Comparison

Punch Kick Duck vs Populus Run

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

Head to head
About

Punch Kick Duck

Engage in fluid fighting action with simple controls and challenging gameplay. Master the timing of punches, kicks, and ducks to defeat enemies and climb a tower to confront a cruel baron. This score-chaser game offers multiple difficulty levels and a cast of characters.

Highlights
  • Fluid fighting action
  • Simple responsive touch controls
  • Three selectable difficulty levels
  • Unbox a colorful cast of characters
  • Playable in landscape and portrait
  • Cloud saves
  • Controller support
Features
Read full description

Fighting is all about timing. Just ask any duck. The right move + right time = swift victory. All you need to do is PUNCH KICK DUCK! The cruel Baron Tigrisso has imprisoned you in his tower. Fight hordes of the Baron’s hench-critters as you battle up the tower to confront your captor. Simple controls & challenging action mean you'll soon be sending foes flying and chasing high scores. But be warned, your enemies are as determined as they are numerous, so you'll need to think quick and act quicker!! Just remember these three golden rules, passed down by countless generations of ducks: PUNCH beats KICK KICK beats DUCK DUCK beats PUNCH Oh, and don’t forget to RUN. You don’t want to meet The BEAR. Think you can handle it? Sure you can. You’re one tough duck! - Three selectable difficulty levels. - Unbox a colorful cast of characters. - Playable in both landscape and portrait orientation. - Cloud saves. - Simple responsive touch controls. - Controller support. From the creator of Shoot The Moon, Punch Kick Duck is a compact, lovingly made score-chaser game designed to test your skills without emptying your wallet.

About

Populus Run

Control a crowd of people in this unique running game. Dodge obstacles, battle quirky bosses, and discover hidden characters. Enjoy the full experience with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Control a crowd of people
  • Dodge giant fast food
  • Slide down pipes
  • Battle rapper bosses
  • Hardcore mode
  • Collect secret characters
  • Original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Play the opening levels for free with no ads. Unlock the full game forever with a single in-app purchase. Populus Run is the unconventional running game where you control a crowd of people. • Dodge giant fast food • Slide down pipes like at a waterpark • Battle rapper bosses, including Macaron, Donut, and Burger • Test yourself in Hardcore mode • Collect all the secret characters who are hidden in the levels • Show your respect for the upbeat original soundtrack with its choral singing Populus Run was originally released exclusively on Apple Arcade. Now it's available on the App Store. If you've played the game before, your progress and achievements will be carried over.

Screenshots

Punch Kick Duck4 screens
Populus Run4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Populus Run at none against Punch Kick Duck's shown. Populus Run also leads on device support (5 vs 3). Punch Kick Duck's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Punch Kick Duck sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Populus Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Punch Kick Duck against 4.7 for Populus Run. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Punch Kick Duck's written reviews are positive against 70% of Populus Run's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Punch Kick Duck ships an update every 3 weeks, Populus Run every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Punch Kick Duck versus Populus Run: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPunch Kick DuckPopulus Run
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2K ratings)4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews — better69.6% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better1.5K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB523 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperShaun ColemanFIFTYTWO

Customer experience

Punch Kick Duck

All ratings1,620 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews227 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral6.2%
Negative13.7%

Populus Run

All ratings1,512 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral4.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews345 reviews
Positive69.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative21.4%

User reviews

Punch Kick Duck

From 2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Charming graphics
  • 🎨 Unique characters
  • 🕹️ Satisfying combat mechanics
  • 💯 Highly polished and well-made

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Buttons/controls can be hard to see
  • 🐝 Enemies like bees and foxes are frustrating
  • 🕰️ Levels get very difficult quickly
  • 🤯 Overwhelming number of enemies at times
  • 🤕 High difficulty even on easy mode

Populus Run

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Amazing game
  • 👍 Great developers
  • 👍 Fantastic music
  • 👍 Relaxing and fun
  • 👍 Colorful and visually appealing

Room to improve

  • 💰 Paywall after first few levels
  • 🐛 Occasional performance issues
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems on some devices

Bugs and requests

Punch Kick Duck

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Inconsistent enemy behavior and hitboxes

Requested features

5 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Endless mode or challenge mode
  • Ability to adjust difficulty more granularly
  • Controller support
  • Improved visibility of buttons/controls

Populus Run

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing on login screen
  • Graphical glitches on certain devices
  • Saved data not restoring properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Make the full game free to play
  • Add more levels and worlds
  • Improve level selection UI
  • Allow customization of controls

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Punch Kick Duck

One-time3
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • Big Bizzo$1.99
  • Lil Bargo$1.99
1 purchases

Populus Run

One-time1
  • Full Game$3.99

Questions

Is Punch Kick Duck free?
Punch Kick Duck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Populus Run free?
Populus Run is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Punch Kick Duck or Populus Run?
Populus Run is rated higher. Punch Kick Duck averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Populus Run averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Punch Kick Duck or Populus Run have ads?
Punch Kick Duck shows ads; Populus Run does not.
Which is updated more often, Punch Kick Duck or Populus Run?
Punch Kick Duck ships an update every 3 weeks, and Populus Run every 4 weeks. Most recently, Punch Kick Duck was updated on October 27, 2026 and Populus Run on October 30, 2026.

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