Comparison

Sparklite vs Ancient Tails

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

Head to head
About

Sparklite

Embark on a roguelite action-adventure in a vibrant, procedurally generated world. Battle foes with a variety of gadgets and weapons, explore diverse environments, and harness a unique resource to overcome challenges and save the land from a greedy baron. The game offers a free trial before unlocking the full experience.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated world exploration
  • Top-down action combat
  • Gadget and weapon invention
  • Titan boss battles
  • World-building and NPC interaction
  • Pixel art aesthetic and original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Try Sparklite for free up until the first Titan fight and unlock the full game for the whole adventure! Sparklite is an Action-Adventure roguelite set in a whimsical and ever-changing land. Gear up for Adventure and battle foes in top-down action using an arsenal of gadgets, guns, and gear. Explore dangerous corners of the procedurally generated world, take down titans of the mining industry, and harness the power Sparklite! Key Features • Explore the bright and colourful land of Geodia • Harness the Sparklite to fight monsters and titans • Befriend the locals and help build The Refuge • Invent your arsenal to solves puzzles, defeat enemies and become stronger • Save the environment from the greedy Baron • Enjoy intricate pixel art aesthetic and an original soundtrack by composer Dale North (Wizard of Legend) inspired by retro classics Carefully redesigned for mobile • Revamped interface • Game Center achievements • iCloud - Share your progress between iOS devices • Compatible with MFicontrollers If you experience any issue with Sparklite, please contact our customer support here: https://playdigious.helpshift.com/hc/en/8-sparklite/contact-us/. Please make sure to give us as much information as possible on your problem.

About

Ancient Tails

Embark on a retro-inspired platforming adventure to defeat feline foes. Stun enemies with head-butts while dodging hazards like bouncing balls and motorbikes. Relive classic gameplay with modern polish.

Highlights
  • Retro platforming gameplay
  • Head-butt enemies to stun
  • Dodge bouncing balls and motorbikes
  • Inspired by 80s/90s classics
  • Single-player adventure
Features
Read full description

Ancient Tails is a platform game inspired by a number of classic titles from the eighties and nineties. Your task is to stun enemy creatures by head-butting them, but watch out for bouncing balls and motorbikes!

Screenshots

Sparklite4 screens
Ancient Tails4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sparklite at Free against Ancient Tails's $1.99. Sparklite also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Ancient Tails's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Sparklite is free to download; Ancient Tails costs $1.99 up front. Sparklite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ancient Tails asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sparklite ships an update every 2 months, Ancient Tails every 7 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Sparklite versus Ancient Tails: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSparkliteAncient Tails
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.7 (598 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings598 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS13.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB116 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperPlaydigiousRichard Bannister

Customer experience

Sparklite

All ratings597 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews223 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral7.2%
Negative13.5%

Ancient Tails

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sparklite

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to progress past certain points
  • Inconsistent controller support
  • Graphical glitches in certain areas
  • Save data loss or corruption

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more languages
  • Improve button/control customization
  • Expand endgame content and replayability
  • Optimize performance on older devices
  • Add cloud save support

Ancient Tails

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sparklite

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$6.99
None

Ancient Tails

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sparklite free?
Sparklite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ancient Tails free?
Ancient Tails costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sparklite or Ancient Tails have ads?
Neither Sparklite nor Ancient Tails shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sparklite or Ancient Tails?
Sparklite ships an update every 2 months, and Ancient Tails every 7 months. Most recently, Sparklite was updated on October 24, 2026 and Ancient Tails on October 24, 2026.

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