Cube Runner vs PapiRiver
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cube Runner
Navigate a dynamic landscape, skillfully dodging an array of hazardous cubes. Experience exhilarating flight through tight gaps and canyons with highly responsive, intuitive controls. Enjoy multiple gameplay modes and customizable visual themes.
- Intuitive controls
- Obstacle avoidance
- Multiple difficulty levels
- First and third-person views
- Zen mode for endless play
- Customizable themes
- Original soundtrack
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Fly across a landscape whilst avoiding the many treacherous cubes which lie in your path. Swoop through narrow gaps and fly through canyons with the greatest of ease using intuitive controls. FEATURES: - Simple and responsive controls - Various levels of difficulty - First and third person view - Zen mode - just fly forever - Different themes including retro mode and custom - make Cube Runner look how you want it! - The classic Cube Runner music written and produced by Nick Burstein and Nate Belasco of Fancy Hat Productions. - All other music by Bjornar Kibsgaard - https://bjokib.com
PapiRiver
Navigate Mr. Papi down a winding river by tilting your device. Avoid hitting the riverbanks to prevent being pushed back. The closer you get to the bottom edge, the higher your score.
- Tilt controls
- River navigation
- Score multiplier
- Avoid obstacles
- Endless runner style
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PapiRiver is a scroll action game. Mr.Papi (red ball guy) is going down a river. Tilt your iPhone to left and right to lead him along the river! If he hits the bank of the river, he is pushed back. The game ends if he goes out of the upper edge of the screen. Note that you can get more score when he gets closer to the bottom edge of the screen.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PapiRiver at 4.8 against Cube Runner's 3.9. PapiRiver also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Cube Runner's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 56%) and ratings volume (494 vs 15). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PapiRiver holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cube Runner has 494 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Cube Runner's written reviews are positive against 56% of PapiRiver's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Cube Runner ships an update every 5 months, PapiRiver every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cube Runner | PapiRiver |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (494 ratings) | 4.8 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews — better | 55.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 494 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 71 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andy Qua | Yohei Iwasaki |
Customer experience
Cube Runner
PapiRiver
User reviews
Cube Runner
From 494 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth controls and gameplay
- 🎶 Blessed audio experience
- 👍 Simple yet fun design
- 🕹️ Nostalgic and addictive
- 🏆 Great high score challenges
Room to improve
- 🎮 Sensitive steering controls
- 🎨 Distracting new visuals
- 🔇 Lack of original music option
- 🔄 Speed resets on pause
- 🔀 Removed first-person view
PapiRiver
From 15 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Simple and easy to pick up
- 💡 Unique river-based mechanics
- 😊 Nostalgic and charming character
Room to improve
- 🐛 Sensitive controls and poor handling
- 🔨 Repetitive and lacking in depth
- 🎨 Outdated and unappealing graphics
- 🔋 Can cause eye strain after prolonged play
Bugs and requests
Cube Runner
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when downloading level packs
- Incompatible with older iOS versions
- Calibration issues on newer devices
Requested features
5 requests- Customizable control sensitivity
- Retro visual mode
- Option to toggle original soundtrack
- Vertical gameplay mode
- Level editor and sharing
PapiRiver
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Inconsistent performance and responsiveness
Requested features
4 requests- More game modes and levels
- Ability to save and track high scores
- Customization options for the character and environment
- Integration with social features and leaderboards
In-app purchases
Cube Runner
No in-app purchases
PapiRiver
No in-app purchases
