Snowball vs Swimming Upstream
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Snowball
Guide a penguin on a journey to collect snowflakes and build a giant snowball. Navigate treacherous crumbling floors with simple swipe or tilt controls. Enjoy an ad-free and purchase-free gaming experience.
- Collect snowflakes
- Build a snowball
- Crumbling floor mechanic
- Swipe controls
- Tilt controls option
- No ads
- No in-app purchases
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Snowball is easy to play, but hard to master. Play as a penguin trying to collect enough snowflakes to make his very own snowball, but watch out as the floor crumbles below! Simply swipe to move, or enable classic tilt controls via the options menu. The game contains no ads or in-app purchases. Snowball has been available exclusively for iPhone since 2008.
Swimming Upstream
Guide a turtle upstream, dodging obstacles like rocks and fish. Collect gold to unlock new characters and lily pads to restore energy. Explore diverse environments and compete on leaderboards.
- Thrilling reflex-based gameplay
- Collect gold for new characters
- Gather lily pads to restore energy
- Explore diverse biomes
- Compete on global leaderboards
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Take control of your daring little turtle and embark on an exhilarating journey upstream! Dodge treacherous rocks, swift fish, and drifting debris as you navigate through ever-changing environments. The power to go the distance is in your hands. Key Features: Thrilling Gameplay – Test your reflexes as you swim against the current in a challenging yet addictive adventure. Gold Rush – Collect gold coins to unlock new characters. Stay Strong – Snag lily pads to restore your energy and keep your journey going. Explore Stunning Biomes – Glide through serene beaches, lush oak forests, and dramatic canyons, each packed with surprises. Compete & Conquer – Climb the Game Center leaderboard and see how your skills measure up against friends or players worldwide! Do you have what it takes to conquer the current? Download Swimming Upstream now and prove you’re the ultimate upstream adventurer!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Swimming Upstream at 4.6 against Snowball's 2.9. Swimming Upstream also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (75% vs 48%). Snowball's advantage is ratings volume (185 vs 38). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Swimming Upstream holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 185 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Snowball's written reviews are positive against 75% of Swimming Upstream's.
Snowball ships an update every 9 months, Swimming Upstream every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Snowball | Swimming Upstream |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (185 ratings) | 4.6 (38 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 185 — better | 38 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 376 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul Ewers | BR Game Development LLC |
Customer experience
Snowball
Swimming Upstream
Bugs and requests
Snowball
Reported bugs
2 issues- Poker invite message appears every time
- Sound plays even on vibrate
Requested features
6 requests- Add levels
- Add mission mode
- Add unlockable characters
- Option to turn off sound
- Remove poker invite message
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- Option to revert to older version
Swimming Upstream
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Snowball
No in-app purchases
Swimming Upstream
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Snowball free?
Is Swimming Upstream free?
Which has better reviews, Snowball or Swimming Upstream?
Do Snowball or Swimming Upstream have ads?
Which is updated more often, Snowball or Swimming Upstream?
Other comparisons
