Comparison

Spirit Island vs StackNova

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

Head to head
About

Spirit Island

Defend your island home from colonial invaders as powerful spirits. This cooperative strategy game features unique elemental powers, strategic area control, and a modular island for endless replayability. Work with native islanders to drive out the invaders and restore balance.

Highlights
  • Cooperative settler-destruction strategy
  • Unique spirit powers
  • Modular island boards
  • Invader expansion system
  • Original dynamic music
  • 3D and 2D map options
Features
Read full description

In the most distant reaches of the world, magic still exists, embodied by spirits of the land, of the sky, and of every natural thing. As the great powers of Europe stretch their colonial empires further and further, they will inevitably lay claim to a place where spirits still hold power - and when they do, the land itself will fight back alongside the islanders who live there. Spirit Island is a cooperative settler-destruction strategy game designed by R. Eric Reuss and set in an alternate-history world around A.D. 1700. Players become different Spirits of the land, each with their own unique elemental powers, forced to defend their island home from colonizing Invaders spreading blight and destruction. Your Spirits work with the native Dahan to increase your power and drive the invading colonists from your island in this strategic area-control game. Spirit Island includes: • Free access to unlimited plays of the tutorial game • Create custom games with up to 4 available spirits and play 5 full turns • 36 Minor Power cards that enhance the abilities of your Spirits • 22 Major Power cards with more powerful effects to devastate the Invaders • A modular island, made up of 4 balanced island boards, for a variety of layouts • Thematic island boards that reflect the canonical island and provide a new challenge • 15 Invader cards driving a distinctive Invader expansion system • 2 Blight cards with challenging effects as the Invaders blight the Island • 15 Fear cards with beneficial effects, earned as you terrify the Invaders Every rule & interaction in the game has been carefully adapted and thoroughly tested by expert Spirit Island players, as well as the designer himself. If you’re wondering how a certain situation works in Spirit Island, this game is the ultimate rules lawyer! Features: • Original dynamic music composed by Jean-Marc Giffin brings Spirit Island to life. Each Spirit has unique musical elements that wax and wane as the game progresses. • 3D Textured maps bring a realistic look and isometric perspective to the Island. • 3D Classic maps present the Island the way it looks on the tabletop. • 2D Classic maps provide a simplified top-down option for all you number crunchers out there. When you are ready for more, choose the best option for your budget to unlock the full game, including cross-platform online multiplayer with friends and others from around the world. Purchase the Core Game - Permanently unlocks all content from the Core Game and Promo Pack 1: Flame, including 6 additional Spirits, 4 double-sided Island Boards, 3 Adversaries, and 4 Scenarios for a wide variety of play and fine-tuned challenge. Or, purchase Horizons of Spirit Island - Permanently unlocks all content from Horizons of Spirit Island, an introductory set of content with 5 Spirits tuned for new players, 3 Island Boards, and 1 Adversary. Or, subscribe for Unlimited Access ($2.99 USD/month) - Unlocks all content during the term of your subscription. Includes all Core Game content, both Promo Packs (Feather & Flame), Branch & Claw, Horizons of Spirit Island, Jagged Earth, and Nature Incarnate, as well as all future content as it becomes available. Also available: • Branch & Claw expansion with 2 Spirits, an Adversary, 52 Power Cards, new Tokens, 15 Fear Cards, 7 Blight Cards, 4 Scenarios, and an Event Deck. • Jagged Earth expansion with 10 Spirits, 2 double-sided Island Boards, 2 Adversaries, 57 Power Cards, new Tokens, 6 Fear Cards, 7 Blight Cards, 3 Scenarios, 30 Event Cards, 6 Aspects, and more! • Promo Pack 2: Feather expansion with 2 Spirits, an Adversary, 5 Scenarios, 5 Aspects, and 5 Fear Cards. • Nature Incarnate expansion with 8 Spirits, 20 Aspects, an Adversary, 12 Power Cards, 9 Fear Cards, 8 Blight Cards, 2 Scenarios, and 9 Event Cards. Partial content now available with more coming in updates for no additional cost. Terms of Service: handelabra.com/terms Privacy Policy: handelabra.com/privacy

About

StackNova

Features
Read full description

StackNova is the ultimate block-stacking puzzle game, beautifully crafted for iPhone. Experience the timeless gameplay you love with modern design, smooth controls, and exciting new features. FOUR GAME MODES • Classic — The endless mode you know and love. Stack blocks, clear lines, and chase your highest score as the speed increases with every level. • Sprint — Race against yourself to clear 40 lines as fast as possible. Every second counts! • Marathon — Climb from level 1 to level 15. Can you survive the increasing speed and reach the finish line? • Ultra — You have 3 minutes. Score as many points as you can before time runs out. POLISHED GAMEPLAY • Responsive tap and swipe controls designed for touchscreens • Ghost piece preview shows exactly where your block will land • Hold piece lets you save a block for the perfect moment • Next piece preview so you can plan ahead • Satisfying haptic feedback on every drop, clear, and combo 8 STUNNING THEMES • Unlock beautiful color themes as you play: Neon, Retro, Pastel, Mono, Ocean, Sunset, Mint, and Candy • Each theme transforms the entire look of the game — blocks, board, and background DAILY CHALLENGES • A new challenge every day to keep you coming back • Test your skills with unique goals and track your streak COMPETE & TRACK • Game Center leaderboards for every mode — see how you rank worldwide • 9 achievements to unlock, from your first game to mastering Marathon mode • Detailed statistics: total games, lines cleared, StackNova count, and personal records for each mode HOME SCREEN WIDGET • Add a widget to your Home Screen showing your high score, games played, and lines cleared at a glance StackNova is designed with love for iOS — dark theme, clean visuals, and smooth animations that feel right at home on your iPhone. No ads. No interruptions. Just pure puzzle fun. Download now and start stacking!

Screenshots

Spirit Island4 screens
StackNova4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Spirit Island at Free against StackNova's $2.99. Spirit Island also leads on iOS requirement (13.7 vs 18.0). StackNova's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On 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

Spirit Island is free to download; StackNova costs $2.99 up front. Spirit Island sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. StackNova asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Spirit Island versus StackNova: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpirit IslandStackNova
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.2 (205 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews55.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings205 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.7 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size963 MB5 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperHandelabra Studio LLCGianfranco Antenucci

Bugs and requests

Spirit Island

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Presence detection issues
  • Subscription restoration problems
  • Tutorial bugs
  • Multiplayer game saving issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Asynchronous multiplayer
  • Ability to zoom in on cards
  • Offline access to purchased content
  • Chinese language support

StackNova

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Spirit Island

Subscriptions1
  • Unlimited Access$2.991 Month
One-time6
  • Horizons of Spirit Island$2.95
  • Branch & Claw$3.00
  • Promo Pack 2: Feather$4.95
Show 3 more
  • Full Game$10.00
  • Jagged Earth$14.99
  • Nature Incarnate$20.00
None

StackNova

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spirit Island free?
Spirit Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StackNova free?
StackNova costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Spirit Island or StackNova have ads?
Neither Spirit Island nor StackNova shows ads.

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