Comparison

DESERTOPIA vs Tuana

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

Tuana

Decorate a charming house and garden in a relaxing simulation game. Engage in activities like fishing, gardening, and customizing your character. Enjoy ambient sounds and brain-boosting mini-games.

Highlights
  • House and garden decoration
  • Furniture and plant customization
  • Fishing and gardening activities
  • Character appearance customization
  • Ambient sounds for relaxation
  • Brain-training mini-games
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Coco Town! This is a slow-paced relaxing game. Follow Tuana and her cute buddies to find out their fun stuff! :D Decorate Tuana's yard and house, chat with the adorable friends, catch fish, and so much more! ◆ Furniture, lighting, rugs, tiles, wall paper, and stairs of various series to choose from. There are also plenty of plants and bowls for indoor/outdoor gardening. ◆ The unique stack-stack-fun: under the right condition, you can stack the furniture indefinitely to create a fun combo! ◆ Customized Tuana's appearance :D ◆ Delicate scenes with ambient sounds for you to relax and meditate. ◆ The challenging Flip-Flip-Fun: a mini-game to empower your brain! We hope you have some fun in Tuana's world! Notes: This game is free to start, with in-app purchases available. Internet connectivity is required to play Tuana. Data charges may apply. May include advertising.

Screenshots

DESERTOPIA4 screens
Tuana4 screens

Verdict

The call

DESERTOPIA and Tuana both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Tuana's written reviews are positive against 45% of DESERTOPIA's. Tuana also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 Tuana sells 3 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 Tuana. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 287 and 297 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of DESERTOPIA's written reviews are positive against 85% of Tuana's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, Tuana every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DESERTOPIA versus Tuana: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDESERTOPIATuana
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (287 ratings)4.6 (297 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.3% of reviews85.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings287297 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB428 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGamtropy Co., Ltd.阳 刘

Customer experience

DESERTOPIA

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

Tuana

All ratings297 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral7.4%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative10.0%

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

Tuana

From 297 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful art style
  • 🎵 Calming and relaxing music
  • 😌 Low-stress, cozy gameplay
  • 🏠 Enjoyable decorating aspect
  • 👍 Slow-paced, not overwhelming

Room to improve

  • ❓ Confusing gameplay mechanics
  • 🤷‍♀️ Lack of clear tutorial
  • ⏳ Slow progress
  • 📉 Difficulty earning coins
  • stagnant game content

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

Tuana

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Won't update
  • No way to gain level up points
  • Stuck on how to plant seeds
  • Furniture does not place
  • Can't plant vegetables
Show 7 more
  • Cannot sell all fish
  • Difficulty understanding how to sell items
  • Unclear how to get materials
  • Cannot figure out how to level up
  • Cannot figure out where to cook certain items
  • Cannot find some fruits
  • Daily bounties not completable

Requested features

24 requests
  • More updates needed
  • New characters and interactions
  • More furniture drops
  • New mini-games
  • Add another town with different vibes
Show 19 more
  • Add pets (dogs, cats, fish, parrots)
  • More character storylines and ways to help them
  • Market to sell goods
  • New areas to open up
  • More interactive gameplay (sleep, bath, etc.)
  • More activities beyond fishing and decorating
  • Add more places on the map
  • Add more little things to do
  • Add Russian language support
  • Add more rooms
  • Add more specific instructions for crafting/ingredients
  • Add more ways to obtain coins
  • Customize avatar
  • Add paths
  • Add ability to put flowers in vases
  • Add ability to put food on the stove
  • Add chests with multiple slots for clothes
  • Option to change notebook to another house
  • More ways to gain coins

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
3 purchases

Tuana

One-time3
  • PB Tote$0.99
  • PB Suitcase$1.99
  • Coco Card$2.99

Questions

Is DESERTOPIA free?
DESERTOPIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tuana free?
Tuana is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DESERTOPIA or Tuana?
Tuana is rated higher. DESERTOPIA averages 4.5 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Tuana averages 4.6 from 297 ratings.
Do DESERTOPIA or Tuana have ads?
Both DESERTOPIA and Tuana show ads.
Which is updated more often, DESERTOPIA or Tuana?
DESERTOPIA ships an update every 2 months, and Tuana every 2 weeks. Most recently, DESERTOPIA was updated on October 15, 2026 and Tuana on October 15, 2026.

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