Comparison

Boxed In vs Idle Universe

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

Head to head
About

Boxed In

Embark on a cosmic puzzle adventure as a robotic explorer. Navigate mind-bending challenges by pushing boxes through mesmerizing space backdrops. Strategize to collect gear and outmaneuver forcefields to reach the exit.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of handcrafted puzzles
  • Create and share your own puzzles
  • Play community-created puzzles
  • Optional player rankings
  • Collect gear items
  • Navigate forcefields
Features
Read full description

Embark on an interstellar journey as a cunning robotic explorer in this stellar puzzle adventure! Enter a universe filled with mind-bending challenges, where pushing boxes takes on a whole new dimension. With each level set against a mesmerizing space backdrop, prepare to launch your strategic thinking into orbit! As a clever robot, you'll navigate through hundreds of meticulously designed cosmic puzzles. Push, collect, and outmaneuver the ever-changing configurations of boxes while aiming for the elusive exit. But remember, true mastery lies in acquiring all the gear items scattered throughout the celestial maze. Beware the colorful forcefields that dot your cosmic path! These ethereal barriers demand ingenious solutions. Locate matching floor switches and cleverly employ your box-pushing skills to unlock the way forward. It's a cosmic dance of strategy and logic, where triumph awaits the astute explorer. With its stellar visuals, captivating gameplay, and endless cosmic challenges, Boxed In takes puzzle-solving to new frontiers. Prepare to be astounded by the infinite possibilities in this celestial realm. Strap in, activate your circuits, and let the cosmic puzzle adventure begin! "This game will improve the way your brain thinks. (5/5)" - Becket's Guide to Phone Apps Magazine Features: • Easy to pick up and play anytime! • Play hundreds of handcrafted puzzles! • Create and share your own puzzles! • Play even more puzzles created by the community! • Optional player rankings let you compete! • Original music by Jyri Luukkonen! • Many hours of gameplay!

About

Idle Universe

Tap to gather matter and create interstellar objects, from particles to galaxies. Objects automatically generate more matter, allowing for endless universe expansion. Unlock divine powers, upgrade objects, and utilize special abilities to grow your cosmic creation.

Highlights
  • Create 31 interstellar objects
  • Unlock 24 Divine Powers
  • Upgrade objects with multiple options
  • Obtain Dark Matter for special abilities
  • Gain Antimatter via prestige for permanent upgrades
  • Compete on leaderboards
  • Earn daily rewards and achievements
Features
Read full description

Create your own universe in this new addictive idle game! First, you have to gather matter yourself by tapping; but once you've got enough matter to create a couple of objects in your universe, these will produce more matter automatically by colliding. Features: • Create many different interstellar objects - from tiny particles to your own planets, galaxies and even more! • Unlock Divine Powers, powerful permanent upgrades! • Speed up the growth of your universe with even more powerful Evolvements, transcendental upgrades that persist even through restarts! • Upgrade all of your objects in various ways! You will need to find a strategy that fits your playstyle to succeed in the late-game! • Obtain Dark Matter and use special abilities like Augmented Production and Tapping! • Get even bigger with prestige! Every time you restart the game, you will obtain Antimatter, which can be used to buy permanent super upgrades! • Join the competition with a global leaderboard! • Get daily rewards! • Earn Achievements, not just for the sake of it, but to increase your production even further! There're plenty of opportunities in the game - you can play for weeks and never get bored! Try our new idle game and create your very own universe :)

Screenshots

Boxed In4 screens
Idle Universe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Idle Universe at 4.3 against Boxed In's 3.6. Idle Universe also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Boxed In's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (75% vs 65%). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Boxed In sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Idle Universe sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Idle Universe holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 610 and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Boxed In's written reviews are positive against 65% of Idle Universe's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Boxed In ships an update every 2 months, Idle Universe every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Boxed In versus Idle Universe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoxed InIdle Universe
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (610 ratings)4.3 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.5% of reviews — better65.2% of reviews
Number of ratings6101.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size235 MB299 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDennis MengeltDominik Stallmann

Customer experience

Boxed In

All ratings611 ratings
Positive56.6%
Neutral20.0%
Negative23.4%
Written reviews255 reviews
Positive74.5%
Neutral11.4%
Negative14.1%

Idle Universe

All ratings1,517 ratings
Positive82.2%
Neutral9.2%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive65.2%
Neutral15.4%
Negative19.4%

User reviews

Boxed In

From 610 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Challenging and engaging puzzles
  • 🧠 Exercises the mind
  • 🕹️ Simple but addictive gameplay
  • 💰 Great value for free app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Game freezes or crashes after completing levels
  • 🔇 Lack of sound effects or music
  • 🔍 Difficulty seeing the robot character
  • 🎨 Dislike for updated 3D graphics

Idle Universe

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Organized and easy to use
  • 🚀 Efficient progression system
  • 💡 Unique and engaging concept
  • 🎨 Good graphics and visuals

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🔋 Slow progress without watching ads
  • 🤖 Forced Google account login
  • 🔍 Unclear game mechanics

Bugs and requests

Boxed In

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezes on certain levels
  • Progress not saved properly
  • Controls not responsive at times

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Option to revert to original 2D graphics
  • Ability to replay completed levels
  • Level editor or creator

Idle Universe

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Prestige button not working
  • Ads not providing expected rewards
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Incorrect offline progress tracking

Requested features

4 requests
  • Offline progress tracking
  • More prestige layers and upgrades
  • Better optimization for larger screens
  • Improved tutorial and explanations

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Boxed In

One-time7
  • Unlimited Undos$0.99
  • Level Pack 2$0.99
  • Level Pack 3$0.99
Show 4 more
  • Level Pack 1 Unlock$0.99
  • Level Pack 2 Unlock$0.99
  • Level Pack 3 Unlock$0.99
  • Remove Ads$1.99
7 purchases

Idle Universe

One-time7
  • 250 Dark Matter$3.99
  • Double Antimatter Gains$4.99
  • +100% Transcendence Exp$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Remove All Ads$8.99
  • 1000 Dark Matter$9.99
  • 2500 Dark Matter$24.99
  • 10000 Dark Matter$69.99

Questions

Is Boxed In free?
Boxed In is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Idle Universe free?
Idle Universe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Boxed In or Idle Universe?
Idle Universe is rated higher. Boxed In averages 3.6 out of 5 from 610 ratings, while Idle Universe averages 4.3 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Boxed In or Idle Universe have ads?
Idle Universe shows ads; Boxed In does not.
Which is updated more often, Boxed In or Idle Universe?
Boxed In ships an update every 2 months, and Idle Universe every 3 weeks. Most recently, Boxed In was updated on October 23, 2026 and Idle Universe on November 1, 2026.

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