Galaxy Genome vs Magic Research 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Galaxy Genome
Embark on an open-world sci-fi adventure as a space pilot. Explore a vast, scientifically accurate Milky Way, customize your ship, and choose your path as a trader, pirate, or explorer. Engage in combat, smuggling, and mining while following a compelling story or undertaking side missions.
- Open-world sci-fi space simulator
- Ship customization and upgrades
- Explore a 1:1 scale Milky Way galaxy
- Free-form play with multiple roles
- Vibrant story and side quests
- Surface vehicles for planet exploration
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Galaxy Genome is an open world sci-fi space simulator. You'll be able to upgrade your ship and customize every component as you hunt, explore, fight, mine, smuggle, trade and survive in the cutthroat galaxy. Follow the main story or do side missions. This game gives you the ability to feel real space exploration. The entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions. At the beginning of the game you are a pilot of a small ship. Financial struggle forces you to start transporting contraband. Certainly, it will lead to you being in trouble with the law someday. But at some point in your life you are forced to make a deal with the authorities of the system. And that is when your dangerous space adventure begins. Game Features: - Free-form play allows everyone to choose their own path, becoming an angry pirate, a peaceful trader, an explorer, a bounty hunter, or a mix between these roles. - More than 30 different and customizable ships. - The game has a vibrant story and side quests. - Surface vehicles to explore planets. - No classes or skill levels, strength is decided by ship equipment and player skill. - The vast 1:1 scale Milky Way galaxy is based on real scientific principles. Around 2 billion star systems.
Magic Research 2
Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.
- Over 120 distinct spells
- Transmute over 250 items
- Control a team of wizards
- Semi-automated combat system
- Explore dozens of areas
- Discover secrets and storylines
- Retirement bonuses for faster progress
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Experience the long-awaited sequel to Magic Research! In Magic Research 2, you are a rookie wizard with a single ambition: to find or create the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary magical item that is said to be able to cure any illness. As you do so, you will learn more than you ever imagined about Magic and about the world around you. What kinds of adventures await you? * Use your arsenal of more than 120 distinct spells to make progress * Study the Elements! Learn new ways to use Magic in your path to mastery * Transmute (magically craft) over 250 different items to help you on your journey * Control a team of Wizards that will cast Spells for you * Enjoy a deep, semi-automated combat system as you make your way through dozens of areas to explore * Discover tons of secrets - many of which will change the way you play the game! * Encounter over a hundred distinct Storylines with powerful bonuses along your journey * Restart the game and make progress faster each time with retirement bonuses * Over 60 hours of addictive gameplay - with a clear ending! (Or perhaps more than one...?) * Optimized both for phones and tablet devices You do not need to have played Magic Research in order to enjoy Magic Research 2!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Galaxy Genome at free against Magic Research 2's paid. Magic Research 2's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Galaxy Genome costs $3.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Magic Research 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 116 and 119 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Galaxy Genome's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.
Galaxy Genome ships an update every 5 weeks, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Galaxy Genome | Magic Research 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $4.69 |
| Rating | 4.3 (116 ratings) | 4.7 (119 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 82.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 116 | 119 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #200 | #25 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Anton Skvortsov | Matias Ezequiel Colotto |
Customer experience
Galaxy Genome
Magic Research 2
User reviews
Galaxy Genome
From 116 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Massive explorable galaxy with procedurally generated systems
- 💎 No pay-to-play mechanics or paywalls
- 🎮 Deep gameplay with trading, combat, mining, and exploration
- 📱 Excellent value for mobile space sim
- 🎯 Active developer with regular updates and community engagement
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes, especially when accessing mission menu
- 📚 Steep learning curve with minimal tutorial guidance
- 🐢 Tedious travel time through large spaces
- 🎮 Unintuitive flight controls and ship deceleration
- 🗺️ Confusing route mapping and pathfinding issues
Magic Research 2
From 119 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fantastic sequel, better than the first
- 👍 Incredible sense of progression
- 💡 Fun build types, best in genre
- 👍 Incremental masterclass, gold standard
- 👍 True semi-idle masterpiece
Room to improve
- 🐛 Extremely complicated, tedious timers
- 🐛 UI is absolutely atrocious
- 🐛 Time pieces cap out at 100k
- 🐛 UI issues, not easy to navigate
- 🐛 Sorting doesn't sort exactly as wanted
Bugs and requests
Galaxy Genome
Reported bugs
16 issues- Game crashes when accessing mission menu
- Game crashes when attempting warp jump with space station
- Chinese characters display as blocks
- Autopilot overshoots destinations
- Module list cannot be scrolled when modules are disabled
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- Mission rewards not calculating correctly with large fleets
- Debris accumulation causes crashes if staying in system too long
- Save files showing 0:00:00 playtime after crashes
- Loading screen freezes on M1 iPad Pro
- Virtual joystick not appearing in tutorial
- Game crashes on older devices (iPhone 6, iPhone 10)
- Landscape mode system menus remain in portrait orientation
- Reputation system bugs preventing mission acceptance
- Tutorial missions freezing and preventing progression
- Pathfinding algorithm fails on optimal routes
- Search function case-sensitive and returns only one result
Requested features
20 requests- Controller support (Xbox, Backbone)
- Multiplayer or co-op gameplay
- Ability to build and control space stations
- Fleet management improvements
- Save editing or money cheats for progression
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- Galaxy map resource search filter
- System naming and bookmarking features
- More engineers for ship upgrades
- Mod support on iOS
- Better tutorial with highlighted interactive elements
- Wiki or comprehensive in-game documentation
- Portrait mode option
- Reverse landscape mode
- Quick-link from missions to galaxy map
- Total light-years traveled tracker
- More ship variety, especially for factions
- Ability to disable ships and board them
- Station conquest mechanics
- Rank/reputation system with titles
- Faster travel or acceleration options
Magic Research 2
Reported bugs
6 issues- App instantly crashes on open
- Game crashes on startup
- App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
- Overheating phone
- Lags and gets choppy in the late game
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- Compendium doesn't unlock for bosses unless already beat
Requested features
9 requests- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one
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- More Please
- Auto fight boss button
- Compendium unlocks bosses before beating them
- Less dialogue and descriptions, more functional text
In-app purchases
Galaxy Genome
No in-app purchases
Magic Research 2
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Galaxy Genome free?
Is Magic Research 2 free?
Which has better reviews, Galaxy Genome or Magic Research 2?
Do Galaxy Genome or Magic Research 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Galaxy Genome or Magic Research 2?
Which is more popular, Galaxy Genome or Magic Research 2?
Other comparisons
