Comparison

Orbital vs SamePop!

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

SamePop!

Read full description

Pop your way to a perfectly empty board. SamePop! takes the classic same-color puzzle and gives it a glossy glass makeover: tap any group of two or more matching blocks to pop them, watch the rest tumble down and slide together, then line up your next big move. THINK BIGGER, SCORE BIGGER Small pops are fine. Huge pops are the whole game. Scoring rewards patience — one giant single-color group is worth way more than a dozen little ones. Herd your colors, build a monster group, then pop it for a number that makes the leaderboard sweat. CHASE THE ALL-CLEAR Empty the entire board and grab a +1000 bonus. It's tougher than it looks — and dangerously satisfying once you pull it off. ONE GAME, EVERY SCREEN Play the full-screen board on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Same game, same glossy pop, from your pocket to your living room. WHAT'S INSIDE • Simple to learn, genuinely deep to master • Game Center leaderboard and achievements • Colorblind-friendly palette option • No ads, no timers, no nonsense — pay once, play forever Ready? The board's full. Get popping.

Screenshots

Orbital4 screens
SamePop!2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SamePop! at every 9 days against Orbital's every 2 months. SamePop! also leads on price ($0.99 vs $4.99) and device support (5 vs 3). Orbital's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On ads and in-app purchases 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

Orbital costs $4.99 and SamePop! $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orbital ships an update every 2 months, SamePop! every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Orbital versus SamePop!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrbitalSamePop!
Price$4.99$0.99 — better
Rating4.5 (42 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews86.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings42 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBitforgePETALUMAPALMER LLC

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

SamePop!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Orbital

No in-app purchases

None

SamePop!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Orbital free?
Orbital costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SamePop! free?
SamePop! costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Orbital or SamePop! have ads?
Neither Orbital nor SamePop! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Orbital or SamePop!?
Orbital ships an update every 2 months, and SamePop! every 9 days. Most recently, Orbital was updated on October 12, 2026 and SamePop! on October 8, 2026.

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