# Afterplace vs Magic Research 2

The clearest difference is update cadence: Magic Research 2 at every 3 days against Afterplace's monthly. Magic Research 2 also leads on price ($4.69 vs $6.99). Afterplace's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 82%) and ratings volume (627 vs 115). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Afterplace costs $6.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Afterplace against 4.8 for Magic Research 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Afterplace has 627 ratings behind it against 115, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Afterplace's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.

Afterplace ships an update monthly, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Afterplace | Magic Research 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **$4.69** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (627 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterplace/id1539778232/reviews)** | [4.8 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **627** | 115 |
| Positive reviews | **94.1% of reviews** | 82.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #43 | **#23** |
| Size | 249 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Evan Kice](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539778234) | [Matias Ezequiel Colotto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669682477) |

## What reviewers say

### Afterplace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterplace/id1539778232)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Paid · Role Playing, #88 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on an open-world adventure on your mobile device, exploring a vast landscape filled with hidden secrets, treasures, and quirky characters. Engage in combat, uncover mysteries, and forge your own path through a world without waypoints.

**Highlights:** Open world exploration, Hidden secrets and treasures, Combat with monsters, Interactive characters, No virtual buttons, Dynamic control adaptation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Charming characters and dialogue
- 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and visuals
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
- 💡 Unique story and world-building

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
- 🔍 Lack of a map or quest log can lead to getting lost
- 🔍 Some plot points not fully explained
- 🔍 Limited weapon/item variety

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on certain devices
- Saves not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Ability to restart or replay the game
- More in-depth combat and progression systems


### Magic Research 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-research-2/id6478566840)

**Currently charting:** #23 Top Paid · Role Playing, #62 Top Paid · Simulation, #188 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.

**Highlights:** Over 120 distinct spells, Transmute over 250 items, Control a team of wizards, Semi-automated combat system, Explore dozens of areas, Discover secrets and storylines, Retirement bonuses for faster progress

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic sequel, better than the first
- 👍 Incredible sense of progression
- 💡 Fun build types, best in genre
- 👍 Incremental masterclass, gold standard
- 👍 True semi-idle masterpiece

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Extremely complicated, tedious timers
- 🐛 UI is absolutely atrocious
- 🐛 Time pieces cap out at 100k
- 🐛 UI issues, not easy to navigate
- 🐛 Sorting doesn't sort exactly as wanted

**Reported bugs**

- App instantly crashes on open
- Game crashes on startup
- App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
- Overheating phone
- Lags and gets choppy in the late game

**Requested features**

- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Afterplace free?

Afterplace costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Magic Research 2 free?

Magic Research 2 costs $4.69, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Afterplace or Magic Research 2?

Afterplace is rated higher. Afterplace averages 4.9 out of 5 from 627 ratings, while Magic Research 2 averages 4.8 from 115 ratings.

### Do Afterplace or Magic Research 2 have ads?

Neither Afterplace nor Magic Research 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Afterplace or Magic Research 2?

Afterplace ships an update monthly, and Magic Research 2 every 3 days. Most recently, Afterplace was updated on October 18, 2026 and Magic Research 2 on October 19, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Afterplace or Magic Research 2?

Afterplace currently peaks at #43 in the App Store charts, and Magic Research 2 at #23. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*