# Pencil Games vs RetroBoy

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Games | RetroBoy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.3 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-games/id1451685862/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroboy-platformer/id6761346559/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **60** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 21.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 34 MB | 750 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Edwards LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1098067780) | [Peter Hodges](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873344533) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-games/id1451685862)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### RetroBoy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retroboy-platformer/id6761346559)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*