# Piccolo vs Rustling Paws

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rustling Paws at none against Piccolo's 2. Rustling Paws also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Piccolo's advantage is ratings volume (658 vs 8) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Piccolo sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Rustling Paws asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Piccolo against 4.8 for Rustling Paws. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piccolo has 658 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Piccolo ships an update every 4 days, Rustling Paws fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piccolo | Rustling Paws |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (658 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piccolo-othello/id1561230039/reviews) | **[4.8 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustling-paws/id6753298854/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **658** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 61 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Symbolic Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/613116232) | [Martin Cabana](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843369073) |

## What reviewers say

### Piccolo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piccolo-othello/id1561230039)

Experience the classic strategy board game with a powerful AI and a polished interface. Customize your game with beautiful themes, play online with friends or strangers, and enjoy a seamless experience across devices. Includes fun iMessage stickers.

**Highlights:** Strong, customizable AI engine, Polished native user interface, Variety of beautiful themes, Local and online multiplayer, Automatic game saves and move undo, iMessage stickers

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Theme Pack: Around the World | $2.99 | one-time |
| Theme Pack: Great Painters | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Beautiful and simple UI
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Challenging AI opponents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Difficulty balancing issues (too easy or too hard)
- 🤔 Lack of online multiplayer
- 🤔 No option to undo moves
- 🤔 Unclear win/loss indication at the end of games

**Reported bugs**

- AI getting extra moves in certain situations
- Settings button not functioning properly
- Game freezing or crashing on some devices
- Inconsistent piece size on different screen sizes

**Requested features**

- Add online multiplayer mode
- Implement an undo move feature
- Add a tutorial or tips section for new players
- Introduce a 'watch AI vs AI' mode
- Allow customization of game board and piece themes


### Rustling Paws

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustling-paws/id6753298854)

Explore a serene, autumnal forest world filled with gentle inhabitants. Engage in thoughtful interactions, observe seasonal changes, and enjoy a calming, reflective experience.

**Highlights:** Serene autumnal forest environment, Interactive gentle inhabitants, Seasonal world changes, Reflective gameplay, Calming atmosphere, Exploration and observation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piccolo free?

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

### Is Rustling Paws free?

Rustling Paws is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Piccolo or Rustling Paws?

Rustling Paws is rated higher. Piccolo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 658 ratings, while Rustling Paws averages 4.8 from 8 ratings.

### Do Piccolo or Rustling Paws have ads?

Neither Piccolo nor Rustling Paws shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piccolo or Rustling Paws?

Piccolo ships an update every 4 days, and Rustling Paws fortnightly. Most recently, Piccolo was updated on October 22, 2026 and Rustling Paws on October 24, 2026.

---

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