Comparison

Pencil Games vs RetroBoy

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

Head to head
About

Pencil Games

Enjoy classic pencil and paper drawing games on your device. Play solo or challenge friends in a variety of puzzles and strategy games. New games are generated on demand, and progress is saved for seamless play.

Highlights
  • Classic drawing games
  • Randomly generated games
  • Single player and multiplayer modes
  • Progress saving
  • Play with Apple Pencil, stylus, or finger
Features
Read full description

Play classic pencil and paper drawing games such as Crossword Puzzles, Sudoku, Word Searches, Tic Tac Toe, with an Apple Pencil, a stylus, or even your finger! • Never run out of fun, as new games are randomly generated anytime you wish. • Play single player games such as Crossword Puzzles, Sudoku, Futoshiki, Word Searches, and Mazes, or play against a friend on games such as Tic Tac Toe, Hangman, Dots and Boxes, and 4 in a Row. • Progress in each game is saved, so you are able to toggle between games and resume where you left off. • More games to come!

About

RetroBoy

A retro action platformer where a single tap shifts the game between modern HD and 8-bit pixel art. This mechanic alters visuals, music, physics, and gameplay, revealing hidden paths and power-ups. Master both realities to uncover the game's secrets.

Highlights
  • World-flipping mechanic (HD/8-bit)
  • 6 handcrafted levels
  • 5 boss battles
  • Hidden rooms and collectibles
  • 3 unlockable weapons
  • 28 player upgrades
  • Multiple difficulty modes
Features
Read full description

Put on the shades. See the truth. RetroBoy is a handcrafted retro action platformer where a single tap flips the entire world between modern HD and raw 8-bit reality — changing the art, music, physics, abilities, and even the paths you can take. Nemo's world is a lie. His shades reveal the 8-bit code hidden underneath — and inside the code, he becomes more powerful. Run faster, jump higher, double-jump, and ride walls. But Nemo can only stay in the 8-bit world while his energy lasts. When the bar empties, reality snaps back to HD. Grab energy pickups to recharge, then switch at exactly the right moment — platforms, doors, enemies, and entire secret rooms can exist in one reality but not the other. Master both worlds to uncover the truth. FEATURES • Two realities, one tap — transform every level between modern HD visuals with full 3D character models and chunky 8-bit pixel art • 6 handcrafted levels — explore server rooms, neon rooftops, a towering corporate HQ, the corrupted Glitch Zone, the Architect's core, and a final trip to the other side • 5 boss battles and a boss-rush finale — with skippable intro cinematics • Secrets everywhere — 12 hidden rooms behind mode-exclusive doors, 27 data fragments, and 12 elusive pigeons • 3 weapons to master — fists, an energy blaster, and a laser sword • 28 upgrades earned through play — spend the chips you collect on new powers, all the way up to the Mech Suit • Built for replayability — 18 stars to earn, Normal / Hard / Brutal difficulty, and New Game+ prestige runs • A synchronized dual soundtrack — every track has an HD and a chiptune version that swap seamlessly with the world MADE FOR MOBILE • 3 touch layouts — reposition and resize every button to suit your style • Full game-controller support — touch controls tuck away automatically • Play the whole game offline — ideal for flights and commutes • Colorblind modes, haptic feedback, adjustable text size and screen shake • No ads, no in-app purchases, no account required The truth is waiting. Put on the shades.

Screenshots

RetroBoy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RetroBoy at 100% against Pencil Games's 22%. RetroBoy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Pencil Games's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and ratings volume (60 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Pencil Games is free to download; RetroBoy costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RetroBoy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Games has 60 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of Pencil Games's written reviews are positive against 100% of RetroBoy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pencil Games ships an update every 3 months, RetroBoy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Pencil Games versus RetroBoy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPencil GamesRetroBoy
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating3.3 (60 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings60 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB750 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperEdwards LLCPeter Hodges

Customer experience

Pencil Games

All ratings44 ratings
Positive40.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative54.5%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive21.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative73.9%

RetroBoy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pencil Games

No in-app purchases

None

RetroBoy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pencil Games free?
Pencil Games is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RetroBoy free?
RetroBoy costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pencil Games or RetroBoy?
RetroBoy is rated higher. Pencil Games averages 3.3 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while RetroBoy averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Pencil Games or RetroBoy have ads?
Neither Pencil Games nor RetroBoy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pencil Games or RetroBoy?
Pencil Games ships an update every 3 months, and RetroBoy fortnightly. Most recently, Pencil Games was updated on November 6, 2026 and RetroBoy on November 5, 2026.

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