# Building Arcadia vs Idle Anomaly

The clearest difference is rating: Idle Anomaly at 4.7 against Building Arcadia's 4.2. Idle Anomaly also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 23%) and ratings volume (364 vs 53). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Building Arcadia sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Anomaly sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Idle Anomaly holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Anomaly has 364 ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Building Arcadia's written reviews are positive against 38% of Idle Anomaly's.

Building Arcadia ships an update every 2 months, Idle Anomaly every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Building Arcadia | Idle Anomaly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/building-arcadia/id1592808957/reviews) | **[4.7 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-anomaly-alien-control/id1630927796/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 53 | **364** |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | **37.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 309 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Papanix Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1567072174) | [Hot Siberians](https://appshunter.io/developer/1582606391) |

## What reviewers say

### Building Arcadia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/building-arcadia/id1592808957)

Build a sci-fi utopia on a new planet as the first Grand Architect. Manage resources, expand your city with futuristic buildings, and uncover ancient secrets and threats in this story-driven idle builder.

**Highlights:** Story-driven gameplay with comedy, Active design with meaningful tasks, Manage 40+ procedurally generated locations, Expand with 25+ futuristic buildings, Battle ancient evils and discover anomalies, Idle and incremental gameplay, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smallest Karma pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Karma pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Karma Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Karma pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Largest Karma pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Karma Chest | $48.99 | one-time |


### Idle Anomaly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-anomaly-alien-control/id1630927796)

Build a research station to uncover the secrets of a mysterious alien Obelisk. Manage employees, defend your base from alien invaders, and upgrade heroes. Progress continues even when you're offline.

**Highlights:** Build and upgrade research station, Manage employees and monitor health, Defend base from alien attacks, Upgrade space heroes, Study UFOs and collect resources, Offline progress and idle earnings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Helicopter. | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Researcher | $4.99 | one-time |
| Johnny Goldhand | $4.99 | one-time |
| Beginner's Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Starter pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Researcher | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dr. Massachusetts | $10.99 | one-time |
| No ads | $13.99 | one-time |
| Professional's Pack | $13.99 | one-time |
| Neat Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Gems | $24.99 | one-time |
| All Inclusive Pack | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game overall
- 🎨 Great design scheme
- ✨ Items change looks
- 🧘 Calming gameplay
- 💡 Interesting and fun gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 New update makes it dip
- 💸 Hero upgrades too expensive
- 🐛 Ads still present after purchase
- 💸 In-game purchases not received
- ⏳ Purchases don't take effect

**Reported bugs**

- Reset all data
- No ads upgrade not working
- Beginner pack not received
- In-app purchases not credited
- Game keeps locking up

**Requested features**

- Fix game issues or refund
- Add more content to the game
- Improve developer communication for future plans


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Building Arcadia free?

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

### Is Idle Anomaly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Building Arcadia or Idle Anomaly?

Idle Anomaly is rated higher. Building Arcadia averages 4.2 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Idle Anomaly averages 4.7 from 364 ratings.

### Do Building Arcadia or Idle Anomaly have ads?

Both Building Arcadia and Idle Anomaly show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Building Arcadia or Idle Anomaly?

Building Arcadia ships an update every 2 months, and Idle Anomaly every 5 weeks. Most recently, Building Arcadia was updated on October 24, 2026 and Idle Anomaly on October 24, 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.*