DESERTOPIA vs Weird Aquarium
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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///// 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.
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.
- Collect bizarre creatures
- Raise unusual animals and monsters
- 3D creature models with actions
- Decorate your aquarium
- Attract new creatures
- Earn energy from creatures
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Weird Aquarium fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.
| Parameter | DESERTOPIA | Weird Aquarium |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (287 ratings) | 4.8 (2.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.3% of reviews | 78.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 287 | 2.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 218 MB | 115 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gamtropy Co., Ltd. | Ryota Kikuchi |
Customer experience
DESERTOPIA
Weird Aquarium
User reviews
DESERTOPIA
From 287 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
DESERTOPIA
- Ad-Free Pass (30 Days)$19.991 Month
- Gem Pack I$0.99
- Ad Ticket Pack 1$1.99
- Gem Pack II$4.99
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- 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
Weird Aquarium
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DESERTOPIA free?
Is Weird Aquarium free?
Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Weird Aquarium?
Do DESERTOPIA or Weird Aquarium have ads?
Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Weird Aquarium?
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