# Space Ace vs Return to Monkey Island

The clearest difference is price: Return to Monkey Island at Free against Space Ace's $4.99. Return to Monkey Island also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (171 vs 39). Space Ace's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (76% vs 59%). On update cadence, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Return to Monkey Island is free to download; Space Ace costs $4.99 up front. Return to Monkey Island sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Space Ace asks for nothing beyond the download.

Return to Monkey Island holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 171 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Space Ace's written reviews are positive against 59% of Return to Monkey Island's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Space Ace ships an update every 6 months, Return to Monkey Island every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Ace | Return to Monkey Island |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.1 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-ace/id314133588/reviews) | **[4.3 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/return-to-monkey-island/id1658628321/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 39 | **171** |
| Positive reviews | **75.8% of reviews** | 59.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 3.4 GB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dragon's Lair LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/314133591) | [Devolver Digital, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/457410262) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Ace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-ace/id314133588)

Embark on an interstellar adventure as the heroic Ace to thwart Commander Borf's plan to turn humanity into infants. Armed with a laser gun, you must rescue Kimberly, destroy the Infanto Ray, and save Earth from alien domination. Experience a legendary animated arcade game with stunning high-definition visuals.

**Highlights:** Pilot the heroic Ace, Battle Commander Borf, Rescue Kimberly, Destroy the Infanto Ray, High-definition visuals, Intuitive controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Arcade-perfect port
- 👍 Faithful to the original
- 🎨 Stunning animation and visuals
- 💾 Full game on mobile
- 🕹️ Responsive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Short gameplay duration
- 🤔 Challenging for new players
- 🔇 Sound issues/missing audio
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Difficulty settings not saved

**Reported bugs**

- Scenes not loading correctly
- Controls not registering inputs
- Game state not persisting after suspension

**Requested features**

- Watch full movie mode
- Adjustable sound/volume settings
- Improved difficulty scaling
- Compatibility updates for newer devices


### Return to Monkey Island

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/return-to-monkey-island/id1658628321)

Embark on a thrilling pirate adventure, continuing the legendary story of Guybrush Threepwood. Solve clever puzzles, explore new and familiar islands, and engage in witty dialogue as you seek the fabled Secret of Monkey Island. Experience classic point-and-click gameplay with modern twists.

**Highlights:** Classic point-and-click gameplay, Engaging narrative and character interactions, Puzzle solving and exploration, Modernized adventure game controls, New and familiar island exploration, Context-sensitive interactions and reactive dialogue

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy the full game! | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fantastic nostalgia trip
- 👍 Smooth gameplay and controls
- 🎨 Beautiful art style and visuals
- 🎶 Excellent music and voice acting
- 💡 Clever puzzles and challenges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sound issues on some devices
- 🤔 Ending may disappoint some fans
- 💰 High price point for mobile game
- 🤖 Lack of cloud save functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Game prompting to repurchase after previous purchase
- Difficulty with touch controls in certain situations

**Requested features**

- Restore purchase option for previous owners
- Bring back the original Monkey Island games on iOS
- Add support for more languages


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Ace free?

Space Ace costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Return to Monkey Island free?

Return to Monkey Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Space Ace or Return to Monkey Island?

Return to Monkey Island is rated higher. Space Ace averages 4.1 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Return to Monkey Island averages 4.3 from 171 ratings.

### Do Space Ace or Return to Monkey Island have ads?

Neither Space Ace nor Return to Monkey Island shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Space Ace or Return to Monkey Island?

Space Ace ships an update every 6 months, and Return to Monkey Island every 5 months. Most recently, Space Ace was updated on September 27, 2026 and Return to Monkey Island on September 26, 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.*