# Terraforming Mars vs Lanternfall

The clearest difference is price: Lanternfall at Free against Terraforming Mars's $8.99. Lanternfall also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Terraforming Mars's advantage is ratings volume (7.6K vs 1) and chart position (#35 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Lanternfall is free to download; Terraforming Mars costs $8.99 up front. Terraforming Mars sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Lanternfall sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lanternfall holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Terraforming Mars has 7.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, Lanternfall weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Terraforming Mars | Lanternfall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lanternfall-forest-tactics/id6809476686/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 45.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | — |
| Size | 353 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Twin Sails Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135862620) | [NICHOLAS DANIEL MINIERI](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783024513) |

## What reviewers say

### Terraforming Mars

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

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Board, #103 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


### Lanternfall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lanternfall-forest-tactics/id6809476686)

Engage in a turn-based tactical combat game where your lantern is your primary weapon. Navigate eight floors of a dark forest, outsmarting enemies with perfect information and strategic use of four core actions. Unlock new abilities and customize your lantern to overcome increasingly challenging foes.

**Highlights:** Turn-based tactical combat, Perfect information gameplay, Four core actions: step, strike, shove, flare, Dynamic forest environments, Unlockable boons and lantern types, Daily challenges and leaderboards, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lanternfall Deep | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Terraforming Mars free?

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

### Is Lanternfall free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Terraforming Mars or Lanternfall?

Lanternfall is rated higher. Terraforming Mars averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while Lanternfall averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Terraforming Mars or Lanternfall have ads?

Neither Terraforming Mars nor Lanternfall shows ads.

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

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lanternfall weekly. Most recently, Terraforming Mars was updated on November 9, 2026 and Lanternfall on October 31, 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.*