# Sparklite vs Ancient Tails

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Sparklite | Ancient Tails |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (598 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparklite/id1553922886/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **598** | — |
| Positive reviews | 79.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [Richard Bannister](https://appshunter.io/developer/1389985539) |

## What reviewers say

### Sparklite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparklite/id1553922886)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Full Game | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game with good story
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Interesting mechanics
- 👍 Charming pixel art
- 👍 Engaging story and characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔧 Controls can be finicky or unresponsive
- 🔧 Difficulty spikes in certain areas
- 🔧 Limited customization options
- 🔧 Short overall length

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-tails/id1562360213)

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:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*