# Lab Escape vs Downhill Smash

Lab Escape and Downhill Smash both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Lab Escape's written reviews are positive against 41% of Downhill Smash's. Downhill Smash's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (22K vs 164). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lab Escape sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Downhill Smash sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Lab Escape against 4.8 for Downhill Smash. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Downhill Smash has 22K ratings behind it against 164, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Lab Escape's written reviews are positive against 41% of Downhill Smash's.

Lab Escape ships an update every 5 months, Downhill Smash every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lab Escape | Downhill Smash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (164 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-escape-devour-and-mutate/id1393907176/reviews)** | [4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downhill-smash/id1586265901/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 164 | **22K** |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 41.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 72 MB | 382 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SeHyeon Im](https://appshunter.io/developer/1294084939) | [ZeptoLab UK Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/450542236) |

## What reviewers say

### Lab Escape

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-escape-devour-and-mutate/id1393907176)

Control a captured specimen that must consume meat to grow stronger. Choose random mutations to enhance your abilities and devour enemies in this rogue-like running game. Collect hats to further boost your specimen's power.

**Highlights:** Consume meat to grow, Select random mutations, Devour enemies, Rogue-like gameplay, Stackable mutation cards, Collect hats for bonuses

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Supply | $0.99 | one-time |
| Supply Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| AD Devourer | $1.99 | one-time |
| Supply Tower | $3.99 | one-time |
| Planetary Supply | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🎨 Cute and appealing art style
- 💡 Great time killer
- 🆓 Ad-supported choice
- 🎮 Simple controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😩 Hats too hard to get
- 📉 Slow progression
- 🐛 Game crashes
- 📱 Resolution issues on newer iPhones
- 🐌 Lagging at high scores

**Reported bugs**

- Boxes for hats not working
- Ads causing game crashes
- Screen resolution not fitting iPhone X+
- Lag at high scores (11700+ points)
- FPS drops at high scores (23000+ points)

**Requested features**

- More boxes/hats drop rate
- Unlockable specimens with different skills
- Potions for speed/damage reduction
- Adjustable skill button position
- More frequent ad opportunities for boxes


### Downhill Smash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downhill-smash/id1586265901)

Roll downhill, smashing everything in your path with a powerful boulder machine. Boost your vehicle with unique weapons and race through a post-apocalyptic world, defeating giant zombie bosses.

**Highlights:** Unique physics-based gameplay, Build ultimate zombie-smashing machine, Race through post-apocalyptic world, Unlock and upgrade powerful weapons, Defeat giant zombie bosses

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 35 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Galaxy spikes | $1.99 | one-time |
| Galaxy Shotgun | $1.99 | one-time |
| Galaxy Machine-gun | $1.99 | one-time |
| Extra Slot Discount Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| 200 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| 24H Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extra Slot | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Discount Offer | $7.99 | one-time |
| Extra Slot 2 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying destruction mechanics
- 🔒 No forced ads
- 💡 Interesting upgrade system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔑 Restrictive key/energy system
- 💰 Aggressive monetization through gems and in-app purchases
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches affecting gameplay
- 🔋 Overheating issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Weapons becoming unusable after upgrades
- Indestructible objects blocking progress
- Ads not working or causing game freezes
- Inconsistent avalanche/storm behavior

**Requested features**

- More diverse levels and content
- Removal or improvement of key/energy system
- Better progression system without paywalls
- Consistent physics and collision detection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lab Escape free?

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

### Is Downhill Smash free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lab Escape or Downhill Smash?

Lab Escape is rated higher. Lab Escape averages 4.8 out of 5 from 164 ratings, while Downhill Smash averages 4.8 from 22K ratings.

### Do Lab Escape or Downhill Smash have ads?

Both Lab Escape and Downhill Smash show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lab Escape or Downhill Smash?

Lab Escape ships an update every 5 months, and Downhill Smash every 3 weeks. Most recently, Lab Escape was updated on November 2, 2026 and Downhill Smash on November 5, 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.*