Comparison

Bounder vs Mystery Box 5

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

Head to head
About

Bounder

Experience a classic 80s arcade game faithfully recreated for mobile. Bounce and dodge through challenging levels, enjoying innovative features like parallax scrolling. This version offers multiple original platform ports with enhancements for modern devices.

Highlights
  • Faithful recreation of original game
  • Parallax scrolling
  • Multiple platform versions (C64, Spectrum, Amstrad)
  • Challenging levels
  • High score chasing
  • Mobile-optimized controls
Read full description

Bounder was one of the most successful games in the 80’s and was published by Gremlin Graphics in 1985. Gremlin were responsible for many classics such as Bounder, Re-Bounder, Monty Mole, Thing on a Spring, Zool etc… they were one of the biggest developers and publishers in the world and started by Ian Stewart, Gremlin was one of the pioneers to kickstart the games industry.  Bounder’s popularity spans decades and has continued to be featured in Retro Gamer with a 2 page spread only recently, Walk-through videos on Youtube, regular mentions about the game on social media and it’s been included in the new Mini C64 machine. This little tennis ball of fun continues to be highly regarded and fondly remembered in the retro-gaming community.  Originally created by Christian Shrigley, Andrew Green, Robert Toone, Bounder featured many ground-breaking features such as Parallax Scrolling, first seen on a computer game. The game featured 10 levels, all as challenging as the first and at times is unforgiving but that's what kept drawing people back to this best selling game. Zzap!64 gleefully pinned a Gold Medal on the daredevil tennis ball in its tenth issue, calling Bounder “an absorbing, demanding and totally innovative approach to the ageing platform formula,” and that's exactly what Bounder is.  Our Bounder version is faithful to the original and includes features which helps it translate to mobile devices. Our App includes the C64, Spectrum and Amstrad versions, not emulated but re-coded to a high standard so it looks and feels like the original computer versions but with new added extras to please retro gamers and attract new gamers to Bounder.  Bounce and dodge your way to your highest score yet!  This game is free to download but does offer in-app purchases.

About

Mystery Box 5

Embark on an unforgettable puzzle adventure exploring intricate boxes filled with enigmas and brain-teasing challenges. Enjoy a captivating soundtrack and get hints when you're stuck. Share your achievements with friends and the community.

Highlights
  • Intricate puzzle boxes
  • Brain-teasing challenges
  • Captivating soundtrack
  • Hint system
  • Share achievements
  • Elements Stone extra challenge
Features
Read full description

"Another masterpiece by XSGames!" "Fun is guaranteed" "It gives you the sensation of being genuinely confined in a room" ——————————•—————————— A UNFORGETTABLE PUZZLE ADVENTURE Explore a new series of intricate boxes filled with alluring enigmas and brain-teasing challenges that will leave you a lasting impression THE ELEMENTS STONE Unlock all 10 boxes of the game and play this extra challenge in the room of the Elements Stone EXCEPTIONAL GAME DESIGN With a straightforward user interface and captivating puzzles, this game promises an engaging experience that expertly balances challenge and entertainment, keeping you engaged for hours. THE FIRST 3 LEVELS ARE FREE Try the game by playing the first three boxes, unlock the full game with a cheap In-App Purchase A CAPTIVATING SOUNDTRACK Each Box has its music theme, for you to play this adventure in a transcendental way GOT STUCK? Click the bulb button in the scene to get a hint that will help you solve the puzzles. In case you got really stuck on a puzzle, feel free to get in touch with the developer at xsgames.co to get some more hints SHARE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS Let your community and friends know what you're playing and how far you've gone in this escape room adventure! ——————————•—————————— XSGames is an independent solo startup from Italy. Find out more at xsgames.co Follow @xsgames_ on X and Instagram

Screenshots

Bounder4 screens
Mystery Box 54 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mystery Box 5 at every 2 months against Bounder's every 34 months. Mystery Box 5 also leads on ratings volume (34 vs 4). Bounder's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 33%) and rating (4.0 vs 3.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Bounder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mystery Box 5 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bounder holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mystery Box 5 has 34 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Bounder's written reviews are positive against 33% of Mystery Box 5's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bounder ships an update every 34 months, Mystery Box 5 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Bounder versus Mystery Box 5: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBounderMystery Box 5
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better3.6 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings434 — better
Update frequencyEvery 34 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB439 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAtatio Interactive LtdXSGames

Customer experience

Bounder

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%

Mystery Box 5

All ratings34 ratings
Positive61.8%
Neutral11.8%
Negative26.5%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative55.6%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bounder

One-time1
  • Full Game$1.99
3 purchases

Mystery Box 5

One-time3
  • Unlock All levels$3.99
  • Unlock All levels + Coffee$4.99
  • Unlock All levels + Love$7.99

Questions

Is Bounder free?
Bounder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mystery Box 5 free?
Mystery Box 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bounder or Mystery Box 5?
Bounder is rated higher. Bounder averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Mystery Box 5 averages 3.6 from 34 ratings.
Do Bounder or Mystery Box 5 have ads?
Neither Bounder nor Mystery Box 5 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bounder or Mystery Box 5?
Bounder ships an update every 34 months, and Mystery Box 5 every 2 months. Most recently, Bounder was updated on September 22, 2026 and Mystery Box 5 on September 24, 2026.

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