Comparison

Orbital vs Simple Swaps

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

Head to head
About

Orbital

Score points by destroying orbs in this addictive puzzle game. With simple one-thumb controls and beautiful visual effects, it's perfect for short play sessions. Compete with friends and aim for the top of the leaderboards.

Highlights
  • One-thumb gameplay
  • Score points by destroying orbs
  • Beautiful visual effects
  • Single & Two player modes
  • 3 game modes (Gravity, Pure, Supernova)
  • Online leaderboards
  • Facebook integration
Features
Read full description

Get the Game of the Year** now! ORBITAL is a 1-thumb experience with a simple goal: score points by destroying orbs. A simple puzzle game for all with beautiful visual effects, it can be played in short sessions and is highly addictive. HOW FAR CAN YOU GO? ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Awards and Prizes: **Game of the Year denki.co.uk *Winner DiscoveryBeats Apps Contest *Silver Award pocketGamer.co.uk ----------------------------------------- VIDEO TRAILER 1) www.tinyurl.com/orbitaliphone ----------------------------------------- AWARDS TOP RATED - jayisgames.com SILVER AWARD - pocketgamer.co.uk ----------------------------------------- WHAT THE CRITICS SAY «ORBITAL is a game of skill, it's a game of strategy, it's a game of reflexes, and it's a game you will keep front and center of your iPhone for weeks on end.» - John Bardinelli (jayisgames.com) «A picnic to understand, but a marathon to get beyond the first few minutes, Orbital's simple style is perfect for those looking for fill the odd spare moment.» 8/10 - Keith Andrew (pocketgamer.co.uk) «Orbital is the most visually appealing brick breaker type game that I have ever laid eyes on and had the chance to play.» 5/5 - Mike (iphoneincanada.ca) «While there are already a few iPhone games that share the same gameplay mechanics as Orbital, none of them look anywhere near as cool.» - Eli Hodapp (toucharcade.com) «BitForge has managed to combine the addictive gameplay of Peggle and the beauty of Geometry Wars, two digital forms of crack, into one easy to use package.» - Chad George (thatvideogameblog.com) «Orbital takes simple gameplay and dresses it up with a unique “gravity” feature and enhanced graphics. The game can be very frustrating at times, but that won’t keep you from coming back for another try.» 4/5 - Will Raskin (148apps.com) «Orbital has got fantastic graphics and unfussy features. Come to think of it, there are really no negative points about the game. Good going, Bitforge!» 5/5 - Yoyo (iphonefootprint.com) ----------------------------------------- GAMEPLAY You must shoot orbs into a grid with your cannon. The orb you fired will expand until it touches a wall or another orb. Each orb contains the number ‘3’, which decreases by one every time it is hit. After 3 hits they explode and you earn a point. The game could be endless… There is just one condition: a shot orb must not touch the death line above the cannon! If it does, the game is over. A simple concept to rack your brains and nerves. ----------------------------------------- FEATURES - Single & Two player mode - 3 game modes: Gravity, Pure & Supernova - Beautiful particle effects - All-time & 24 Hours online Leader board - Facebook connection: Compare with your friends on Facebook ----------------------------------------- ORBITAL is based on Gimme Friction Baby by Wouter Visser.

About

Simple Swaps

Features
Read full description

A simple and addictive puzzle game, Simple Swaps challenges you to swap blocks on the bottom board to match the pattern of the top board. Simple! But the timer is counting down, and when time runs out it's Game Over! Each matched puzzle increases the difficulty and grants bonus time. How many points can you score? How many levels can you match? Get swapping! Features: - Simple but addictive, fast-paced puzzle gameplay - One-handed intuitive touch controls - Free to play with ad support - Endless levels, leaderboards, and achievements - Daily Puzzles of 10 generated levels

Screenshots

Orbital4 screens
Simple Swaps3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Simple Swaps at Free against Orbital's $4.99. Simple Swaps also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). Orbital's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

Simple Swaps is free to download; Orbital costs $4.99 up front. Simple Swaps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Orbital asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orbital ships an update every 2 months, Simple Swaps every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Orbital versus Simple Swaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrbitalSimple Swaps
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (42 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews86.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings42 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBitforgeBig Byte Studios, Inc.

Bugs and requests

Orbital

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 13+
  • Leaderboards not working
  • Inconsistent physics on newer devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Undo feature
  • New game modes
  • Power-ups
  • Online multiplayer
  • PC/Mac version
Show 2 more
  • Original music option
  • Customizable controls

Simple Swaps

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Orbital

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Swaps

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Orbital free?
Orbital costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Swaps free?
Simple Swaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Orbital or Simple Swaps have ads?
Simple Swaps shows ads; Orbital does not.
Which is updated more often, Orbital or Simple Swaps?
Orbital ships an update every 2 months, and Simple Swaps every 4 days. Most recently, Orbital was updated on October 31, 2026 and Simple Swaps on October 25, 2026.

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