Bugsnax vs Populus Run
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bugsnax
Embark on an island adventure to capture and feed unique creatures to your companions. Uncover the secrets of Snaktooth Island and the mysterious Bugsnax.
- Capture mysterious creatures
- Feed creatures to friends
- Explore an island
- Solve island mysteries
- Discover creature origins
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Catch mysterious living snacks and feed them to your friends in this unusual island adventure! Bugsnax takes you on a journey to Snaktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug half-snack creatures, Bugsnax. Invited by intrepid explorer Elizabert Megafig, you arrive to discover your host nowhere to be found, her camp in shambles, and her followers scattered across the island alone... and hungry! It's up to you to solve the mysteries of Snaktooth Island: What happened to Lizbert? What are Bugsnax and where do they come from? But most of all, why do they taste SO GOOD?
Populus Run
Control a crowd of people in this unique running game. Dodge obstacles, battle quirky bosses, and discover hidden characters. Enjoy the full experience with a one-time purchase.
- Control a crowd of people
- Dodge giant fast food
- Slide down pipes
- Battle rapper bosses
- Hardcore mode
- Collect secret characters
- Original soundtrack
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Play the opening levels for free with no ads. Unlock the full game forever with a single in-app purchase. Populus Run is the unconventional running game where you control a crowd of people. • Dodge giant fast food • Slide down pipes like at a waterpark • Battle rapper bosses, including Macaron, Donut, and Burger • Test yourself in Hardcore mode • Collect all the secret characters who are hidden in the levels • Show your respect for the upbeat original soundtrack with its choral singing Populus Run was originally released exclusively on Apple Arcade. Now it's available on the App Store. If you've played the game before, your progress and achievements will be carried over.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Populus Run at 4.7 against Bugsnax's 4.5. Populus Run also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). Bugsnax's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Bugsnax sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Populus Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Populus Run holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Bugsnax's written reviews are positive against 70% of Populus Run's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Bugsnax ships an update every 2 weeks, Populus Run every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bugsnax | Populus Run |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (1.8K ratings) | 4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews — better | 69.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K — better | 1.5K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2.0 GB | 523 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Young Horses, Inc. | FIFTYTWO |
Customer experience
Bugsnax
Populus Run
User reviews
Bugsnax
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Unique and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Excellent character design and writing
- 🎨 Beautiful and creative visuals
- 🎶 Fantastic soundtrack
- 🤯 Unexpected story twists and turns
Room to improve
- 💰 Full game requires purchase after demo
- 🤔 Some areas locked behind paywall in demo
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes reported
Populus Run
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Amazing game
- 👍 Great developers
- 👍 Fantastic music
- 👍 Relaxing and fun
- 👍 Colorful and visually appealing
Room to improve
- 💰 Paywall after first few levels
- 🐛 Occasional performance issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems on some devices
Bugs and requests
Bugsnax
Reported bugs
3 issues- Glitches with grappling hook and fire
- Difficulty accessing certain areas in demo
- Crashes and performance issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- More Bugsnax varieties and new islands
- Ability to tame and utilize Bugsnax abilities
- Sequel or DLC to continue the story
- Free or lower-priced full game option
Populus Run
Reported bugs
3 issues- Freezing on login screen
- Graphical glitches on certain devices
- Saved data not restoring properly
Requested features
4 requests- Make the full game free to play
- Add more levels and worlds
- Improve level selection UI
- Allow customization of controls
In-app purchases
Bugsnax
- Bugsnax Full Game$7.99
Populus Run
- Full Game$3.99
