? And for what? Alien invaders are here and they're setting up shop on planet Earth. Work with your team across this adventure series to figure out why the aliens are here and how to get them to leave the planet. Seasons+™ A special series for challenges themed around the seasons, holidays, and special series crossover missions. Features: - Sync your steps and exercise from Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch or Apple Health Kit* - Form a team and get active** - Use your real-world steps to move your team - Use your real-world exercise to battle enemies - Keep track of your progress on the level maps and leaderboards - Tons of content, with regular expansions and updates - Play as humans OR enemies in over 20 different challenges across 4 different themes and settings - New adventures are released every quarter. *Use your favorite fitness tracker or fitness app to sync your activity data to A Step Ahead. Please consult your individual app(s) to ensure that they have permission to write Steps and Workouts to Apple Health. **A Step Ahead requires an invite code in order to participate. If you are part of a private group challenge, please consult your challenge organizer for your invite code. If you're an individual or group in need of an invite code, please visit asachallenge.com to get started. This project was completed with assistance from the Georgia Film Office, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

About

Gem Cat Minesweeper

A charming puzzle game that reimagines classic Minesweeper with a cat and gem theme. Use logic to clear sparkling boards, uncover hidden cats, and progress through colorful levels. Enjoy a relaxing yet challenging experience with unique artwork and playful sounds.

Highlights
  • Classic logic-based Minesweeper gameplay
  • Cat and gem-themed difficulty levels
  • Crystal Cat lives that regenerate
  • Rewarded ads for hints
  • Mobile-friendly controls
  • Distinctive artwork and sound effects
Read full description

Classic Minesweeper gets a cozy, gem-filled makeover in Gem Cat Minesweeper! Use logic and numbered clues to uncover safe spaces, mark hidden cats, and clear each sparkling board. Explore colorful gem-themed levels filled with charming cats, custom artwork, playful sounds, and increasing challenges. Features: • Classic logic-based Minesweeper gameplay • Four cat-and-gem-themed difficulty levels • Crystal Cat lives that regenerate over time • Optional rewarded ads for hints and King Pushka's Pardon • Mobile-friendly controls designed for iPhone • Distinctive artwork and sound effects • No account or sign-in required Progress from Kitten to Mooncat, House Cat, and finally Bengal. Beat the Bengal level to unlock Free Play and revisit every level whenever you like. Whether you’re learning Minesweeper for the first time or already love the classic puzzle, Gem Cat Minesweeper offers a colorful new way to play.

Screenshots

A Step Ahead Challenge4 screens
Gem Cat Minesweeper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Gem Cat Minesweeper at 100% against A Step Ahead Challenge's 55%. Gem Cat Minesweeper also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). A Step Ahead Challenge's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (7.2K vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gem Cat Minesweeper holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Step Ahead Challenge has 7.2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of A Step Ahead Challenge's written reviews are positive against 100% of Gem Cat Minesweeper's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

A Step Ahead Challenge ships an update every 5 weeks, Gem Cat Minesweeper daily. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
A Step Ahead Challenge versus Gem Cat Minesweeper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterA Step Ahead ChallengeGem Cat Minesweeper
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (7.2K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.2K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size238 MB86 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFIX HealthAPRIL RENEE HARRISON

Customer experience

A Step Ahead Challenge

All ratings6,980 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive55.2%
Neutral14.4%
Negative30.4%

Gem Cat Minesweeper

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

A Step Ahead Challenge

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues with fitness trackers
  • App crashes after updates
  • Steps not registering properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add countdown timer
  • Improve team management features
  • Introduce more challenge types
  • Provide post-mission recap
  • Allow skipping tutorial

Gem Cat Minesweeper

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

A Step Ahead Challenge

No in-app purchases

None

Gem Cat Minesweeper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is A Step Ahead Challenge free?
A Step Ahead Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gem Cat Minesweeper free?
Gem Cat Minesweeper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, A Step Ahead Challenge or Gem Cat Minesweeper?
Gem Cat Minesweeper is rated higher. A Step Ahead Challenge averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.2K ratings, while Gem Cat Minesweeper averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do A Step Ahead Challenge or Gem Cat Minesweeper have ads?
Gem Cat Minesweeper shows ads; A Step Ahead Challenge does not.
Which is updated more often, A Step Ahead Challenge or Gem Cat Minesweeper?
A Step Ahead Challenge ships an update every 5 weeks, and Gem Cat Minesweeper daily. Most recently, A Step Ahead Challenge was updated on November 2, 2026 and Gem Cat Minesweeper on October 31, 2026.

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