Comparison

ESAKids vs HideADuck

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

Head to head
About

ESAKids

Engaging games designed to teach children about space exploration. Features activities like coloring, matching, and memory games for younger children, and more complex challenges like spacecraft building and space trivia for older kids. Explore the Solar System with Paxi.

Highlights
  • Space-themed educational games
  • Coloring, matching, and memory activities
  • Spacecraft building missions
  • Planet and moon landing challenges
  • Space debris cleanup
  • Space trivia for families
Features
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The ESA Kids app features a set of carefully crafted games for kids to learn about space while having fun. Simple yet engaging, the app is suitable for a variety of age ranges. Introduce the tiny explorers to space and Paxi with colouring, matching, and memory games. Challenge the older pioneers with specific missions to build spacecraft, land on different planets and moons, and clean up space debris. Get the whole family together for a round of space trivia. Get ready to explore the Solar System with Paxi!

About

HideADuck

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HideADuck turns your home into an AR hide-and-seek game. Scan your room, hide ducks in real places, camouflage them to match your space — then let friends hunt them down through the camera. Play solo or with the whole group on one iPhone. IMPORTANT: HideADuck requires an iPhone with a LiDAR scanner (e.g. iPhone 12 Pro or newer Pro models). The app cannot be played without LiDAR. HOW IT WORKS 1. Scan the room Move your iPhone slowly through the room until the floor and surroundings are detected. LiDAR builds a precise 3D map of your space — the foundation for real AR hide-and-seek. 2. Hide the ducks Place one or more ducks in the room, rotate them, and match their color using the eyedropper tool to pick up real colors from your environment. The better the camouflage, the harder it gets for seekers. 3. Pass the phone Hand the iPhone to the seekers — they must not have seen the room beforehand. Fair play guaranteed! 4. Find the ducks Scan the room with your camera and tap each duck as soon as you spot it. The clock is ticking — who finds all ducks the fastest? GAME MODES • Solo: Hide and seek on your own — great for practice or a quick round. • Group mode (Pass & Play): Add player names, one person hides, everyone else takes turns seeking. One phone, everyone plays — perfect for game nights, families, or parties. FEATURES • Real AR with LiDAR room scanning • Place, rotate, and camouflage ducks in room colors • Timers for hiders and seekers — tension until the last second • Leaderboard: Who was the fastest? • Multiple ducks per round (1, 2, 3, or 5) • Manage players and play group rounds • Duck Squad: Unlimited players, squad leaderboard, and pass & play for the whole group (one-time purchase) WHO IS HIDEADUCK FOR? HideADuck is perfect for anyone who wants to try something new — whether with a partner, friends, or the whole family. No board game, no setup — just grab your iPhone, scan the room, and play. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone with LiDAR scanner (iPhone Pro models from iPhone 12 Pro onwards) • Enough space to walk around and scan • Camera permission required Download HideADuck and find out who in your group is the ultimate duck hunter!

Screenshots

ESAKids3 screens
HideADuck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESAKids at none against HideADuck's 1. ESAKids also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.5). HideADuck's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 56 months). On price 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. HideADuck sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ESAKids asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ESAKids ships an update every 56 months, HideADuck every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 4, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ESAKids versus HideADuck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterESAKidsHideADuck
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 56 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperESA - European Space AgencyLeon Schwanitz

In-app purchases

None

ESAKids

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

HideADuck

One-time1
  • Duck Squad$3.99

Questions

Is ESAKids free?
ESAKids is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HideADuck free?
HideADuck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ESAKids or HideADuck have ads?
Neither ESAKids nor HideADuck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ESAKids or HideADuck?
ESAKids ships an update every 56 months, and HideADuck every 9 days. Most recently, ESAKids was updated on October 4, 2026 and HideADuck on October 4, 2026.

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