Comparison

Sparklite vs Howl

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

Howl

Engage in turn-based tactical combat within a dark fairy-tale world threatened by a mysterious plague. Play as a deaf heroine who can foresee enemy moves, utilizing unique arrows and skills to defeat beasts. Explore beautifully illustrated environments and uncover secrets.

Highlights
  • Turn-based tactical combat
  • Foretell enemy moves
  • Variety of arrow types
  • Unlockable skills and upgrades
  • Living ink art style
  • Multiple chapters and levels
  • Save villagers
Features
Read full description

This game is free to download and play for a limited number of levels and time. Do you like the game? Then you can easily unlock the full version through the in App purchase! Howl is a turn-based puzzle/tactical folktale set in the Middle Ages, where a mysterious "howling plague" ravages the land. Any who hear the beasts’ howls turn into feral, hungering beasts themselves – further spreading the curse through their own howls. The Heroine of this tale was born deaf, giving her a unique protection against this curse. Play as a daring combat Prophet with the ability to foretell your enemies’ moves. Plan up to six steps ahead to outmaneuver your enemies. Fire a variety of arrows, such as exploding, lightning, or piercing shots, and use skills like Smoke Bombs and Shadow Step’s Invisibility to kill any beasts who stand in your way. Each type of beast offers its own challenges, with some approaching fast, while others taking more powerful hits or attacking from afar. Howl's visuals are created through "living ink", a flowing art style that paints the story as you play. Carve your way through a dark, fairy-tale world made up of obscure yet magical places where you fight to rid the lands of the howling plague. Howl features a total of 5 chapters, including the free Heart of Rot update, each with a distinct visual atmosphere scored by soothing music. Access to this update is FREE for anyone who has bought the Howl base game. You can access this update chapter from the Chapter 3 map at any point after reaching Chapter 3 of the main story. This update features its own chapter map, new enemies, a new boss level, new environment mechanics, the new Lightning Shot skill (which, once unlocked, can be used in the main game!), and an NPC who fights by your side in later levels. Features • Foretell the actions of your enemies in turn-based puzzle/tactics combat. • Play through 60 levels across 4 chapters, plus 18 new levels in the free update chapter! • Beautifully illustrated in a unique, living ink art style. • Outsmart the different wolf species, from fast predators to enormous pack leaders. • Unlock and upgrade new skills like Shadow Step, Exploding Shot, and more. • Save villagers from the claws – and howls – of the wolves. • Plot your route on the world map to uncover new skills and secret paths.

Screenshots

Sparklite4 screens
Howl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sparklite at 4.7 against Howl's 4.2. Sparklite also leads on ratings volume (588 vs 63). Howl's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Sparklite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Howl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sparklite holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sparklite has 588 ratings behind it against 63, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Sparklite's written reviews are positive against 78% of Howl's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sparklite ships an update every 2 months, Howl every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Sparklite versus Howl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSparkliteHowl
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (588 ratings) — better4.2 (63 ratings)
Positive reviews79.6% of reviews — better78.1% of reviews
Number of ratings588 — better63
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.112.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB477 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperPlaydigiousastragon Entertainment GmbH

Customer experience

Sparklite

All ratings588 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews221 reviews
Positive79.6%
Neutral6.8%
Negative13.6%

Howl

All ratings63 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative17.5%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative17.2%

User reviews

Sparklite

From 588 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Howl

From 63 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful art style and visual design
  • 🎵 Excellent music and sound design
  • 🧩 Engaging turn-based strategy gameplay
  • 🎯 Creative puzzle mechanics with multiple solutions
  • 📖 Compelling story and atmosphere

Room to improve

  • 🐛 UI elements covering action cards on left screen edge
  • 📱 Text too small on mobile devices
  • 🌍 Limited language localization options
  • ⏱️ Game length feels short for the price
  • 💾 Save progress issues and data loss

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

Howl

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Arrow card hidden by sidebar UI on left screen edge
  • Text bubbles blocking enemy action information
  • Save data not persisting after app closure
  • UI elements too small to read on iPhone
  • Tooltip descriptions not displaying correctly
Show 3 more
  • Hover mechanics don't work on iPad
  • Specific level completion issues (Tower chapter)
  • Yellow completion symbol blends with map background

Requested features

10 requests
  • Movable text bubbles to prevent obstruction
  • Character gender/pronoun customization
  • More levels and expanded content
  • Language localization (Vietnamese, German, etc.)
  • UI scaling for smaller phones
Show 5 more
  • Ability to select language for voice acting
  • More detailed story development
  • 3D graphics enhancement
  • Clearer level count visibility upfront
  • Improved tooltip system for mobile

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sparklite

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$6.99
1 purchases

Howl

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Full Version$3.99

Questions

Is Sparklite free?
Sparklite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Howl free?
Howl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sparklite or Howl?
Sparklite is rated higher. Sparklite averages 4.7 out of 5 from 588 ratings, while Howl averages 4.2 from 63 ratings.
Do Sparklite or Howl have ads?
Neither Sparklite nor Howl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sparklite or Howl?
Sparklite ships an update every 2 months, and Howl every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sparklite was updated on September 22, 2026 and Howl on September 23, 2026.

Other comparisons