# Sparklite vs Highwater

Sparklite and Highwater both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Sparklite's written reviews are positive against 54% of Highwater's. Sparklite also leads on iOS requirement (13.1 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sparklite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Highwater sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sparklite against 4.7 for Highwater. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 588 and 481 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Sparklite's written reviews are positive against 54% of Highwater's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sparklite | Highwater |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (588 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparklite/id1553922886/reviews) | [4.7 (481 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highwater/id1634668889/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **588** | 481 |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 53.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 2.1 GB |
| Requires iOS | **13.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [Netflix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054) |

## 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


### Highwater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highwater/id1634668889)

Embark on a post-apocalyptic journey across a flooded Earth. Explore islands, recruit allies, and battle insurgents in a race against time to escape the planet. This story-driven adventure offers a unique blend of exploration and strategic combat.

**Highlights:** Story-driven 3D adventure, Explore urban islands, Turn-based combat with puzzle elements, Memorable characters, Original soundtrack

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netflix Standard Plan | $19.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent artwork and visual design
- 🎵 Outstanding soundtrack and radio feature
- 📖 Compelling and emotional story
- ⚔️ Fun and strategic turn-based combat
- 🎮 Engaging gameplay mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 💾 Save/load functionality problems
- 🎵 Music on radio not customizable via settings
- ⚔️ Combat difficulty spikes and balance issues
- 🎁 Limited loot variety in exploration

**Reported bugs**

- Audio issues on fresh app launch
- Game freezing at specific story points (Alphaville)
- Save file corruption and chapter loading failures
- Character stuck in train yard after loading
- Boat getting stuck/beached on non-interactive islands

**Requested features**

- Music volume control separate from radio dialogue
- Ability to pick up and equip enemy weapons
- Boat upgrade system
- Toggle for auto-play dialogue
- Better tutorial or difficulty adjustment for early game


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sparklite free?

Sparklite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Highwater free?

Highwater is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sparklite or Highwater?

Sparklite and Highwater are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 588 and 481 ratings respectively.

### Do Sparklite or Highwater have ads?

Neither Sparklite nor Highwater shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sparklite or Highwater?

Sparklite ships an update every 2 months, and Highwater every 2 months. Most recently, Sparklite was updated on September 22, 2026 and Highwater on September 23, 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.*