Comparison

Cube Runner vs Whale Trail

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Intuitive controls
  • Obstacle avoidance
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • First and third-person views
  • Zen mode for endless play
  • Customizable themes
  • Original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

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

About

Whale Trail

Embark on a vibrant journey as a whale, collecting items, performing aerial maneuvers, and battling enemies. Unlock new characters, enhance abilities, and explore numerous challenge levels. Enjoy a visually stunning and engaging arcade experience.

Highlights
  • Fly as Willow the Whale
  • Collect Blubbles and earn Krill
  • Unlock playable friends
  • Upgrade Willow's skills
  • Smash enemies
  • 96 Challenge levels
  • Classic and Challenge game modes
Features
Read full description

***Previously Apple Game of the Week*** 26,000+ 5 Star Ratings! (and counting) Fly as Willow the Whale, collect Blubbles, loop the loop, unlock playable friends, upgrade Willow's skills, smash enemies and meet bonkers characters along the way. ================================= > ‘The next smash hit in iOS gaming.’ - TNW > ‘The game is GORGEOUSLY cute. Try it out for a buck.’ - Gizmodo > ‘Whale Trail is an absolute joy.’ - TouchArcade > ‘The kind of winningly simple concept from which App Store phenomena are made.’ - Edge > ‘Impossible not to like, stellar production values and solid gameplay.’ - Pocket Gamer > ‘Ditch your jetpack, it’s time to ride the psychedelic Whale Trail.’ - Kotaku > ‘It’s simple and gorgeous. There’s rarely been a better gaming value for money.’ - T3 ================================= • Soundtrack by Gruff Rhys of ‘The Super Furry Animals’ • Simple and intuitive one touch gameplay • 2 game modes, Classic and Challenge • Earn Krill and use it in Willow's store • Upgrade Willow's skills • Unlock playable friends • Use 'Treats' while flying for instant bonuses! • 96 Challenge levels, can you 3 STAR them all? • Smash the Thunder Bros in 'Frenzy' mode • Launch into space at speed-boosts • Compete against friends with Game Center • Heaps of challenging missions to unlock

Screenshots

Cube Runner3 screens
Whale Trail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Whale Trail at 4.8 against Cube Runner's 3.9. Whale Trail also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (95% vs 80%). Cube Runner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. Whale Trail sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Cube Runner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Whale Trail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whale Trail has 4.3K ratings behind it against 494, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Cube Runner's written reviews are positive against 95% of Whale Trail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cube Runner ships an update every 5 months, Whale Trail every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Cube Runner versus Whale Trail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCube RunnerWhale Trail
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (494 ratings)4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4944.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndy Quaustwo games

Customer experience

Cube Runner

All ratings494 ratings
Positive71.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative22.5%
Written reviews675 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral7.3%
Negative12.4%

Whale Trail

All ratings4,251 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews504 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

User reviews

Cube Runner

From 494 App Store ratings

What 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

Whale Trail

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🐳 Cute and fun game
  • 🎶 Wonderful soundtrack
  • 👍 Simple and addictive gameplay
  • 🌈 Vibrant and colorful visuals
  • 🕰️ Nostalgic for long-time players

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🤖 Outdated for newer devices
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🤯 Challenging and frustrating at times

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

Whale Trail

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Krill not properly credited after completing levels
  • Game freezing on certain device models
  • Whale controls not responsive on larger screens

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • More customization options for whales
  • Wider screen support for newer devices
  • Additional levels and worlds to explore

In-app purchases

None

Cube Runner

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Whale Trail

One-time7
  • Unlock Pack 1$1.99
  • Unlock Pack 2$1.99
  • Pocket Money$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Unlock Pack 3$1.99
  • Bucket Full$2.99
  • Serious Clams$6.99
  • Swimming In It$19.99

Questions

Is Cube Runner free?
Cube Runner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Whale Trail free?
Whale Trail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cube Runner or Whale Trail?
Whale Trail is rated higher. Cube Runner averages 3.9 out of 5 from 494 ratings, while Whale Trail averages 4.8 from 4.3K ratings.
Do Cube Runner or Whale Trail have ads?
Whale Trail shows ads; Cube Runner does not.
Which is updated more often, Cube Runner or Whale Trail?
Cube Runner ships an update every 5 months, and Whale Trail every 2 months. Most recently, Cube Runner was updated on October 8, 2026 and Whale Trail on October 14, 2026.

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