Comparison

Area 52 Escape vs Saboteur SiO

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

Saboteur SiO

Embark on a new ninja mission in this retro-inspired action-adventure game. Featuring new levels, enemies, and a story by the original author, it offers classic graphics and an original soundtrack.

Highlights
  • New levels, enemies, and story
  • Original soundtrack
  • Retro graphics and screen modes
  • 19 special story achievements
  • Multiple language support
  • Retro display options
Features
Read full description

Saboteur SiO is the official sequel to the classic retro games Saboteur! and Saboteur II: Avenging Angel. Travel the world in this original ninja mission, created and developed by the original author, Clive Townsend. In 1985 Saboteur! received the prestigious award "The Crash Smash" from Crash magazine and was high-rated with a 93% score. In 1987 Clive made the sequel Saboteur II: Avenging Angel - the first video game to feature a female protagonist - Nina - sister of the ninja from the first game. Now, after over three decades, MobileFabric in collaboration with Clive Townsend have prepared the next installment in the Saboteur saga. - 19 Special story-related achievements. - All new levels, enemies, and story by Clive Townsend. - Original Soundtrack by: Sean Fountain, Geovarius, Zoltar Dreamusic, and Jeroen Tel. - Original Retro graphics and extra screen modes for ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and Game Boy. - 9 Language versions - English, Polish, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Czech. Retro options: - Scanlines. - CRT Moire. - Retro, Modern, and 'Original' title and menu. - Retro and Modern in-game panel.

Screenshots

Area 52 Escape4 screens
Saboteur SiO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Area 52 Escape at 67% against Saboteur SiO's 0%. Area 52 Escape also leads on price (Free vs $6.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 41 months). Saboteur SiO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Area 52 Escape is free to download; Saboteur SiO costs $6.99 up front. Area 52 Escape sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Saboteur SiO asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Area 52 Escape ships an update monthly, Saboteur SiO every 41 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Area 52 Escape versus Saboteur SiO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArea 52 EscapeSaboteur SiO
PriceFree — better$6.99
Rating4.0 (32 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings32 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 41 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB369 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperGameMonger LLCMobileFabric S.A.

Customer experience

Area 52 Escape

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

Saboteur SiO

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Area 52 Escape

One-time1
  • RemoveAds$1.99
None

Saboteur SiO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Area 52 Escape free?
Area 52 Escape is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Saboteur SiO free?
Saboteur SiO costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Area 52 Escape or Saboteur SiO have ads?
Neither Area 52 Escape nor Saboteur SiO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Area 52 Escape or Saboteur SiO?
Area 52 Escape ships an update monthly, and Saboteur SiO every 41 months. Most recently, Area 52 Escape was updated on November 1, 2026 and Saboteur SiO on November 3, 2026.

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