The Machines vs JADU®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Machines
Engage in thrilling augmented reality battles with friends. Utilize powerful abilities and strategic positioning to destroy enemy bases and climb global leaderboards. Experience stunning visuals and immersive 3D spatial audio that reacts to your real-world location.
- Augmented reality battles
- Competitive multiplayer
- 3D spatial audio
- Perspective-based tactics
- Global leaderboards
- Friend battles
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**As featured in the Apple Keynote** “The Machines may be Apple's most impressive augmented-reality showcase yet” - Eurogamer “If you've only got enough money to spend on one AR game, then I'd probably make it this one.” - Pocket Gamer “The Machines is a perfect example of the future of AR” - Macworld “A must have ARKit game—Highly recommended and definitely worth its asking price!” - AR Critic ======== In The Machines, battle your friends in a breathtaking augmented reality world. Experience 3D sound, graphics, and gameplay like never before. Use powerful abilities and perspective-based tactics to destroy your enemy's base and climb the global leaderboard. Victory or defeat depends on your skills, strategic thinking, and ability to maneuver yourself and your troops in battle. ======== VISUALLY STUNNING The Machines uses advanced technology to push the boundaries of visual fidelity. The battlefield has over 1.2 million polygons and uses 4k assets and physics-based rendering to bring you a beautifully immersive game. 3D SPATIAL AUDIO Your position in the real world affects the audio you hear. Move closer for louder action or disappear behind a rock and audio bounces off, just like in real life. PERSPECTIVE-BASED GAMING Your physical position is the competitive edge in this augmented reality battlefield. Use super weapons and abilities tactically by aiming your phone and adjusting your position. COMPETETIVE MULTIPLAYER Claim your place at the top of the global leaderboards by defeating foes around the world. Outwit your opponents with balanced, strategic gameplay. A single player training mode is also available to gain experience. FRIEND BATTLES Add friends via a unique invite link and challenge them directly to battle! Play against each other on the same table or anywhere in the world. See who is the champion on your friends leaderboard. ======== **If you enjoying playing the game, please consider leaving a review on the App Store. We really appreciate it!** Follow us on Twitter: @DirectiveGames Follow us on Facebook: @DirectiveGames Want to discuss a new feature? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/w4GdRVc
JADU®
Engage in intense battles with customizable 3D fighters in this augmented reality mobile game. Experience immersive gameplay with stunning graphics, responsive haptics, and a unique soundtrack. Build and personalize your fighter with meticulously crafted premium items.
- Augmented reality battles
- Customizable 3D fighters
- Premium 3D item customization
- Intuitive controls
- High-quality visuals
- Tuned haptics
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JADU® is mobile gaming reimagined. Experience stunning graphics, carefully tuned haptics and intuitive controls all soundtracked by music that feels both retro & futuristic. Build your fighter with premium 3D items carefully crafted by our team. Even the shoelaces are individually textured. Hope you love it as much as we love making it. Join our Community: jadu.gg/discord NOTICES • JADU® features high quality visuals & augmented reality. Performance may not be optimal on older devices. • JADU® is currently an online only game. Support: support@jadu.ar Privacy Policy: jadu.ar/privacy Terms of Use: jadu.ar/tos
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: JADU® at Free against The Machines's $1.99. JADU® also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.6) and review sentiment (78% vs 51%). The Machines's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On update cadence, ads 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
JADU® is free to download; The Machines costs $1.99 up front. JADU® sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. The Machines asks for nothing beyond the download.
JADU® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: JADU® has 9.9K ratings behind it against 268, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of The Machines's written reviews are positive against 78% of JADU®'s.
The Machines ships an update fortnightly, JADU® weekly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.
| Parameter | The Machines | JADU® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (268 ratings) | 4.8 (9.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.7% of reviews | 78.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 268 | 9.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 911 MB | 369 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Directive Games | Jadu AR, Inc. |
Customer experience
The Machines
JADU®
User reviews
The Machines
From 268 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Impressive AR experience
- 👍 Great graphics and visuals
- 🤖 Innovative gameplay concept
- 🎮 Engaging multiplayer battles
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty detecting playing surface
- 🕹️ Confusing controls and tutorials
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🗺️ Limited map and gameplay variety
JADU®
From 9.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fantastic graphics
- 🔥 Immersive AR experience
- 👍 Responsive controls
- 🎮 Fun fighting gameplay
- 💯 Innovative concept
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Confusing controls and mechanics
- 🌍 Limited play area
- 🕹️ Compatibility issues with older devices
Bugs and requests
The Machines
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game crashes after short playtime
- Inability to detect flat surfaces
- Unresponsive controls and commands
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to play against friends
- More maps and gameplay modes
- Better onboarding and tutorials
- Customization options for characters
- Offline/single-player mode
JADU®
Reported bugs
5 issues- Enemies getting stuck inside walls
- Loading screen freezes
- Inability to edit avatar
- Disconnection issues
- Inconsistent enemy behavior
Requested features
5 requests- Offline mode
- Single-player campaign
- More customization options
- Ability to adjust character size
- Performance optimizations
In-app purchases
The Machines
No in-app purchases
JADU®
- Winter Wonderland Bundle$4.99
- Hyper Bowl Red Bundle$4.99
- Hyper Bowl Gold Bundle$4.99
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- 180 Jadu$4.99
- Core Pack$4.99
- Starter Pack I$4.99
- 400 Jadu$9.99
- 1000 Jadu$19.99
- Luxe Pack$19.99
- Starter Pack II$19.99
- 3000 Jadu$49.99









