Comparison

Nova Island vs Loop

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

Head to head
About

Nova Island

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
Read full description

Discover friends and card duels in this exciting strategic adventure game! Nova Island is an anime inspired card game with cute characters, amazing strategy, and an engaging adventure!  And totally ad free! Looking for a unique collectible card game that combines strategy & chance? On Nova Island, you can take on challenges, play quick matches with friends, or compete against players from around the world to climb the leaderboard. Play cards to gain strength, deal damage, plan ahead, and disrupt opponents in ways they’ll never see coming. It’s fun! Try it out for free and discover its complete strategic freedom! Alert!  A new Nova Researcher has arrived on the island!  With your help and the various Pros by your side, collect all of the Friends, Powers, and customizable Skins found on this colorful island.  Go out on an adventure of a lifetime and see all of the fun in store for you! Quick PvP Matches in Every Mode Compete in fast online Ranked Matches versus players around the world.  Try out your strategic thinking in a unique single-player experience with new themes popping in the Daily Challenges. The Best of Your Favorite TCG and CCG Experiences Train your skills with the Turbo Chaos Draft Challenge against players around the world in a fast-paced draft mode. Challenge yourself with a PVE singleplayer journey around the island and tricky limited time game modes. Level up on Research Road and collect over 100 cards and over 1500 cosmetics, including: - 8 Pros, each with a thematic soundtrack and unique playstyle. - Over 70 Friends with cute animations, sound effects, and custom skins to change their look! So get in there and build your deck with strategy and style! Pick Your Prize or Try Your Luck: Use your winning Tokens on the Vending Machines to collect rewards, level up your favorite strategies, and unlock new cards. You’ll learn more about Nova Island, the Pros and Friends inhabiting the districts, and the challenges that await you as you explore! We have a growing community who love to chat! Discuss tips and tricks with some real Nova Island Pros!  Join in for all fun things NOVA ISLAND! Discord: https://play.novaisland.com/discord Need SUPPORT? Visit our Website: https://novaisland.com or Email us: hello@thirteengames.com Just some important legal information: PRIVACY POLICY: https://novaisland.com/privacy-policy TERMS OF SERVICE: https://novaisland.com/terms-of-service

About

Loop

A strategy puzzle game that challenges your logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Navigate grid-based levels, use queue boxes with action items, and master looping logic to collect all points and avoid infinite loops. Enjoy a mental workout with progressive difficulty and creative solutions.

Highlights
  • Grid-based puzzles
  • Queue box mechanic
  • Looping logic action
  • Varied levels with increasing complexity
  • Points collection challenges
  • Ad-free gameplay
  • Offline play
Read full description

Embark on a brain-teasing journey with Loop, a unique puzzle game that blends strategy and a twist of programming logic. Perfect for puzzle enthusiasts and strategic thinkers, this game will test your ability to think several steps ahead. Innovative Gameplay: Grid-Based Puzzles: Navigate a player through a dynamic grid environment, where every move counts. Queue Box Mechanic: Strategically populate queue boxes with a variety of action items. Choose from primary actions like moving forward, rotating, or changing cell colors, and conditional actions that respond to specific grid colors. Looping Logic: Utilize the 'Loop' action to create looping sequences, essential for solving complex puzzles and advancing through levels. Engaging Challenges: Varied Levels: Each level presents a new layout with increasing complexity, challenging you to adapt your strategies. Points Collection: Aim to collect all the points on the grid. Be wary - one wrong step could mean starting over! Infinite Loop Risk: Avoid getting trapped in infinite loops. Use the 'Loop' action wisely to keep progressing. Why Play Loop? Mental Workout: Sharpen your logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Creative Solutions: No single approach. Experiment with different strategies to find the best solution. Progressive Difficulty: From simple beginnings to mind-bending layouts, enjoy a satisfying difficulty curve. Ad-Free: Enjoy seamless gameplay with no ad interruptions. Offline: Play anywhere & anytime, with no internet required. Whether you're a puzzle novice or a seasoned strategist, Loop offers a compelling experience for all.

Screenshots

Nova Island4 screens
Loop3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Loop at every 3 days against Nova Island's every 3 weeks. Nova Island's advantage is ratings volume (237 vs 8). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Nova Island sells 66 one-off in-app purchases and Loop sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nova Island holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nova Island has 237 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Nova Island's written reviews are positive against 67% of Loop's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nova Island ships an update every 3 weeks, Loop every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Nova Island versus Loop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNova IslandLoop
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (237 ratings) — better4.1 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings237 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size261 MB40 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperThirteen Games, LLCChain1 OU

Customer experience

Nova Island

All ratings237 ratings
Positive79.3%
Neutral7.2%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral16.8%
Negative23.2%

Loop

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Nova Island

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Soft-locking tutorial
  • Inconsistent performance on some devices

Requested features

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

Loop

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

66 purchases

Nova Island

One-time66
  • 90 Island Credits$0.99
  • Researcher’s Starter Bundle$0.99
  • Circuit Boiz Bundle 2$0.99
Show 63 more
  • Circuit Boiz Bundle 1$0.99
  • 4th Anniversary Emotes Bundle1$0.99
  • Halloween Juice Emote$0.99
  • Max Halloween Emote$0.99
  • Artillery Pack$0.99
  • Doodle Branehart Emote$0.99
  • 75 Island Credits2 variants$1.99
  • Welcome Bundle$1.99
  • Power Outage Pack$1.99
  • Researcher's Starter Bundle2 variants$1.99
  • Circuit Boiz Pack$1.99
  • Rerun Activate$1.99
  • Sprynk Activate$1.99
  • Hackmaster Activate$1.99
  • Escape Pod Activate$1.99
  • Novas Special BF$1.99
  • Food Emote Bundle$1.99
  • Cosmicosi Legendary Skin$1.99
  • Cannonball Level Up$1.99
  • Welcome Party Bundle$2.99
  • Mage Rerun$2.99
  • Oddball Filthy Clean Skin$2.99
  • Giving Tree Unlock$2.99
  • Giving Tree Level Up$2.99
  • New Season Novium Special$2.99
  • Greenhouse Pack$2.99
  • Daily Login Bonus$3.99
  • Rainbow Gemma Skin$3.99
  • Gemma Activate$3.99
  • EOY Winter Skins 2024$3.99
  • Unlock Sparki$3.99
  • Nova Tree Giving Tree$3.99
  • Cosmicosi Activate$3.99
  • Crystal Kitten$3.99
  • Arcade Pack$3.99
  • Ghost Blazer$3.99
  • Candy Weade$3.99
  • Frankenjazzy$3.99
  • 575 Island Credits$4.99
  • ULTIMATE Welcome Bundle$4.99
  • Welcome Party Bundle$4.99
  • Bloom King BC Special$4.99
  • 80s Sparki$4.99
  • Observatory Pack$4.99
  • 225 Island Credits$4.99
  • Intranet Pack$5.99
  • Activation Starter Bundle$5.99
  • One Cent and IP$6.99
  • Khrys and Flutter$6.99
  • Crystal Cats$8.99
  • 1175 Island Credits$9.99
  • Nova Tree Bundle$9.99
  • Welcome Bundle 5$9.99
  • Boost Pack C$9.99
  • Hooligan Bundle$9.99
  • Boost Pack B$9.99
  • 480 Island Credits$9.99
  • Ancient 9 Skins$14.99
  • EOY Credits Special 2024$14.99
  • 2400 Island Credits$19.99
  • Super Boost Pack C$19.99
  • 1020 Island Credits$19.99
  • 2155 Island Credits$39.99
4 purchases

Loop

One-time4
  • 15 Gold Nuggets$0.99
  • Unlock All Levels$2.99
  • 75 Gold Nuggets$3.99
Show 1 more
  • 300 Gold Nuggets$9.99

Questions

Is Nova Island free?
Nova Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loop free?
Loop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nova Island or Loop?
Nova Island is rated higher. Nova Island averages 4.3 out of 5 from 237 ratings, while Loop averages 4.1 from 8 ratings.
Do Nova Island or Loop have ads?
Neither Nova Island nor Loop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nova Island or Loop?
Nova Island ships an update every 3 weeks, and Loop every 3 days. Most recently, Nova Island was updated on September 3, 2026 and Loop on September 9, 2026.

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