Upstream Struggle vs Spearfishing Simulator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Upstream Struggle
Embark on an endless salmon run, swimming upstream to reach home. Dodge a variety of enemies for as long as possible to unlock new fish species and improve your score.
- Endless salmon run gameplay
- Dodge enemies
- Unlock new fish
- High score challenges
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In Upstream Struggle, you play as a salmon swimming upstream to return home (except right now it's just endless, oops). Dodge enemies for as long as you can to unlock new fish.
Spearfishing Simulator
Experience a realistic spearfishing adventure. Start as a beginner, learn to hunt fish, and earn money and experience to upgrade your gear. Explore various underwater locations and master challenging gameplay modes.
- Realistic fish behavior
- Gear upgrades (speargun, wetsuit, fins)
- XP system for performance increase
- Multiple diving locations
- Target fish for bonus XP
- Realistic underwater sounds
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A very realistic Spearfishing game with a challenging gameplay. Start as a rookie spearo and learn spearfishing. Hunt fishes, earn money and experience. Buy new items to increase your hunting skills and diving performance. - Upgrade your speargun, wetsuit, fins, mask and other items. - Earn XP while playing and increase your diving performance. - Realistic fish behaviour. - Every item your equip, effects your diving and hunting performance. - Realistic underwater sounds. - Various diving locations - Target fish option. Hunt suggested target fish to earn x2 XP. Game tips: -Your oxygen level will be increased while you gain experience(XP) -Since default gear is for snorkelling, it reduces your diving performance. Replace it when you earn money. -Behave like you spearfishing in real life. Swimming towards the fish and chasing the fish won't work most of the time. Game modes: - Realistic: This is for real spearfishers. Fishes are very sensitive to your movements. Try to stay calm and still while waiting the fish. Oxygen level and consumption is realistic. - Simulation: Close to real life spearfishing. Oxygen level and consumption is realistic, fishes can be spooked easily. - Arcade: Easy mode. Oxygen consumption is much more slower. Fishes are much more braver.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Upstream Struggle at 4.9 against Spearfishing Simulator's 3.8. Upstream Struggle also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 48%) and ratings volume (9.7K vs 96). Spearfishing Simulator's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Upstream Struggle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upstream Struggle has 9.7K ratings behind it against 96, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Upstream Struggle's written reviews are positive against 48% of Spearfishing Simulator's.
Upstream Struggle ships an update every 4 days, Spearfishing Simulator every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Upstream Struggle | Spearfishing Simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (9.7K ratings) — better | 3.8 (96 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.9% of reviews — better | 48.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9.7K — better | 96 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 113 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Jack LaLonde | Hakan Nehir |
Customer experience
Upstream Struggle
Spearfishing Simulator
Bugs and requests
Upstream Struggle
Reported bugs
3 issues- Getting stuck in the waterfall at the start
- Crashes and freezes, especially at higher levels
- Issues with the bird/flying obstacle
Requested features
4 requests- Add more variety to levels and obstacles
- Improve controls and jumping mechanics
- Implement a leaderboard or competitive mode
- Introduce new fish skins and customization options
Spearfishing Simulator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Upstream Struggle
No in-app purchases
Spearfishing Simulator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Upstream Struggle free?
Is Spearfishing Simulator free?
Which has better reviews, Upstream Struggle or Spearfishing Simulator?
Do Upstream Struggle or Spearfishing Simulator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Upstream Struggle or Spearfishing Simulator?
Other comparisons
