Pac.io vs Pixel Star Assault
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pac.io
Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.
- Swipe controls for movement
- Strategic power-ups
- Unlockable skins
- Offline and online play
- Intuitive gameplay
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Pac.io – Swipe, Power Up, and Dominate the Grid! Dive into the ultimate io grid-battle! Swipe in four directions, outsmart your opponents, and become the King of the grid. Every move counts—strategize, dodge, and strike to stay on top! Unleash Epic Power-Ups Turn the tide of battle with incredible power-ups: Bomb, Ghost, 5x Multiplier, Magnet, Sword, Thunder, Freeze, Laser, and Speed Up. Eat bigger players, escape tricky situations, and crush your enemies with style. Use them wisely—power waits for no one! Unlock Legendary Skins Show off your legendary skins as you rise through the ranks. Each skin makes you look epic and adds extra flair while you dominate the battlefield. Game Highlights • Play anywhere—offline or online, anytime. • Smooth, intuitive swipe controls for lightning-fast moves. • Easy to learn, impossible to put down. • FREE to play with endless battles, power-ups, and epic fun! Swipe, power up, and conquer—become the ultimate legend in Pac.io!
Pixel Star Assault
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Take command in PIXEL STAR ASSAULT, a vertical pixel-art space shooter built for quick runs and a fleet worth growing. CAMPAIGN Fight through 600 sectors with varied backgrounds, formations, enemy weapons and boss encounters. Discover new threats as you progress. ENDLESS MODE Survive evolving waves, face a boss every six waves and chase a new record. Eliminations, collected power-ups and survival time all count, with a personal best for every ship. 80 SHIPS, YOUR FLEET Unlock distinctive ships through campaign progress and a variety of gameplay objectives. Improve hull, cannon, magnet and fire rate. Purchased upgrades stay on the ship you upgraded. MONTHLY FLIGHT A shared online challenge with the same ship and combat stats for everyone. Each event runs for 30 days, followed by a two-day results break. The top three earn pixel trophies and places 4–20 earn stars in the persistent Hall of Fame. Each new event starts with a fresh leaderboard. The first event opens on September 21, 2026 at 22:00 UTC; the in-game countdown shows the time remaining. Internet and Game Center are required to compete. ARCADE COMBAT Dodge enemy fire with a virtual joystick and dedicated fire control, or enable auto fire. Collect temporary double and triple fire, reinforced shots, missiles and shields. Face redesigned enemies and colorful bosses. PLAY YOUR WAY • Campaign and Endless work offline without an account • English, Italian, French, Spanish and German • Separate music and effects volume controls • Left-handed controls and optional auto fire • A repeating 14-day daily scrap reward cycle • Optional in-app purchases Fleet Pass unlocks the entire fleet, grants a one-time total of 20,000 scrap and removes all ads. Scrap packs are also available. Personal upgrades and purchases do not improve your Monthly Flight combat stats. Recover the scrap. Build your fleet. Survive the assault.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pixel Star Assault at every 4 days against Pac.io's fortnightly. Pac.io's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pixel Star Assault sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pac.io ships an update fortnightly, Pixel Star Assault every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pac.io | Pixel Star Assault |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (297 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 297 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 139 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Nomadic Bear Games | Giulio Zaccardo |
Bugs and requests
Pac.io
Reported bugs
7 issues- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls
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- Power pellet duration inconsistencies
- Game glitching and crashing frequently
Requested features
9 requests- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones
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- Grace period or invincibility after spawn
- Sound effects and audio
- New items, levels, and game updates
- Revert to original 2024 version
Pixel Star Assault
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pac.io
- Small Coin Pack$0.99
- Medium Coin Pack$4.99
- Magnet$4.99
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- Thunder$4.99
- Sword$4.99
- Big Coin Pack$9.99
- No Ads$9.99
- Large Coin Pack$19.99
- Huge Coin Pack$49.99
- Massive Coin Pack$99.99
Pixel Star Assault
- 5,000 Scrap$0.49
- 12,000 Scrap — 47% Bonus$0.99
- 20,000 Scrap — 59% Bonus$1.99
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- Fleet Pass$4.99









