Comparison

Area 52 Escape vs OnCross

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

Head to head
About

Area 52 Escape

Experience a retro first-person shooter inspired by classic FPS games. Battle aliens with a variety of weapons and power-ups in a humorous, fast-paced adventure. Explore new levels and content through free updates.

Highlights
  • Retro first-person shooter gameplay
  • Fast-paced action
  • Multiple alien enemies
  • Arsenal of weapons
  • Unique power-ups
  • Chapter-based levels with secret areas
  • Free updates with new content
Features
Read full description

Retro first person shooter! This app is based on the original Wolf3D code by the godfather of FPS John Carmack (id). If you long for a game that brings that retro feel, this is it. Originally published in 2009 which was derived from the game that started the FPS genre Wolfentein 3D. This was based on a pet project to bring it to the iphone. Our team had lovingly created all new art, animations, levels, weapons, sounds while painstakingly keeping with the original style and capabilities. If you're looking for a game that brings the classic retro feel, this is it! Backstory: Area 52 is a humorous first person shooter (FPS) in a classic retro graphic style and feel that runs FAST and SMOOTH. You are a janitor at a super secret government research facility and something has gone very wrong! Aliens are running rampant throughout the facility - can you stop them before it's too late? Make BJ proud and kick some alien butt! Start off with just your Mop and save the world! Area 52 Game features: -Fast paced first person action! -Intuitive and fluid controls so you can focus on the FUN! -Multiple alien enemies each with their own personalities! -An arsenal of weapons to find including your trusty janitor mop! -Unique experimental and alien artifact power-ups! Chapter 1 - A ten (10) level adventure into Area 52! - 8 Challenging primary levels to kick alien butt! - 1 Super Secret Level to seek out for the ultimate rewards! - 1 Big Boss Level to put you to the test with an Alien Boss! - More bosses, weapons, and aliens released in free updates - Future chapters will include new levels and other additional content Join the GameMonger community at www.GameMonger.com - Discuss and contribute ideas to future updates - Enter contests to win a place in our games and gaming history! Check out more games at www.GameMonger.com

About

OnCross

Engage in augmented reality first-person shooter battles with friends. Players use colored circles on their bodies for target recognition and can join or create multiplayer matches. Enjoy solo practice or competitive gameplay with customizable options.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality gameplay
  • Multiplayer matches
  • Target recognition circles
  • Single player mode
  • Customizable matches
  • Free to play
Features
Read full description

Augmented Reality First-Person Shooter. Augment your reality and play multiplayer first-person shooter matches with your friends. 1 - Cut colored circles and stick them all over your body to allow for target recognition. (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue) 2 - Find and connect to an existing match of one of your friends or create your own and wait for your friends to join in. 3 - Play multiplayer game modes with your friends or practice your shooting skills solo. We’d love to hear your feedback/suggestions, and stay tuned for updates. Game Features: - Free to play - Single and Multiplayer Game Modes - Customizable Multiplayer Matches Preview Music Hinkik - Explorers: https://youtu.be/GtSfkNZElgY

Screenshots

Area 52 Escape4 screens
OnCross4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Area 52 Escape at 67% against OnCross's 22%. Area 52 Escape also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 34 months). OnCross's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and 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

Both are free to download. Area 52 Escape sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. OnCross asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Area 52 Escape holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Area 52 Escape's written reviews are positive against 22% of OnCross's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Area 52 Escape ships an update monthly, OnCross every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Area 52 Escape versus OnCross: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArea 52 EscapeOnCross
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (32 ratings) — better3.3 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better22.2% of reviews
Number of ratings3235 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 34 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB20 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperGameMonger LLCAndres Arciniegas

Customer experience

Area 52 Escape

All ratings30 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral12.5%
Negative20.8%

OnCross

All ratings35 ratings
Positive54.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Area 52 Escape

One-time1
  • RemoveAds$1.99
None

OnCross

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Area 52 Escape free?
Area 52 Escape is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OnCross free?
OnCross is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Area 52 Escape or OnCross?
Area 52 Escape is rated higher. Area 52 Escape averages 4.0 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while OnCross averages 3.3 from 35 ratings.
Do Area 52 Escape or OnCross have ads?
Neither Area 52 Escape nor OnCross shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Area 52 Escape or OnCross?
Area 52 Escape ships an update monthly, and OnCross every 34 months. Most recently, Area 52 Escape was updated on October 23, 2026 and OnCross on October 11, 2026.

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