Comparison

Return to Monkey Island vs Runic Tower

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

Head to head
About

Return to Monkey Island

Embark on a thrilling pirate adventure, continuing the legendary story of Guybrush Threepwood. Solve clever puzzles, explore new and familiar islands, and engage in witty dialogue as you seek the fabled Secret of Monkey Island. Experience classic point-and-click gameplay with modern twists.

Highlights
  • Classic point-and-click gameplay
  • Engaging narrative and character interactions
  • Puzzle solving and exploration
  • Modernized adventure game controls
  • New and familiar island exploration
  • Context-sensitive interactions and reactive dialogue
Features
Read full description

Return to Monkey Island is an unexpected, thrilling return of series creator Ron Gilbert that continues the story of the legendary adventure games The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. It’s been many years since Guybrush Threepwood was last locked in a battle of wits with his nemesis, the zombie pirate LeChuck. His true love, Elaine Marley, has turned her focus away from governing and Guybrush himself is adrift and unfulfilled, having never found the Secret of Monkey Island. Hip, young pirate leaders led by Captain Madison have shuffled the old guard from power, Melee Island has taken a turn for the worse, and famed businessman Stan has been imprisoned for ‘marketing-related crimes’. Banter with old friends and new faces on familiar islands now under dangerous new leadership. Then, take to the high seas and explore the new and unknown as you work your way out of tough predicaments. Clever puzzles, bizarre situations, and devastating ripostes are all that stand between Guybrush and glory. Return to Point & Click Swashbuckling Bringing classic point and click gameplay to the modern-day, intrepid pirates will solve puzzles and explore the islands with a clever evolution of classic adventure game controls. Context-sensitive interactions, reactive dialog trees, and an easy-to-use inventory system make pirating a breeze. Embark on Archipelago Adventures Navigate the sometimes-friendly confines of Melee Island, a familiar place that finds itself under new management by leaders who have put the squeeze on old friends and new faces. Venture out into uncharted lands like the aptly named Terror Island and the chilling outposts of Brrr Muda to make allies and enemies alike. Created by a Legendary Crew The new chapter in the Monkey Island series marks the return of the iconic series’ creator Ron Gilbert, joined by game co-writer Dave Grossman, art director Rex Crowle (Knights & Bikes, Tearaway) and composers Peter McConnell, Michael Land, and Clint Bajakian (Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge).

About

Runic Tower

Features
Read full description

Welcome to Runic Tower – The Ultimate Neon Stacking Puzzle. Test your reflexes and master your strategy in this mesmerizing neon-themed puzzle adventure! Your mission is simple yet challenging: stack blocks of the same color, build your tower to the sky, and overcome obstacles to set new high scores. Why you’ll love Runic Tower: Addictive Gameplay: Easy to learn, difficult to master. Perfect for quick sessions! Mesmerizing Visuals: Experience vibrant, neon-lit graphics that pop on your screen. Endless Fun: Challenge yourself to build higher than ever before and beat your own records. Casual & Fun: Simple one-tap controls designed for everyone. How high can you climb? Download Runic Tower today and start your journey to the top!

Screenshots

Return to Monkey Island4 screens
Runic Tower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Runic Tower at none against Return to Monkey Island's 1. Runic Tower also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 months). Return to Monkey Island's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Return to Monkey Island sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Runic Tower asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Return to Monkey Island ships an update every 5 months, Runic Tower every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Return to Monkey Island versus Runic Tower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReturn to Monkey IslandRunic Tower
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (171 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings171 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3.4 GB8 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDevolver Digital, Inc.Faruk Davulcu

Bugs and requests

Return to Monkey Island

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game prompting to repurchase after previous purchase
  • Difficulty with touch controls in certain situations

Requested features

3 requests
  • Restore purchase option for previous owners
  • Bring back the original Monkey Island games on iOS
  • Add support for more languages

Runic Tower

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Return to Monkey Island

One-time1
  • Buy the full game!$9.99
None

Runic Tower

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Return to Monkey Island free?
Return to Monkey Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Runic Tower free?
Runic Tower is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Return to Monkey Island or Runic Tower have ads?
Runic Tower shows ads; Return to Monkey Island does not.
Which is updated more often, Return to Monkey Island or Runic Tower?
Return to Monkey Island ships an update every 5 months, and Runic Tower every 2 days. Most recently, Return to Monkey Island was updated on September 26, 2026 and Runic Tower on September 17, 2026.

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