# Pixel Cave 2018 vs POOLS™

The clearest difference is rating: Pixel Cave 2018 at 5.0 against POOLS™'s 4.5. Pixel Cave 2018 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). POOLS™'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 27 months) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pixel Cave 2018 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pixel Cave 2018 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.6K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Pixel Cave 2018's written reviews are positive against 79% of POOLS™'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pixel Cave 2018 ships an update every 27 months, POOLS™ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Cave 2018 | POOLS™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-cave-2018/id1327692439/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **79.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 27 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Zolotov](https://appshunter.io/developer/324462547) | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Cave 2018

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-cave-2018/id1327692439)

Experience a retro-style flight simulator through a pixelated cave. Enjoy real-time synthesized music and simple one-touch controls for an immersive retro gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Retro pixel graphics and effects, Real-time synthesized music, One-touch control, Flight simulation gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Slow, reflective exploration, Atmospheric and immersive environments, Inspired by liminal spaces, Unfolding narrative through exploration, Six distinct chapters, Unique sound design

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Cave 2018 free?

Pixel Cave 2018 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is POOLS™ free?

POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Cave 2018 or POOLS™?

Pixel Cave 2018 is rated higher. Pixel Cave 2018 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while POOLS™ averages 4.5 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Pixel Cave 2018 or POOLS™ have ads?

Neither Pixel Cave 2018 nor POOLS™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Cave 2018 or POOLS™?

Pixel Cave 2018 ships an update every 27 months, and POOLS™ every 2 months. Most recently, Pixel Cave 2018 was updated on October 4, 2026 and POOLS™ on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*