Comparison

DESERTOPIA vs Weird Aquarium

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

Head to head
About

DESERTOPIA

Transform a barren desert island into a thriving habitat at your own pace. Care for the island, restore wildlife, and make choices that influence its development. Enjoy a therapeutic idle simulator with beautiful art and evolving music.

Highlights
  • Storybook-style art
  • 100+ animals and 25+ terrain types
  • Weather and water evaporation mechanics
  • Multi-layered, evolving music
  • Interactive events influencing island development
  • Collect trash to clean the environment
Features
Read full description

///// Achievements ///// ・2018 Tokyo Game Show | Official Selection ・2018 Kyoto BitSummit Vol.6 | Official Selection ・2018 Kyoto BitSummit Vol.6 | Indie Megabooth Selection ・2017 IMGA Global | Nominee ・2017 IMGA SEA | Nominee ・App Store Earth Day 2018, 2019, 2020 | Featured “A simple game with a deep meaning.” — INSIDE “Experience the role humans play in the ecosystem, and understand that we cannot take whatever we want from Mother Nature without repercussion. Learn how to cherish valuable resources.” — App Store Feature ///// Introduction ///// Desertopia is a relaxing and therapeutic idle simulator where you can spend just 5–10 minutes a day transforming a barren desert island into a vibrant, thriving habitat — all at your own pace. Your goal is to care for the island and help restore its wildlife. Occasionally, you’ll need to pick up floating trash to keep the environment clean. You’ll also make decisions about events triggered by human activity. Will you allow a tour group to visit the island? Should you build a resort? Every choice you make will directly influence how the island develops. ///// Features ///// ・Storybook-style art: Simply watching the animals roam the island can feel therapeutic on its own. ・100+ animals: Desertopia features over 100 unique creatures and 25+ terrain types. More than 15 legendary species may appear under special conditions — some only during festivals and holidays! ・Weather and water evaporation: Water evaporation is a unique gameplay mechanic. You’ll need to summon rain regularly to maintain livable conditions for your wildlife. If neglected, the island will gradually revert to a barren desert. ・Multi-layered music: Enjoy rich, evolving background music that shifts depending on the area and the animals inhabiting it. ・Events: Cruise ships bring visitors and special events to the island, each with both benefits and drawbacks. How your island evolves is entirely up to you. //////////////////// This game contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premium items with real-world currency (or with virtual coins and other in-game currencies purchasable using real-world money), where players do not know in advance which specific items they will receive (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, or mystery rewards). Terms of Use: https://gamtropy.com/term-of-use-en/ Privacy Policy: https://gamtropy.com/privacy-policy-en/ © 2017 Gamtropy Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

About

Weird Aquarium

Build and manage a unique 3D aquarium filled with bizarre creatures. Collect and raise unusual animals and monsters, and decorate your tank to attract even more visitors. Enjoy a relaxing and simple gameplay experience where you can earn energy from your creatures to purchase new items.

Highlights
  • Collect bizarre creatures
  • Raise unusual animals and monsters
  • 3D creature models with actions
  • Decorate your aquarium
  • Attract new creatures
  • Earn energy from creatures
Features
Read full description

Relaxing and uncomplicated! A game in which you put unusual creatures in an aquarium and raise them. From cute animals to monsters: Story One day, while out for a walk, you find a strange tree. As it turns out, it's a magical tree that attracts mysterious creatures. Game Overview In Weird Aquarium, players can collect dozens of bizarre creatures. You might even be able to get new characters by making your Aquarium beautiful! The creatures are in 3D and have a wide range of actions, making them endlessly fun to look at. Incredibly easy to play! You can be as hands-off as you like! Gameplay You have the ability to get Energy from the weird creatures. You can use that Energy to buy Items for your Aquarium. As you buy more Items, more and more creatures will visit, drawn in by the beauty of your Aquarium.

Screenshots

DESERTOPIA4 screens
Weird Aquarium4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Weird Aquarium at none against DESERTOPIA's 15. Weird Aquarium also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 45%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. DESERTOPIA sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Weird Aquarium asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Weird Aquarium holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Weird Aquarium has 2.5K ratings behind it against 287, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of DESERTOPIA's written reviews are positive against 78% of Weird Aquarium's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Weird Aquarium fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DESERTOPIA versus Weird Aquarium: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDESERTOPIAWeird Aquarium
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (287 ratings)4.8 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.3% of reviews78.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2872.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB115 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGamtropy Co., Ltd.Ryota Kikuchi

Customer experience

DESERTOPIA

All ratings287 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive45.3%
Neutral17.6%
Negative37.1%

Weird Aquarium

All ratings2,527 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews353 reviews
Positive78.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative13.9%

User reviews

DESERTOPIA

From 287 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌳 Beautiful art style and relaxing atmosphere
  • 🌱 Environmentally-conscious themes
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases required to progress

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Slow progression and long wait times
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes preventing gameplay
  • 🤔 Unclear game mechanics and lack of instructions

Weird Aquarium

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Addictive and fun
  • 🤩 Unique and creative concept
  • 😊 Relaxing and entertaining
  • 💕 Charming and adorable creatures

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow progression and limited content
  • 🙄 Repetitive and lacking in variety
  • 💰 Ads and in-app purchases

Bugs and requests

DESERTOPIA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to exit tutorial or instructions screen
  • Disappearing wetlands and other lost progress
  • Compatibility issues on certain devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More in-depth tutorial and gameplay explanations
  • Ability to reset or restart progress
  • Faster ways to earn resources and unlock new areas

Weird Aquarium

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on launch or during gameplay
  • Tutorial issues and inability to progress
  • Ads not working or causing crashes
  • Syncing and save data problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • More creature and decoration options
  • Ability to interact with creatures and objects
  • Multiplayer or social features
  • Improved performance and stability

In-app purchases

15 purchases

DESERTOPIA

Subscriptions1
  • Ad-Free Pass (30 Days)$19.991 Month
One-time14
  • Gem Pack I$0.99
  • Ad Ticket Pack 1$1.99
  • Gem Pack II$4.99
Show 11 more
  • NewbiePack$4.99
  • Coral reef$4.99
  • Ad Ticket Pack 2$4.99
  • DNAPack001$4.99
  • Gem Pack III$9.99
  • Unlock Ancient Island$9.99
  • Cat Pack 1$9.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pass$9.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pack 3$9.99
  • Gem Pack IV$19.99
  • (Limited) New Year Pack 4$29.99
None

Weird Aquarium

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DESERTOPIA free?
DESERTOPIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Weird Aquarium free?
Weird Aquarium is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Weird Aquarium?
Weird Aquarium is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Weird Aquarium averages 4.8 from 2.5K ratings.
Do DESERTOPIA or Weird Aquarium have ads?
Both DESERTOPIA and Weird Aquarium show ads.
Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Weird Aquarium?
DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Weird Aquarium fortnightly. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 19, 2026 and Weird Aquarium on October 19, 2026.

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