# Nova Island vs yaaker!

The clearest difference is rating: yaaker! at 5.0 against Nova Island's 4.3. Nova Island's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 39 months) and ratings volume (236 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Island sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and yaaker! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

yaaker! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nova Island has 236 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nova Island ships an update every 3 weeks, yaaker! every 39 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Island | yaaker! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (236 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yaaker/id1663559578/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **236** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 60.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 39 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 262 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526357113) | [Ovisly](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631065925) |

## What reviewers say

### Nova Island

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111)

Engage in strategic card battles with cute anime-inspired characters. Collect friends, powers, and skins while competing in PvP matches or embarking on an adventure. Build decks and master unique playstyles.

**Highlights:** Collectible card battles, Strategic deck building, PvP and PvE modes, Character collection, Cosmetic customization, Daily challenges, Draft mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Artillery Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| 75 Island Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Daily Login Bonus | $3.99 | one-time |
| 575 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 225 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1175 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Appealing art style and animations
- 💰 Completely free-to-play, no pay-to-win
- 🕹️ Engaging strategic depth
- 🌟 Underrated and deserves more attention

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Excessive reliance on RNG
- 🔁 Repetitive and swingy gameplay
- 🕰️ Slow progression and grindy unlock system
- ⚖️ Unbalanced card/character power levels
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and connectivity issues

**Reported bugs**

- Soft-locking tutorial
- Inconsistent performance on some devices

**Requested features**

- Offline mode or paid full version
- Ability to play with friends
- More character/card customization options
- Improved tutorial and onboarding experience


### yaaker!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yaaker/id1663559578)

Engage in a unique game that blends dice rolling with poker strategy to reclaim towns from mischievous aliens. Test your luck and skills in this lighthearted battle against extraterrestrial pranksters.

**Highlights:** Dice and poker mechanics, Alien-themed gameplay, Town and city reclamation, Skill and luck challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Yaaker Coins | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Island free?

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

### Is yaaker! free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nova Island or yaaker!?

yaaker! is rated higher. Nova Island averages 4.3 out of 5 from 236 ratings, while yaaker! averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Nova Island or yaaker! have ads?

Neither Nova Island nor yaaker! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nova Island or yaaker!?

Nova Island ships an update every 3 weeks, and yaaker! every 39 months. Most recently, Nova Island was updated on November 3, 2026 and yaaker! on November 3, 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.*