# Slay vs Starbase Orion

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Starbase Orion at none against Slay's 13. Slay's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $7.99) and chart position (#145 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Slay costs $4.99 and Starbase Orion $7.99 up front. Slay sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Starbase Orion asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Slay against 4.7 for Starbase Orion. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 266 and 329 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Slay's written reviews are positive against 81% of Starbase Orion's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slay | Starbase Orion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (266 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slay/id305324342/reviews) | **[4.7 (329 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbase-orion/id438375580/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 266 | **329** |
| Positive reviews | 74.5% of reviews | **81.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#145** | — |
| Size | 26 MB | 239 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **11.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Sean O'Connor](https://appshunter.io/developer/305324345) | [Chimera Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/347752625) |

## What reviewers say

### Slay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slay/id305324342)

**Currently charting:** #145 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Engage in a turn-based strategy game set in medieval times. Conquer enemy territories, expand your own, and strategically upgrade your units from peasants to powerful barons. Balance resource management to avoid bankruptcy and achieve victory.

**Highlights:** Territory capture and expansion, Unit upgrades (Peasants to Barons), Strategic combat and castle sieges, Resource management and bankruptcy risk, Turn-based multiplayer, AI opponents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Snowflakes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Countries 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Countries 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patterns 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patterns 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patterns 3 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patterns 4 | $0.99 | one-time |
| US States | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mythical Creatures | $0.99 | one-time |
| Whole row of 18 pages | $9.99 | one-time |
| Whole 3rd row | $9.99 | one-time |
| Whole 4th row | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Classic and timeless game
- 🕹️ Simple yet engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Challenging and strategic
- ⏱️ Great for quick play sessions
- 🔁 High replayability with many maps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Dislike for recent graphical updates
- 🔍 Difficulty distinguishing territories
- 🔊 Annoying sound effects
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Multiplayer not working
- Progress not saving in custom levels
- Graphical issues on newer devices

**Requested features**

- Option to revert to classic graphics
- Ability to choose starting color
- Larger/randomized map sizes
- Online/multiplayer mode
- Level editor or custom map creation


### Starbase Orion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbase-orion/id438375580)

Engage in a deep 4X space strategy experience. Explore, expand, and conquer the galaxy by colonizing worlds, designing ships, and outmaneuvering opponents in turn-based combat. Features a robust AI and multiplayer options for galactic domination.

**Highlights:** Explore new worlds, Expand your empire, Exterminate rivals, Design custom ships, Engage in turn-based combat, Diplomacy and espionage, Multiplayer via GameCenter

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent 4x strategy game
- 👍 Faithful recreation of Master of Orion
- 🚀 Continuously updated with new features
- 👍 Vibrant player community
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay and intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Limited diplomacy and foreign relations
- 🔍 Automated combat lacks depth
- 🔍 Repetitive late-game experience
- 🔍 Outdated visuals

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and save file corruption
- UI issues with overlapping text and unresponsive controls
- Multiplayer matchmaking and connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- More ship classes and customization options
- Expanded tech tree and research system
- Deeper diplomacy and espionage mechanics
- Manual control of ship combat
- Improved end-game content and victory conditions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slay free?

Slay costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Starbase Orion free?

Starbase Orion costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Slay or Starbase Orion?

Starbase Orion is rated higher. Slay averages 4.6 out of 5 from 266 ratings, while Starbase Orion averages 4.7 from 329 ratings.

### Do Slay or Starbase Orion have ads?

Neither Slay nor Starbase Orion shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Slay or Starbase Orion?

Slay ships an update every 3 months, and Starbase Orion every 3 months. Most recently, Slay was updated on October 16, 2026 and Starbase Orion on October 16, 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.*