Comparison

DESERTOPIA vs Reef Hero

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

Reef Hero

Protect a vibrant coral reef and its marine life from environmental threats like pollution and rising temperatures. Engage in gameplay to remove dangers, collect CO2, and maintain water quality to prevent the reef from dying. This 3D game highlights real-world challenges faced by coral ecosystems.

Highlights
  • Protect coral reefs and marine life
  • Combat pollution and rising temperatures
  • Remove threats like anchors and plastic waste
  • Collect CO2 to regulate water temperature
  • Experience dynamic reef health changes
  • 3D underwater environment
Read full description

Help a coral reef and its inhabitants survive threats from pollution and rising ocean temperatures. Chase away dangers like boat anchors or fish collectors with bubble shots. Get rid of plastic waste, ghost nets, or toxic run-off. Monitor the water temperature and bring it down by collecting CO2. As in the real world, the reef will change as its health deteriorates: Stress, coral bleaching, loss of fish and eventually a dead underwater landscape means "Game Over". Keep the reef healthy and alive - which is getting harder every day! Reef Hero is a 3D game for ocean lovers and protectors which brings to life the struggles that coral reefs face around the world.

Screenshots

DESERTOPIA4 screens
Reef Hero4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DESERTOPIA at 4.5 against Reef Hero's 3.0. DESERTOPIA also leads on ratings volume (287 vs 2). Reef Hero's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Reef Hero asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DESERTOPIA holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DESERTOPIA has 287 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DESERTOPIA versus Reef Hero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDESERTOPIAReef Hero
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (287 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews45.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings287 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB67 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGamtropy Co., Ltd.Heiko Sacher

Customer experience

DESERTOPIA

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

Reef Hero

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

Reef Hero

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

Reef Hero

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DESERTOPIA free?
DESERTOPIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reef Hero free?
Reef Hero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Reef Hero?
DESERTOPIA is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Reef Hero averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do DESERTOPIA or Reef Hero have ads?
DESERTOPIA shows ads; Reef Hero does not.

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