# Nova Island vs Potatoes on Mars

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nova Island at 60% against Potatoes on Mars's 0%. Nova Island also leads on rating (4.3 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (237 vs 4). Potatoes on Mars's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 68) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Island sells 66 one-off in-app purchases. Potatoes on Mars asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nova Island holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nova Island has 237 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Nova Island's written reviews are positive against 0% of Potatoes on Mars's.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Island | Potatoes on Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (237 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111/reviews)** | [1.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potatoes-on-mars-stack-cards/id6470935498/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **237** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **60.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 262 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526357113) | [TPG TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMACAO LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/444343830) |

## 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 (66)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 90 Island Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| Researcher’s Starter Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Bundle 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Bundle 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 4th Anniversary Emotes Bundle1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Halloween Juice Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| Max Halloween Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| Artillery Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Doodle Branehart Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| 75 Island Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Power Outage Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Researcher's Starter Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Rerun Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sprynk Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hackmaster Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Escape Pod Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Novas Special BF | $1.99 | one-time |
| Food Emote Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cosmicosi Legendary Skin | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cannonball Level Up | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mage Rerun | $2.99 | one-time |
| Oddball Filthy Clean Skin | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giving Tree Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giving Tree Level Up | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Season Novium Special | $2.99 | one-time |
| Greenhouse Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Daily Login Bonus | $3.99 | one-time |
| Rainbow Gemma Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gemma Activate | $3.99 | one-time |
| EOY Winter Skins 2024 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Sparki | $3.99 | one-time |
| Nova Tree Giving Tree | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cosmicosi Activate | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Kitten | $3.99 | one-time |
| Arcade Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ghost Blazer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Candy Weade | $3.99 | one-time |
| Frankenjazzy | $3.99 | one-time |
| 575 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| ULTIMATE Welcome Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bloom King BC Special | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80s Sparki | $4.99 | one-time |
| Observatory Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 225 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| Intranet Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Activation Starter Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| One Cent and IP | $6.99 | one-time |
| Khrys and Flutter | $6.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Cats | $8.99 | one-time |
| 1175 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nova Tree Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle 5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boost Pack C | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hooligan Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boost Pack B | $9.99 | one-time |
| 480 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ancient 9 Skins | $14.99 | one-time |
| EOY Credits Special 2024 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| Super Boost Pack C | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1020 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2155 Island Credits | $39.99 | 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


### Potatoes on Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potatoes-on-mars-stack-cards/id6470935498)

Embark on a casual strategy game where you stack cards, merge resources, and explore a whimsical Martian landscape. Discover new cards and combinations to overcome challenges in this space-faring adventure.

**Highlights:** Strategic card stacking, Merge resources, Discover card combinations, Exploration and discovery, Casual strategy gameplay

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Island free?

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

### Is Potatoes on Mars free?

Potatoes on Mars is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nova Island or Potatoes on Mars?

Nova Island is rated higher. Nova Island averages 4.3 out of 5 from 237 ratings, while Potatoes on Mars averages 1.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do Nova Island or Potatoes on Mars have ads?

Neither Nova Island nor Potatoes on Mars shows ads.

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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.*