Comparison

DESERTOPIA vs Penguin Isle

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

Penguin Isle

Collect adorable penguins and create their habitats in a relaxing arctic environment. Enjoy simple gameplay with cute animations and soothing music. Discover various penguins and arctic animals while unwinding to the sound of waves.

Highlights
  • Collect diverse penguins and arctic animals
  • Create unique habitats for each penguin
  • Easy and simple gameplay
  • Cute animal animations
  • Beautiful arctic scenery
  • Relaxing music and wave sounds
Features
Read full description

Collect a variety of penguins by creating each of their own habitats. Cute and adorable penguins are waiting for you. Enjoy the waves with relaxing music. Game Features - Easy and simple gameplay - A variety of penguins and arctic animals - Cute animal animations - Beautiful arctic scenery - Comforting melody and the sound of waves Contact us at penguinisle@habby.com ------------------------------------------------------ Automatic renewal of subscription disclaimer: - After confirmation of purchase, the cost will be deducted from the user's account. The subscription will be renewed automatically, unless the auto-renewal in turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription. - 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period, the subscription will be renewed and the fee will be deducted from the user's account. - After the purchase, you can go to Device Settings to view the account's subscriptions and the services that have been activated. - In certain cases, after user has subscribed to the service, if a free trial period was previously provided, the unused portion will be forfeited. Terms of Use: https://habby.com/termsOfService.html Privacy Policy: https://habby.com/privacyPolicy.html

Screenshots

DESERTOPIA4 screens
Penguin Isle4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Penguin Isle at none against DESERTOPIA's shown. Penguin Isle also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 45%) and ratings volume (39K vs 287). On price, in-app purchases, 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 and Penguin Isle sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Penguin Isle holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penguin Isle has 39K 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 71% of Penguin Isle's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Penguin Isle monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DESERTOPIA versus Penguin Isle: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDESERTOPIAPenguin Isle
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (287 ratings)4.8 (39K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.3% of reviews70.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings28739K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB472 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGamtropy Co., Ltd.HABBY

Customer experience

DESERTOPIA

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

Penguin Isle

All ratings38,583 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews580 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral11.0%
Negative18.3%

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

Penguin Isle

From 39K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Relaxing and calming game
  • 🐧 Cute and adorable penguins
  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
  • 🎶 Soothing music and ambient sounds
  • ⏱️ Offline progress and rewards

Room to improve

  • 🔋 Game drains battery and heats up device
  • 📺 Excessive ads required for progression
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🤔 Confusing or unclear quests/objectives
  • 🐧 Limited penguin/habitat customization options

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

Penguin Isle

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Offline rewards not working correctly
  • Penguins disappearing or getting stuck
  • Ads failing to load or crashing the game
  • Quests not triggering or progressing properly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to name and dress up penguins
  • More interactive penguin activities
  • Expanded decoration and customization options
  • Day/night cycle and weather effects
  • Multiplayer or social features
Show 1 more
  • Faster progression at higher levels

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
10 purchases

Penguin Isle

One-time10
  • A Heap of Gems$0.99
  • Beginner’s Pack$0.99
  • Limit Package$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Beginner Boost Package$0.99
  • 50 Ad Skip Tokens$2.99
  • Special Package.$3.99
  • A Bucket of Gems$4.99
  • Jeweler Package$4.99
  • 150 Ad Skip Tokens$5.99
  • Baby Penguin Pack$9.99

Questions

Is DESERTOPIA free?
DESERTOPIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penguin Isle free?
Penguin Isle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Penguin Isle?
Penguin Isle is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Penguin Isle averages 4.8 from 39K ratings.
Do DESERTOPIA or Penguin Isle have ads?
DESERTOPIA shows ads; Penguin Isle does not.
Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Penguin Isle?
DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Penguin Isle monthly. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 15, 2026 and Penguin Isle on October 18, 2026.

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