# Terraforming Mars vs Tic

The clearest difference is price: Tic at Free against Terraforming Mars's $8.99. Tic also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Terraforming Mars's advantage is chart position (#32 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Tic is free to download; Terraforming Mars costs $8.99 up front. Terraforming Mars sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Tic sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, Tic every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Terraforming Mars | Tic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 353 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Twin Sails Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135862620) | [Digital Solutions MB Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/588915410) |

## What reviewers say

### Terraforming Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · Board, #92 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Lead a corporation to terraform Mars by building cities, forests, and oceans. Manage resources, complete objectives, and increase your Terraform Rating to make the planet habitable. Compete against rivals and lead humanity into a new era.

**Highlights:** Official board game adaptation, Play against AI or up to 5 players, Online and offline multiplayer, Corporate Era variant, Solo challenge mode, Expansions available for new content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Original Promo Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Terraforming Mars - Prelude | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hellas & Elysium | $3.99 | one-time |
| Venus Next | $3.99 | one-time |
| Colonies | $3.99 | one-time |
| Big Box Promo Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful adaptation of board game
- 👍 Great UI and animations
- 🕹️ Smooth solo gameplay
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ Unreliable multiplayer experience
- 🕰️ Long load times to resume games
- 🤯 Confusing multiplayer features
- 🤖 Weak AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Science tags not counted properly
- Power infrastructure card not functioning
- Inability to place tiles in some cases
- Saved games not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Undo button for actions
- Ability to see final game metrics
- Notifications for turn updates
- Ability to track win/loss records
- More expansion content


### Tic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tic-tac-roll/id6786933160)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| tic_tac_roll_chalk_20c | $0.99 | one-time |
| tic_tac_roll_pencils_20c | $0.99 | one-time |
| tic_tac_roll_remove_ads_90_days | $1.99 | one-time |
| tic_tac_roll_supply_bundle_25c | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Terraforming Mars free?

Terraforming Mars costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Tic free?

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

### Do Terraforming Mars or Tic have ads?

Neither Terraforming Mars nor Tic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Terraforming Mars or Tic?

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, and Tic every 2 days. Most recently, Terraforming Mars was updated on November 11, 2026 and Tic on November 5, 2026.

---

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