# Sparklite vs Howl

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sparklite | Howl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (588 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparklite/id1553922886/reviews)** | [4.2 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howl/id6472719961/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **588** | 63 |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 78.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 477 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [astragon Entertainment GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/433152241) |

## 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


### Howl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howl/id6472719961)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Full Version | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*