Comparison

Astrocave vs Short Journey

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

Head to head
About

Astrocave

Pilot a lander through dangerous underground caves, collecting fuel to ascend. Test your bravery and skill to reach the exit, with procedurally generated levels and a unique soundtrack. Compete on global leaderboards and unlock achievements.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated cave levels
  • Fuel collection for survival
  • Touch and tilt controls
  • Bluetooth controller support
  • Sci-Fi Industrial Obscurity soundtrack
  • Custom seed level generation
  • Game Center leaderboards and achievements
Read full description

Pilot your lander through the dangers of an underground cave system to reach the exit at the top. Collect fuel during your ascent to stay alive. Only 0.24% (based on App analytics) are brave enough to try and only 1 in 100 (based on leaderboard statistics) are successful. Are you brave enough to try? Can you reach the top? Simple to play! Just touch the screen to thrust and tilt device to steer. Supports bluetooth game controllers too! Includes an incredible Sci-Fi Industrial Obscurity music soundtrack! Uses a unique seed based subtractive algorithm for generating levels. Create unique levels using custom seeds. More than 50 secret seed awards to discover! Earn free credits by guessing the secret seeds. 14 Game Center leaderboards to conquer! 25 Game Center achievements!

About

Short Journey

Features
Read full description

Embark on a ‘Short Journey’ Through Enchanting Worlds! ‘Short Journey’ is a captivating 2D platformer that takes you through a series of uniquely designed levels. Each of the 12 stages offers a variety of challenges that range from quick and straightforward to complex and demanding. Charming Aesthetics: Experience the classic charm as you traverse through levels that pay homage to the golden age of gaming. Diverse Challenges: ‘Short Journey’ provides a spectrum of difficulties, ensuring that each level feels fresh and engaging. Intuitive Gameplay: The game’s mechanics are designed to be accessible yet challenging, allowing both newcomers and seasoned gamers to enjoy the thrill of the journey. In ‘Short Journey’, every level is an opportunity to test your skills and uncover new surprises. Prepare to embark on an adventure that’s as nostalgic as it is exciting!

Screenshots

Astrocave4 screens
Short Journey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Short Journey at none against Astrocave's 1. Short Journey also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 days). Astrocave's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support 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. Astrocave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Short Journey asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astrocave ships an update every 2 days, Short Journey daily. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Astrocave versus Short Journey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstrocaveShort Journey
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size248 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLes BirdAli Taleb

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Astrocave

One-time1
  • 5,000 CREDITS...$0.99
None

Short Journey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Astrocave free?
Astrocave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Short Journey free?
Short Journey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Astrocave or Short Journey have ads?
Short Journey shows ads; Astrocave does not.
Which is updated more often, Astrocave or Short Journey?
Astrocave ships an update every 2 days, and Short Journey daily. Most recently, Astrocave was updated on October 24, 2026 and Short Journey on October 25, 2026.

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