Comparison

Gears Forever vs VolcanUp

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

Head to head
About

Gears Forever

Embark on an enchanting 3D ball-rolling platformer adventure. Explore three distinct worlds filled with imaginative challenges, gather gears, and race against the clock. Enjoy intuitive controls and high-definition steampunk graphics.

Highlights
  • 3D ball-rolling platformer
  • Explore three distinct worlds
  • Gather gears and race against time
  • Intuitive swipe controls
  • High-definition steampunk graphics
Features
Read full description

The spiritual successor to the original ball rolling App Store hit is here! Explore the enchanting realm of Gears Forever, an exquisite 3D ball-rolling platformer brimming with imaginative challenges. Accumulate points with a simple swipe of your finger. Race against the clock while gathering gears across an endless realm spread across three distinct worlds! Key Features: Embark on adventures in three distinct worlds: The Brass Menagerie, Rivers of Magma, and the Cavern of Omens. Navigate an endless realm brimming with obstacles and puzzles. Intuitive controls let you roll the ball with your finger. Enjoy high-definition Steampunk style graphics that bring the game's world to life. Connect with us: Twitter: http://twitter.com/cm_games Facebook: http://facebook.com/crescentmoongames

About

VolcanUp

Race against rising lava in this challenging platformer. Tap to jump and wall jump your way through six distinct zones, collecting coins and avoiding obstacles. Master simple controls to escape the volcano before it's too late.

Highlights
  • Automatic character movement
  • Tap to jump
  • Wall jump mechanics
  • Six unique zones
  • Coin collection
  • Lava escape challenge
Read full description

Escape the rising lava of a dangerous volcano before it's too late! Your character walks automatically; you can tap the screen to jump. If you tap while against a wall, your character will also change direction by performing a wall jump. Find the best route up through the six unique zones using these simple controls while racing against the volcano’s lava. But watch out, if you get hit by a spike or fall in lava, you’ll have to restart from the bottom! The six areas: Rock Bottom - Intro Pink Passage - Bouncy Pads Blue Mine - Ice Blocks Green Factory - Fading Platforms Yellow Elevator - Two Updrafts Orange Opening - Low Lighting Each area has one coin to collect. Some are one jump away, but others are on extra paths entirely! To save each coin, you must bring it all the way back to the surface in one go!

Screenshots

Gears Forever4 screens
VolcanUp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: VolcanUp at 4.8 against Gears Forever's 4.2. VolcanUp also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 50%) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Gears Forever sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. VolcanUp asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VolcanUp holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Gears Forever's written reviews are positive against 90% of VolcanUp's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gears Forever ships an update every 9 days, VolcanUp every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Gears Forever versus VolcanUp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGears ForeverVolcanUp
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (18 ratings)4.8 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1826 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB18 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperCrescent Moon Games LLCLogan Marshall

Customer experience

Gears Forever

All ratings17 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral11.8%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative42.9%

VolcanUp

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Gears Forever

One-time6
  • 500 gears$0.99
  • 5 Extra Lives$0.99
  • 1500 Gears$1.99
Show 3 more
  • Remove ads$2.99
  • Unlock all levels$4.99
  • Unlock all balls$6.99
None

VolcanUp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Gears Forever free?
Gears Forever is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VolcanUp free?
VolcanUp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Gears Forever or VolcanUp?
VolcanUp is rated higher. Gears Forever averages 4.2 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while VolcanUp averages 4.8 from 26 ratings.
Do Gears Forever or VolcanUp have ads?
Both Gears Forever and VolcanUp show ads.
Which is updated more often, Gears Forever or VolcanUp?
Gears Forever ships an update every 9 days, and VolcanUp every 5 days. Most recently, Gears Forever was updated on October 24, 2026 and VolcanUp on October 24, 2026.

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