# Sliding Seas vs Molecano

The clearest difference is rating: Sliding Seas at 4.8 against Molecano's 4.3. Sliding Seas also leads on ratings volume (3.6K vs 109). Molecano's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sliding Seas sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Molecano sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sliding Seas holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sliding Seas has 3.6K ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Sliding Seas's written reviews are positive against 85% of Molecano's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sliding Seas | Molecano |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sliding-seas/id1436245163/reviews)** | [4.3 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecano/id6450759588/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 109 |
| Positive reviews | **91.8% of reviews** | 85.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 575 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mugshot Games Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/957253932) | [Thomas Young](https://appshunter.io/developer/866420356) |

## What reviewers say

### Sliding Seas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sliding-seas/id1436245163)

Build and decorate your own tropical island paradise by matching and merging land. Collect VIP characters, complete puzzles, and enjoy a relaxing match-3 experience with daily missions and events. Escape to a world of fun with over 1000 levels.

**Highlights:** Match and merge land to create islands, Decorate and grow your home island, Collect cute VIP characters, Multiple game modes, Daily missions and weekend events, Offline play support

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Handful of Diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| 2 Hours Unlimited Lives | $2.99 | one-time |
| Beginner's Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Moonflower Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Event Tickets | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Diamonds | $5.99 | one-time |
| Modern Mayor's Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Luxury Rescue Boat | $5.99 | one-time |
| Rescuer's Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Large Power-Up Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Trader Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mayor's Mansion Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Penguin Lodge | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| Super Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Mega Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 No forced ads
- 💡 Unique twist on match-3 mechanics
- 👍 Cute graphics and animations
- 👍 Relaxing and challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Difficulty spikes at certain levels
- 💡 Lack of customization options for island
- 💡 Repetitive gameplay after a while
- 🐛 Hints/tutorials can be intrusive
- 💡 Desire for more game modes/endless play

**Reported bugs**

- Some levels feel impossible without using boosters
- Occasional crashes or loss of progress after updates

**Requested features**

- Add more levels and content updates
- Implement an endless/survival mode
- Allow replaying of completed levels
- Improve contrast between ocean tile colors
- Add option to skip survivor arrival animation


### Molecano

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecano/id6450759588)

Embark on a word-based adventure to help a mole navigate volcanic landscapes. String words together to create bridges and collect food across challenging lava-filled levels. This unique puzzle game offers a relaxing experience with a cool soundtrack and unlockable characters.

**Highlights:** Unique word puzzle gameplay, 500+ levels, Unlockable characters, Chill soundtrack, Word-based bridge creation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Unique and innovative word puzzle concept
- 🎨 Charming art style and visual design
- 🎵 Calming, relaxing lo-fi music
- 😌 Relaxing and stress-relieving gameplay
- 👥 Collectible characters from other games

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Too many ads despite being fewer than competitors
- 💰 Expensive ad removal cost
- 🐢 Slow character movement animation
- 📱 Game map too small on phone screens
- 🎮 Becomes repetitive after extended play

**Reported bugs**

- Level 137 - character won't move after placing letters
- Level 311 - multiple reports of unsolvable/broken level
- Level 339 - reported as extremely difficult/possibly broken
- Level 480 - appears to have no solution
- Level 464 - reported as impossible to pass

**Requested features**

- More levels beyond level 500
- Larger game map for mobile devices
- Ability to rotate words 360 degrees
- Replay previous completed levels
- Game Center/cloud save compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sliding Seas free?

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

### Is Molecano free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sliding Seas or Molecano?

Sliding Seas is rated higher. Sliding Seas averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Molecano averages 4.3 from 109 ratings.

### Do Sliding Seas or Molecano have ads?

Both Sliding Seas and Molecano show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sliding Seas or Molecano?

Sliding Seas ships an update every 3 weeks, and Molecano every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sliding Seas was updated on September 25, 2026 and Molecano on September 23, 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.*