Comparison

Retro Commander vs Pico Islands

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Retro Commander

Engage in post-apocalyptic real-time strategy battles. Command diverse units and technologies in a rich story campaign or test your skills against AI and players in cross-platform multiplayer. Features include a map editor and extensive modding capabilities.

Highlights
  • Post-apocalyptic RTS gameplay
  • Story campaign with unique factions
  • Single-player skirmish matches vs AI
  • Cross-platform multiplayer
  • Map editor and modding support
  • Diverse units and research options
  • Multiple game modes (capture the flag, battle royale)
Features
Read full description

Retro Commander is a post-apocalyptic real-time strategy wargame (RTS). Take command and fight it out in a world where a cataclysmic timeline has transpired on Mother Earth. Wage wars solo, against the AI, or take on your gaming comrades and friends in cross-platform multiplayer matches. Form teams and clans and fight co-op style with the AI and other players for ultimate victory. As opposed to other real-time strategy game, Retro Commander tries to focus on both, a fun single player and a thrilling multiplayer experience. The game strives to be easy to learn with a modern user interface. Single player comes with skirmish matches against the AI as well as a comic-based story campaign. Multiplayer can be played cross-platform and includes a ranking and rating system. POST-APOCALYPTIC: Real-time strategy (RTS) played in a post-apocalyptic timeline on Mother Earth. The environment includes day-night cycles, rain, snow, wind and solar flare activity. STORY CAMPAIGN: Deep campaign and story line of humanity after a cataclysmic event. Factions come with their own specialized technologies such as stealth, robots, drones or shields. SINGLE & MULTIPLAYER: A challenging AI for both single and multiplayer matches with co-op play. Cross-platform multiplayer including LAN/internet. ONLINE play comes with an award and rating system. PLAY MODES: In addition to regular skirmish matches, the game supports missions such as elimination, survival, capture the flag, defense and battle royale. Available in both single and multiplayer also are escort and rescue missions. STRUCTURES & TROOPS: Common troops for land, sea and air warfare is available to all factions. Specialized elements such as stealth, shields, EMP weapons, nukes, portals, orbital weapons, assimilator and other troops and structures provide for additional variety. RESEARCH: A tech tree and research options enable to build specialized structures and troops. A Tech Snatcher can be used to steal enemy technology. MODDING: A map editor is included allowing for player-modded maps including player-modded campaigns. All elements including troops, structures, as well as graphics and sound effects, can be modded if desired.

About

Pico Islands

Lead settlers to build a thriving medieval city, manage resources, and expand your empire across islands. Engage in trade, conquest, and technological discovery to achieve global domination or enjoy a peaceful simulation.

Highlights
  • Build and expand your city
  • Manage resources and production
  • Trade with neighbors
  • Conquer new islands
  • Research new technologies
  • Optimize building placement and transportation
Features
Read full description

You have landed on a small island with a group of settlers. As the new king of this land it is now up to you to enlarge your realm and lead your people to glory. Capture the resources of this world and let your small village grow to a respectable city. Trade with your neighbors, capture gold and diamonds with your conquests. Eventually you will cross the sea to conquer many more islands and fortify the domination of your civilization and discover the many secrets beyond the ocean. The real time strategy game Pico Islands is an economy simulation taking place in a medieval world. In the quest for prosperity you can pursue the conquest of the whole world or simply lean back and watch your townsmen bustle around. The game is self-explanatory and does not require knowledge of the English language. Features: * By effective placement of your buildings and a well organized network of tracks and roads you will optimize the productivity of your settlers. * Use the right tactics and strategies in building your town to use the natural resources of your land the most effective way. * Collect lumber and stone as building materials for your constructions. * Place tracks and roads for optimized transportation of your goods. * Produce grain in your farms, only with a working agriculture your bakers can provide bread for your citizens, while your fishermen supply your sailors with sufficient food. * Let your alchemists brew magical potions that will lead your way to the discovery of new technologies. * Provide your miners with sufficient food, the mines will produce stone, coal, iron, copper and of course gold which serve as crafting materials for your manufactories. * Build harbors to cross the seas with your ships and become a formidable conqueror * Forge tools, jewelry and swords that your sailors and knights will use to explore new islands, to trade or to pillage. Enter the fantasy world of Pico Islands now and become a fearless adventurer, an acclaimed leader, a formidable conqueror and the hero of your own empire in this RTS game! Do you like retro, tycoon, idle clicker or simulation games? Then you should take a look at Pico Islands! You can download and play Pico Islands free of charge, but you have the opportunity to enhance your gaming experience with In-App-Purchases for real money. Featuring music by Matthew Pablo https://matthewpablo.com

Screenshots

Retro Commander4 screens
Pico Islands4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Retro Commander at none against Pico Islands's shown. Retro Commander also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Pico Islands's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (131 vs 16). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Retro Commander sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pico Islands sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pico Islands holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pico Islands has 131 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Retro Commander's written reviews are positive against 71% of Pico Islands's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, Pico Islands every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Retro Commander versus Pico Islands: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro CommanderPico Islands
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (16 ratings)4.2 (131 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better71.3% of reviews
Number of ratings16131 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB102 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperNoble Master LLCBitSpree GmbH

Customer experience

Retro Commander

All ratings16 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral11.8%
Negative11.8%

Pico Islands

All ratings131 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews181 reviews
Positive71.3%
Neutral11.0%
Negative17.7%

Bugs and requests

Retro Commander

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pico Islands

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Forester lookups result in 404 errors
  • Inability to undo 10 map limit
  • Crashes when redeploying roads
  • Inconsistent cookie consent management

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add map selection/replay
  • Improve tutorial and documentation
  • Implement graphics settings
  • Add more content and progression
  • Introduce multiplayer/competitive modes
Show 1 more
  • Improve performance and optimization

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Retro Commander

One-time10
  • Map: Chapter 02$0.99
  • Map: Battle Map 02$0.99
  • Map: Battle Map 05$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Clan Manager$1.99
  • Map: Chapter 03$3.99
  • Map: Chapter 08$3.99
  • Map: Battle Map A1$3.99
  • Map: Battle Map 04$3.99
  • Modded Maps$4.99
  • All Maps & Modding$19.99
5 purchases

Pico Islands

One-time5
  • Buy 20 Gems$0.99
  • Buy 110 Gems$4.99
  • Remove ads$13.99
Show 2 more
  • Buy 500 Gems$19.99
  • Buy 1500 Gems$49.99

Questions

Is Retro Commander free?
Retro Commander is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pico Islands free?
Pico Islands is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retro Commander or Pico Islands?
Pico Islands is rated higher. Retro Commander averages 3.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Pico Islands averages 4.2 from 131 ratings.
Do Retro Commander or Pico Islands have ads?
Pico Islands shows ads; Retro Commander does not.
Which is updated more often, Retro Commander or Pico Islands?
Retro Commander ships an update every 2 months, and Pico Islands every 5 weeks. Most recently, Retro Commander was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pico Islands on November 3, 2026.

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