Comparison

DESERTOPIA vs Sheep Simulator AR

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

Sheep Simulator AR

Care for a virtual sheep in augmented reality or 3D. Feed, play with, and dress up your pet, and send it on adventures to find gifts and friends. Enjoy a realistic and cute simulation experience.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality (AR) mode
  • 3D mode
  • Virtual pet care (feeding, rest, amusement)
  • Sheep customization (outfits, costumes)
  • Interactive playsets (ferris wheel, swimming pool)
  • Balloon journeys for gifts and friends
Features
Read full description

Sheep Simulator description The most realistic and cutest Augmented Reality Virtual Pet Sheep Simulation game! You can choose to play in 3D or AR mode. One day, you receive a box with a lovely sheep illustration on the cover, when you open it you discover a live tiny sheep! Do your best to care for this sheep, tiny pets need food, rest and amusement. Choose what food you give your sheep wisely, as different types of food will affect your sheep’s personality and mood as it grows up. Shopaholics will love the amazing selection of outfits and costumes for the sheep! Play with your sheep in the real world in AR mode. Entertain your sheep with fun playsets such as a carnival ferris wheel and swimming pool! If your sheep gets bored staying in the box, you can send it on a journey with balloons. Your pet sheep will return with gifts and new sheep friends! Sheep Simulator is a free game with extra content that can be purchased with real money.

Screenshots

DESERTOPIA4 screens
Sheep Simulator AR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Sheep Simulator AR at none against DESERTOPIA's shown. Sheep Simulator AR also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (59% vs 45%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Sheep Simulator AR sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for DESERTOPIA against 4.6 for Sheep Simulator AR. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 287 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of DESERTOPIA's written reviews are positive against 59% of Sheep Simulator AR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Sheep Simulator AR fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DESERTOPIA versus Sheep Simulator AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDESERTOPIASheep Simulator AR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (287 ratings)4.6 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.3% of reviews59.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2871.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB309 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGamtropy Co., Ltd.Supafine Limited

Customer experience

DESERTOPIA

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

Sheep Simulator AR

All ratings1,281 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.6%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews325 reviews
Positive59.1%
Neutral16.6%
Negative24.3%

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

Sheep Simulator AR

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💕 Cute sheep
  • 🐑 Fun to take care of sheep
  • 👍 No ads
  • 🎨 Great graphics
  • 🕰️ Relaxing game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • 🤖 Unresponsive controls
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🕰️ Slow progress and leveling up
  • 🐑 Sheep multiplying/disappearing

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

Sheep Simulator AR

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Sheep duplicating
  • Sheep disappearing after trips
  • Inability to sell wool for coins
  • Ads not working properly
  • Progress resetting after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more ways to earn coins
  • Allow decorating the sheep's pen
  • Improve camera controls
  • Add more gameplay features
  • Fix issues with sheep disappearing

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
8 purchases

Sheep Simulator AR

One-time8
  • 200 Coins$2.99
  • 50 Hearts$2.99
  • 600 Coins$9.99
Show 5 more
  • 150 Hearts$9.99
  • 1300 Coins$19.99
  • 360 Hearts$19.99
  • 1000 Hearts$49.99
  • 7000 Coins$99.99

Questions

Is DESERTOPIA free?
DESERTOPIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sheep Simulator AR free?
Sheep Simulator AR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Sheep Simulator AR?
Sheep Simulator AR is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Sheep Simulator AR averages 4.6 from 1.3K ratings.
Do DESERTOPIA or Sheep Simulator AR have ads?
DESERTOPIA shows ads; Sheep Simulator AR does not.
Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Sheep Simulator AR?
DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Sheep Simulator AR fortnightly. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 19, 2026 and Sheep Simulator AR on October 20, 2026.

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