# Luminosus vs HackEm

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Luminosus at 71% against HackEm's 25%. Luminosus also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 21 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Luminosus costs $0.29 and HackEm $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Luminosus holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Luminosus's written reviews are positive against 25% of HackEm's.

Luminosus ships an update fortnightly, HackEm every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Luminosus | HackEm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.29** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminosus/id1663682339/reviews)** | [3.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackem/id1667095744/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 21 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 114 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Short Circuit Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681849083) | [Game Dev Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/561134317) |

## What reviewers say

### Luminosus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminosus/id1663682339)

A unique puzzle game blending Tetris-style gameplay with color-matching mechanics. Plan your moves ahead to create white blocks for higher scores. Offers classic and marathon modes, leaderboards, and achievements for endless fun.

**Highlights:** Color-matching puzzle mechanics, Strategic planning ahead, Classic and Marathon modes, Global leaderboards, Achievements, Controller support, Color blind and night modes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### HackEm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackem/id1667095744)

Engage in a unique blend of real-time strategy and tower defense as a hacker seeking revenge. Build a base to extract data and defend against security drones and autobots on randomly generated maps. Upgrade weapons and equipment with earned credits.

**Highlights:** Real-time strategy and tower defense mix, Diverse enemies with unique mechanics, Randomly generated maps, Extensive weapon and equipment upgrades, Intuitive controls, No ads or in-app purchases

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Luminosus free?

Luminosus costs $0.29, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HackEm free?

HackEm costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Luminosus or HackEm?

Luminosus is rated higher. Luminosus averages 4.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while HackEm averages 3.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Luminosus or HackEm have ads?

Neither Luminosus nor HackEm shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Luminosus or HackEm?

Luminosus ships an update fortnightly, and HackEm every 21 months. Most recently, Luminosus was updated on October 27, 2026 and HackEm on October 15, 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.*