Comparison

Idle Space Force vs Up in a Cup

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Idle Space Force

Command a retro spaceship in this incremental clicker game. Blast enemies, upgrade your ship, and explore planets to earn passive income. Enjoy classic shoot 'em up action with idle RPG mechanics.

Highlights
  • Incremental idle gameplay
  • Retro space shoot 'em up battles
  • Ship upgrades and prestige system
  • Offline income generation
  • Explore multiple unique worlds
  • Pixelated retro graphics
Features
Read full description

Take command of your ship in Idle Space Force! Blast your way through this retro incremental space shoot ‘em up, upgrade your ship, and travel to scenic and dangerous planets, collecting a passive income for your fleet! Idle Space Force is a retro idle tapper with the perfect blend of idle and RPG mechanics inspired by the classics like Space Invaders and Asteroids. Collect your ISF credits while offline and blast through seven unique worlds with classic shmup gameplay. Prestige your way through Deep Space upgrades and travel to never before seen worlds! Idle Gameplay Generate income as you cruise AFK or battle hordes of enemies through space! Your ship’s progress continues while offline, letting you pick up the action wherever you are in the universe. Action-Packed Battles Engage in intense pixelated retro space battles as you face relentless enemies from across the galaxy. With classic mechanics of the staple shoot ‘em up / shmup genre, you’ll be filling the screen with bombs and bees in a flash – battling enemy ships, enemy hornets, and enemy bosses. Gameplay inspired by 8 bit classics like Space Invaders and Asteroids. Upgrade Your Ship Kit out your ship with powerful upgrades and frontier technologies to unleash devastating firepower. Collect income like an idle game while offline, then add missiles, magnetism, and more to your vessel. Looking for even more firepower? Prestige your way to the ultimate unlocks and blast away the competition! Explore the Cosmos Vast worlds await you in the expanses of space. Uncover hidden treasures, acquire new upgrades and confront challenging bosses. From the outskirts of deep space to the remnants of the Terran homeworld, there are many unique challenges along the way. Addictive Experience With simple yet engaging gameplay mechanics, Idle Space Force offers endless entertainment for both casual players and hardcore enthusiasts alike. The mix of idle game mechanics and shoot 'em up action ensures that even when you’re not working – you’re always on the clock! Ready to conquer the cosmos? Download Idle Space Force now and embark on an epic retro idle shmup journey!

About

Up in a Cup

Launch a disk through challenging obstacles to reach a cup and score points. Navigate through 100 unique levels, each with five distinct phases that increase in difficulty. Enjoy pure, uninterrupted arcade gameplay.

Highlights
  • Arcade-style gameplay
  • Launch disk through obstacles
  • Score points by reaching cups
  • 100 challenging levels
  • Five distinct level phases
  • Increasing difficulty
Features
Read full description

Develop your skill in this arcade-style game by launching a disk through a field of obstacles upward and into a cup to gain points. Every level is filled with challenges. There are 100 levels of fun and frustration, each with 5 different phases: the unadorned “prime” level, followed by clouds, wind, hail, and the curiously named "Cupside Down". Once all levels have been completed, the cycle begins again, but with a twist. No ads or in-app purchases. Just fun!

Screenshots

Idle Space Force4 screens
Up in a Cup4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Idle Space Force at Free against Up in a Cup's $0.99. Idle Space Force also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (552 vs 4). Up in a Cup's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). On device support 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

Idle Space Force is free to download; Up in a Cup costs $0.99 up front. Idle Space Force sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Up in a Cup asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Up in a Cup holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Space Force has 552 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Idle Space Force's written reviews are positive against 100% of Up in a Cup's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Space Force ships an update every 3 weeks, Up in a Cup every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Idle Space Force versus Up in a Cup: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle Space ForceUp in a Cup
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.7 (552 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings552 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 9 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1816.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size137 MB55 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperFuse GamesClay Pot Apps

Customer experience

Idle Space Force

All ratings551 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive71.3%
Neutral11.3%
Negative17.5%

Up in a Cup

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Idle Space Force

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to advance to next planet
  • Offline rewards not working properly
  • Forced flashing screen from power-up

Requested features

7 requests
  • Loot falling towards the ship
  • Seasonal item multipliers working on all items
  • Visibility of loot from invisible enemies
  • Hint system for clues
  • Faster bullet speed
Show 2 more
  • Earlier auto-fire/generation upgrades
  • More levels/content

Up in a Cup

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Idle Space Force

One-time8
  • Star Coin Currency x100$1.99
  • Star Coin Currency x300$3.99
  • Remove Ads$6.99
Show 5 more
  • Prestige Pack$7.99
  • Starter Pack$9.99
  • Star Coin Currency x1000$10.99
  • Star Coin Currency x2500$19.99
  • Star Coin Currency x7500$49.99
None

Up in a Cup

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Idle Space Force free?
Idle Space Force is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Up in a Cup free?
Up in a Cup costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Idle Space Force or Up in a Cup?
Up in a Cup is rated higher. Idle Space Force averages 4.7 out of 5 from 552 ratings, while Up in a Cup averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Idle Space Force or Up in a Cup have ads?
Idle Space Force shows ads; Up in a Cup does not.
Which is updated more often, Idle Space Force or Up in a Cup?
Idle Space Force ships an update every 3 weeks, and Up in a Cup every 9 months. Most recently, Idle Space Force was updated on November 3, 2026 and Up in a Cup on November 4, 2026.

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