# StarQuest vs Nightfall

The clearest difference is rating: Nightfall at 4.9 against StarQuest's 4.3. Nightfall also leads on ratings volume (7.4K vs 167) and chart position (#164 vs unranked). StarQuest's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (78% vs 48%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StarQuest sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Nightfall sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nightfall holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nightfall has 7.4K ratings behind it against 167, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of StarQuest's written reviews are positive against 48% of Nightfall's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

StarQuest ships an update weekly, Nightfall every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StarQuest | Nightfall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (167 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starquest/id1496258953/reviews) | **[4.9 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightfall-kingdom-frontier-td/id6621272416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 167 | **7.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **77.9% of reviews** | 48.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#164** |
| Size | 557 MB | 1.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Cosmic Games ULC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496258952) | [Fansipan Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501817933) |

## What reviewers say

### StarQuest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starquest/id1496258953)

Embark on an epic space adventure, battling enemies and collecting resources to upgrade your ships and gear. Prepare for challenging quests and earn glory and rewards in a vast universe.

**Highlights:** Explore space universe, Battle challenging enemies, Scavenge for scraps, Upgrade loadouts and ships, Earn glory and rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 StarCoins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Admiral TrayNee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Dawn | $3.99 | one-time |
| The current special deal | $4.99 | one-time |
| 550 StarCoins | $4.99 | one-time |
| THE REPUBLIC | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Starcoins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Starcoins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6500 Starcoins | $49.99 | one-time |
| 14000 Starcoins | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging and addictive gameplay loop
- 🎨 High-quality graphics and visual design
- 📱 Easy to learn and understand controls
- ⭐ Fun progression system with ship unlocks
- 🎯 Well-designed for mobile gaming

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and force closures
- 💸 Pay-to-win mechanics in later chapters
- 🔄 Repetitive gameplay with limited variety
- ❌ Poor game balance and difficulty spikes
- 🎯 Auto-aim removes player skill requirement

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup or loading screen
- Game freezes at chapter 5 war zone
- Cannot tap to start after update
- Enemies spawn directly in front of player
- Lag spikes when using power-up abilities

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer and co-op game modes
- Capture the flag game mode
- More diverse game modes and story content
- Password reset/forgot password functionality
- Ability to choose weapon upgrade order


### Nightfall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightfall-kingdom-frontier-td/id6621272416)

**Currently charting:** #164 Top Grossing · Adventure (US App Store)

Build and defend your kingdom in this strategy tower defense game. Construct defenses and manage resources during the day, then lead your troops against enemy waves at night. Engage in thrilling combat, upgrade your forces, and challenge other players.

**Highlights:** Kingdom building and defense, Day/night cycle gameplay, Strategic resource allocation, Tower and troop upgrades, Intense combat against enemy waves, Player vs. Player challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Game Speed x2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Game Speed x3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Growth Fund Normal | $9.99 | one-time |
| Battle Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack 3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great gameplay loop
- 👍 Relaxing and enjoyable
- 🎨 Nice art style and music
- 💰 Ads are optional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Heavily monetized with microtransactions
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g., Christmas event issues)
- 🔍 Unbalanced difficulty progression
- 🔊 Sound issues (e.g., mute not working properly)

**Reported bugs**

- Progression loss after reinstall
- Incorrect screen scaling on some devices
- Christmas event rewards not working

**Requested features**

- Endless mode
- More level variety
- Ability to reassign/group troops
- Better camera controls
- Ability to break down/merge items


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StarQuest free?

StarQuest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Nightfall free?

Nightfall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, StarQuest or Nightfall?

Nightfall is rated higher. StarQuest averages 4.3 out of 5 from 167 ratings, while Nightfall averages 4.9 from 7.4K ratings.

### Do StarQuest or Nightfall have ads?

Nightfall shows ads; StarQuest does not.

### Which is updated more often, StarQuest or Nightfall?

StarQuest ships an update weekly, and Nightfall every 4 days. Most recently, StarQuest was updated on November 3, 2026 and Nightfall on November 9, 2026.

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