Comparison

Bastion vs Sparklite

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

Head to head
About

Bastion

Explore a beautifully hand-painted world shattered by catastrophe. Wield upgradeable weapons in action-packed combat, with a reactive narrator guiding you through a deep story. Unlock new challenges and continue your adventure in New Game Plus mode.

Highlights
  • Hand-painted artwork
  • Original music score
  • Reactive narration
  • Intuitive touch controls
  • Upgradeable weapons
  • New Game Plus mode
Features
Read full description

*NOTICE* Play the beginning for free. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full game. * * * AWARDS - App Store BEST of 2012 Pick - App Store EDITORS' CHOICE The original version of Bastion earned more than 100 industry accolades, including: - BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME and BEST DEBUT, Game Developers Choice Awards - DOWNLOADABLE TITLE of the YEAR, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences - BEST VIDEOGAME of the YEAR, Paste Magazine - BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME and BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, SpikeTV - BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME and BEST INDIE GAME, Inside Gaming Awards * * * Bastion for iOS features all the highly acclaimed artwork, music, and narration that Bastion is known for, along with intuitive touch controls. Explore more than 40 lush hand-painted environments as you discover the secrets of the Calamity, a surreal catastrophe that shattered the world to pieces. Wield a huge arsenal of upgradeable weapons and battle savage beasts adapted to their new habitat. Finish the main story to unlock New Game Plus mode and continue your journey! KEY FEATURES - Stunning hand-painted artwork - Critically-acclaimed original music score - Hours of reactive narration deliver a deep story - Intuitive touch controls created exclusively for iOS - Universal App optimized for iPhone and iPad - Variable difficulty for players of all skill levels - Action-packed combat rewards playing with finesse - 10+ unique upgradeable weapons to be used - 6 powerful Bastion structures to be discovered - 'New Game Plus' mode unlocked after finishing the story - Game Center achievements and leaderboards - Sync saved data seamlessly via iCloud Bastion is the first title from Supergiant Games. We're a small developer with big ambitions: to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. Follow @SupergiantGames on Twitter or visit us at www.supergiantgames.com. * * * LANGUAGES - Voice-over narration: English - Text and subtitles: English, Simplified Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Italian (based on region setting)

About

Sparklite

Embark on a roguelite action-adventure in a vibrant, procedurally generated world. Battle foes with a variety of gadgets and weapons, explore diverse environments, and harness a unique resource to overcome challenges and save the land from a greedy baron. The game offers a free trial before unlocking the full experience.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated world exploration
  • Top-down action combat
  • Gadget and weapon invention
  • Titan boss battles
  • World-building and NPC interaction
  • Pixel art aesthetic and original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Try Sparklite for free up until the first Titan fight and unlock the full game for the whole adventure! Sparklite is an Action-Adventure roguelite set in a whimsical and ever-changing land. Gear up for Adventure and battle foes in top-down action using an arsenal of gadgets, guns, and gear. Explore dangerous corners of the procedurally generated world, take down titans of the mining industry, and harness the power Sparklite! Key Features • Explore the bright and colourful land of Geodia • Harness the Sparklite to fight monsters and titans • Befriend the locals and help build The Refuge • Invent your arsenal to solves puzzles, defeat enemies and become stronger • Save the environment from the greedy Baron • Enjoy intricate pixel art aesthetic and an original soundtrack by composer Dale North (Wizard of Legend) inspired by retro classics Carefully redesigned for mobile • Revamped interface • Game Center achievements • iCloud - Share your progress between iOS devices • Compatible with MFicontrollers If you experience any issue with Sparklite, please contact our customer support here: https://playdigious.helpshift.com/hc/en/8-sparklite/contact-us/. Please make sure to give us as much information as possible on your problem.

Screenshots

Bastion4 screens
Sparklite4 screens

Verdict

The call

Bastion and Sparklite both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Sparklite's written reviews are positive against 59% of Bastion's. Bastion's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.1). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Bastion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sparklite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Bastion against 4.7 for Sparklite. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 588 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Bastion's written reviews are positive against 80% of Sparklite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bastion ships an update every 3 months, Sparklite every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Bastion versus Sparklite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBastionSparklite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.5K ratings)4.7 (588 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.1% of reviews79.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K — better588
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.1
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB1.4 GB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperSupergiant Games, LLCPlaydigious

Customer experience

Bastion

All ratings1,527 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral2.0%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews408 reviews
Positive59.1%
Neutral6.9%
Negative34.1%

Sparklite

All ratings588 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews221 reviews
Positive79.6%
Neutral6.8%
Negative13.6%

User reviews

Bastion

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent gameplay and story
  • 👍 Captivating narration and soundtrack
  • 🎨 Beautiful art style and visuals
  • 💰 Worth the one-time purchase

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and performance issues
  • 🔁 Forced to repurchase after previous purchase
  • 🎮 Subpar controller support
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

Sparklite

From 588 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun game with good story
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 💡 Interesting mechanics
  • 👍 Charming pixel art
  • 👍 Engaging story and characters

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔧 Controls can be finicky or unresponsive
  • 🔧 Difficulty spikes in certain areas
  • 🔧 Limited customization options
  • 🔧 Short overall length

Bugs and requests

Bastion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • In-app purchase not unlocking full game
  • Inability to restore previous purchases
  • Frequent frame rate drops and stuttering

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to remap controls
  • Option to disable on-screen controls when using controller
  • Improved save system and auto-save functionality

Sparklite

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to progress past certain points
  • Inconsistent controller support
  • Graphical glitches in certain areas
  • Save data loss or corruption

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more languages
  • Improve button/control customization
  • Expand endgame content and replayability
  • Optimize performance on older devices
  • Add cloud save support

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bastion

One-time1
  • Bastion - Full Game$4.99
1 purchases

Sparklite

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$6.99

Questions

Is Bastion free?
Bastion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sparklite free?
Sparklite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bastion or Sparklite?
Sparklite is rated higher. Bastion averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Sparklite averages 4.7 from 588 ratings.
Do Bastion or Sparklite have ads?
Neither Bastion nor Sparklite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bastion or Sparklite?
Bastion ships an update every 3 months, and Sparklite every 2 months. Most recently, Bastion was updated on September 17, 2026 and Sparklite on September 22, 2026.

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