Comparison

A.L.I.C.E vs Idle Anomaly

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

Head to head
About

A.L.I.C.E

This retro-style 2D platformer educates players about common cyber security threats and countermeasures. Navigate through levels, solve puzzles, and use your wits to defeat cyber threats and retrieve your stolen identity.

Highlights
  • Retro 2D platformer gameplay
  • Cyber security threat education
  • Puzzle solving
  • Avatar customization
  • AI assistant for tips
  • 5 challenging levels
Features
Read full description

Our online presence is growing, making Cyber Security awareness more important. As new technologies emerge, cyber criminals also develop new ways to target individuals' and companies' data. Staying safe online isn’t just a slogan anymore, it’s a necessity. To encourage UNSW students to be more aware of their actions online, UNSW has built this app to further increase awareness of common Cyber Security threats and counter measures that can be taken. A.L.I.C.E is a retro style 2D platform side scrolling game, with enemies to zap, puzzles to solve, and an overall learning experience. Players choose their avatar, and the game begins with your identity being stolen. The player journeys through 5 levels, faces numerous cyber threats, and uses their wits to solve cyber puzzles. A friendly A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) will help the player through the game, and provide tips and hints on how to defeat the final Cyber Threat boss, to retrieve their identity back.

About

Idle Anomaly

Build a research station to uncover the secrets of a mysterious alien Obelisk. Manage employees, defend your base from alien invaders, and upgrade heroes. Progress continues even when you're offline.

Highlights
  • Build and upgrade research station
  • Manage employees and monitor health
  • Defend base from alien attacks
  • Upgrade space heroes
  • Study UFOs and collect resources
  • Offline progress and idle earnings
Features
Read full description

"Build a research station around the mysterious Obelisk area and uncover all its secrets with moon pioneer in this idle clicker explore game! A group of space researchers recently came across a strange structure in the Arctic. It looks like an alien roller coaster or alien starship from the UFO theme park. This Obelisk was clearly not of our planet. In the process of building explorer home base, something strange gait of a zombie appears in the territory. But it isn´t a zombie, it is alien! They will try to attack and to interfere with the Obelisk research and building of your clicker Empire! Find the alien and hold defense idle home base with galaxy gun! Progress outside the game Your employees work tirelessly and earn money in your business simulator incremental game even when you are not playing. Just collect an idle resources when you return to the tap game! Manage a research station Click to build and upgrade equipment, hire employees and monitor their health. Moon pioneer helps you! Rational management is the key to success in research and to big profits in tycoon life! Upgrade your space heroes Exploring anomalies is dangerous area! You need experienced operatives who can protect your employees from invasion of the mysterious moon or mars creatures that guard the Obelisk. Study UFOs Find the alien, catch monsters, send them to infectonator isolation and explore the Obelisk to get resources. Join forces with the secret Ministry and discover the forbidden side of our idle world that it hides from the common people. Alien isolation You don't know what planet the monsters came from. From the Moon or Mars... But you need to click to control UFO space invasion and attack them back! Send aliens in infectonator isolation and now their planet life has become useful for the Earth. If you like Tycoon games, idle games, building games and the atmosphere of the unknown, then Anomalies Research Tycoon is for you! Make strategic decisions for development and make a profit. Unravel the secrets of the Obelisks and gain their power! Your business simulator adventure incremental game is started! ~~~~~~ Rate us in the app store and join our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Idle-Anomalies-Research-Tycoon-105602148433539 Join our Discord community! We'll be happy to receive your feedback: https://discord.gg/bep3sN89hc

Screenshots

A.L.I.C.E4 screens
Idle Anomaly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: A.L.I.C.E at 89% against Idle Anomaly's 38%. A.L.I.C.E also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 15) and ads (none vs shown). Idle Anomaly's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (364 vs 14). 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. Idle Anomaly sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. A.L.I.C.E asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Idle Anomaly holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Anomaly has 364 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 89% of A.L.I.C.E's written reviews are positive against 38% of Idle Anomaly's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

A.L.I.C.E ships an update every 3 months, Idle Anomaly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
A.L.I.C.E versus Idle Anomaly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterA.L.I.C.EIdle Anomaly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (14 ratings)4.7 (364 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better37.9% of reviews
Number of ratings14364 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS7.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size806 MB249 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperThe University of New South WalesHot Siberians

Customer experience

A.L.I.C.E

All ratings14 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Idle Anomaly

All ratings364 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive37.9%
Neutral10.3%
Negative51.7%

Bugs and requests

A.L.I.C.E

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Idle Anomaly

Reported bugs

18 issues
  • Reset all data
  • No ads upgrade not working
  • Beginner pack not received
  • In-app purchases not credited
  • Game keeps locking up
Show 13 more
  • Ads appear after paying to remove them
  • Paid for additional researcher, didn't work
  • Game won't load
  • Game freezes on loading screen
  • Unwanted blackouts
  • Misses payouts, especially in paraenergies
  • Advertising paid to turn off, not getting bonuses
  • Ad reveals later game content
  • Pulled operator, never received
  • Cannot go past close 1 ruptures
  • Game has stopped working
  • Won't load anymore
  • Constant ad interruptions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Fix game issues or refund
  • Add more content to the game
  • Improve developer communication for future plans

In-app purchases

None

A.L.I.C.E

No in-app purchases

15 purchases

Idle Anomaly

One-time15
  • 80 Gems$0.99
  • Helicopter.$4.99
  • 500 Gems$4.99
Show 12 more
  • Researcher$4.99
  • Johnny Goldhand$4.99
  • Beginner's Pack$6.99
  • Starter pack$9.99
  • Researcher$9.99
  • 1200 Gems$9.99
  • Dr. Massachusetts$10.99
  • No ads$13.99
  • Professional's Pack$13.99
  • Neat Pack$19.99
  • 2500 Gems$24.99
  • All Inclusive Pack$35.99

Questions

Is A.L.I.C.E free?
A.L.I.C.E is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idle Anomaly free?
Idle Anomaly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, A.L.I.C.E or Idle Anomaly?
Idle Anomaly is rated higher. A.L.I.C.E averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Idle Anomaly averages 4.7 from 364 ratings.
Do A.L.I.C.E or Idle Anomaly have ads?
Idle Anomaly shows ads; A.L.I.C.E does not.
Which is updated more often, A.L.I.C.E or Idle Anomaly?
A.L.I.C.E ships an update every 3 months, and Idle Anomaly every 5 weeks. Most recently, A.L.I.C.E was updated on September 15, 2026 and Idle Anomaly on September 16, 2026.

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