Comparison

Ave, imperium! vs Retro Emulator

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

Head to head
About

Ave, imperium!

Lead a crumbling empire through a time of corruption and betrayal. Make critical decisions, expose conspiracies, and eliminate enemies to restore order. Your choices will determine the fate of the Great Empire.

Highlights
  • Strategic decision-making
  • Eliminate enemies
  • Uncover plots
  • Manage empire's fate
  • Restore order
Features
Read full description

During the time of cruel, greedy and shortsighted leaders the Great Empire began to fall apart. The elite bought everything and everyone for nothing, soldiers became loyal only to their commanders and scientists and playwrights were starving. You must make wise and timely decisions, eliminate scheming enemies of the Great Empire, pay tributes to true friends, deftly uncover plots, and expose insidious conspiracies. WHO WILL RESTORE ORDER IN THE GREAT EMPIRE?

About

Retro Emulator

Play classic 8-bit console games on your device with this fast and lightweight emulator. Import your own game files or access public domain titles, and save your progress anytime. Enjoy smooth emulation with on-screen controls and sharp display filters.

Highlights
  • Import your own games
  • Save progress anytime
  • On-screen controls with turbo
  • Sharp display filters
  • No ads or tracking
  • Public domain game library
Features
Read full description

Retro Console Emulator is a fast, lightweight player for classic 8-bit console games. Import your own games, enjoy smooth and accurate emulation, and save your progress anywhere — with no account, no ads, and no tracking. IMPORT YOUR GAMES Add games from the Files app, or from a PNG image with embedded game data. Files you download in Safari can be imported straight from your Downloads folder. A library of free-to-use and public-domain games is also one tap away. SAVE ANYTIME Save to numbered slots and pick up exactly where you left off. The free version includes 4 save slots and space for 4 imported games. Pro expands this to 8 slots and 20 games, and Max unlocks unlimited save slots and unlimited imports. MADE FOR iPHONE On-screen controls with turbo buttons, sharp display filters, and full-screen play. Available in 15 languages. PRIVACY FIRST No ads. No analytics. No data collection. Your games and saves stay on your device. Retro Console Emulator is intended for homebrew, public-domain, and other games you are legally permitted to play.

Screenshots

Ave, imperium!3 screens
Retro Emulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Retro Emulator at 5.0 against Ave, imperium!'s 3.0. Retro Emulator also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6). Ave, imperium!'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (11 vs 1). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. Ave, imperium! sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Retro Emulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Retro Emulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ave, imperium! has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ave, imperium! ships an update every 3 weeks, Retro Emulator every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Ave, imperium! versus Retro Emulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAve, imperium!Retro Emulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (11 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB3 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperArtem TrembachVu Bach

Customer experience

Ave, imperium!

All ratings11 ratings
Positive36.4%
Neutral18.2%
Negative45.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

Retro Emulator

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Ave, imperium!

One-time6
  • Archiater$0.99
  • Praetor$0.99
  • Lanista$0.99
Show 3 more
  • Flamen of Mars$0.99
  • Architect$0.99
  • Censor$0.99
None

Retro Emulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ave, imperium! free?
Ave, imperium! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retro Emulator free?
Retro Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ave, imperium! or Retro Emulator?
Retro Emulator is rated higher. Ave, imperium! averages 3.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Retro Emulator averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Ave, imperium! or Retro Emulator have ads?
Neither Ave, imperium! nor Retro Emulator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ave, imperium! or Retro Emulator?
Ave, imperium! ships an update every 3 weeks, and Retro Emulator every 3 months. Most recently, Ave, imperium! was updated on November 3, 2026 and Retro Emulator on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons