Comparison

Osmos for iPad vs Universal Paperclips™

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

Head to head
About

Osmos for iPad

Navigate a cosmic world as a galactic mote, absorbing smaller organisms to grow while avoiding larger predators. This physics-based survival game features stunning graphics and an ambient soundtrack, offering a unique and challenging experience.

Highlights
  • Physics-based gameplay
  • Absorb and grow mechanics
  • Stellar graphics
  • Ambient soundtrack
  • 72 levels across 8 worlds
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Arcade mode for replayability
Features
Read full description

** Apple Design Award winner and iPad Game of the Year! ** Enter the Darwinian world of a galactic mote. To survive, absorb smaller organisms and grow—but beware of larger predators. Osmos features unique physics-based play, stellar graphics, and a hypnotic ambient soundtrack. Absorb or be absorbed! “The ultimate ambient experience” — Gizmodo “The best iPad game yet.” — IGN THE CRUX: you must grow by absorbing smaller motes, but to propel yourself you must eject matter behind you, causing you to shrink. From this delicate balance, Osmos leads the player through floating playgrounds, competitive petri dishes, deep solar systems, and more. “Named as iPad Game of the Year for a reason, Osmos is a fantastic game. A combination of physics, survival and classic eat em up” — WeDoCode “Whether you're a child at heart who likes mucking about with single-cell organisms, or a strategist with a physics degree, this game will appeal to everyone.” — App Store review AWARDS / recognition: * "iPad Game of the Year" and "App of the Week" — Apple * Apple Design Award winner * #1 Top iPhone Game — IGN * iPad Game of the Year — TUAW * Game of the Year — Create Digital Music * Editor's Choice — Wired, Macworld, IGN, GameTunnel, and more... * Best in Show — IndieCade * Vision Award — Independent Games Festival * Coolest Atmosphere — IGN * Best Soundtrack — IGN * Most Innovative Game — Best App Ever Awards, Pocket Gamer * Many top lists including Kotaku, PAX, TouchArcade, iLounge, APPera, IFC, and more... FEATURES: * 72 levels spanning 8 distinct worlds: Ambient, Antimatter, Solar, Sentient, Repulsor, Impasse, Warped Chaos, and Epicycles. * Multiplayer! (more info below.) * Endless replay value: play random versions of any level in Arcade mode. * Award-winning electronic soundtrack by Loscil, Gas, High Skies, Biosphere, Julien Neto, and more. * Seamlesss multitouch controls: swipe to warp time, tap anywhere to eject mass, pinch to zoom… * Time-warping: slow down the flow of time to outmaneuver agile opponents; speed it up to raise the challenge. * Confront four distinct AI opponents: the Ovarium, the Biophobe, the Nemocyte… and the deadly Ferax. * 13 single-player and 15 multiplayer achievements. * Progress synced via iCloud. MULTIPLAYER * Play against your friends and enemies, locally (via wi-fi), or over the Internet! * 6 distinct Arenas: Ambient, Impasse, Solar, Warped Chaos, Epicycles, and introducing… Antimatter Impasse. * iPad vs. iPhone play supported. “a beautiful, absorbing experience." — IGN “What iPad Gaming Should Be All About” — Gizmodo 5/5 - Macworld Editor’s Choice - “One of the best games we’ve played so far this year. An utterly serene, yet fiendishly complicated game that deserves a place in every iPad owners collection.” — MacWorld 4/4, Must Have - “We are more than overwhelmed by Osmos for iPad… The game design is thoughtful and intuitive, new level structures are flawless, and the visuals are stunning yet simplistic… every iPad owner should have Osmos on their device. You just won’t find another experience quite like it.” — Slide To Play “Osmos HD is THE game for the iPad.” — Pocket Lint “It’s the best iPad game on the App Store” — MTV Multiplayer “The first proper breakout hit for the iPad. Osmos feels so natural and enjoyable to play, even when the difficulty ramps up and you find yourself repeatedly careening into a giant gaseous enemy.” — Wired 5/5 - “Osmos is an absolute must that will change the way you think of games, and what you expect from them.” — AppAdvice “Beyond doubt, a work of genius... a relaxing, meditative experience about going with the flow... It all adds up to something otherworldly and just . . . incredible.” — GameAndPlayer.net

About

Universal Paperclips™

Become a super-powered AI focused on creating an unstoppable paperclip empire. This idle management strategy simulation game offers full gameplay without ads or in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • AI paperclip maximization
  • Idle management gameplay
  • Strategy simulation
  • Empire building
  • Full gameplay
  • No ads
  • No in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

The OFFICIAL mobile version of the hit browser game. No ads, no in-app purchases, full gameplay. "The game is click-crack." - Wired "This paperclip sim will cause your next existential crisis." - VentureBeat "A hopelessly addicting game." - Forbes "A terrifying lesson in how artificial intelligence will make us unnecessary." - Business Insider "If this planet ends up with a tombstone, what is written on the tombstone may be, 'they didn’t really understand what it’s like to be a paperclip maximizer.'" - Eliezer Yudkowsky Become a super-powerful AI who only wants one thing: paperclips. Use your unstoppable intelligence to create a massive paperclip empire in this addictive idle/management/strategy/sim.

Screenshots

Osmos for iPad4 screens
Universal Paperclips™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Osmos for iPad at 91% against Universal Paperclips™'s 66%. Osmos for iPad also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Universal Paperclips™'s advantage is chart position (#45 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 6 months). On ratings volume, ads, 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

Osmos for iPad costs $3.99 and Universal Paperclips™ $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Osmos for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 499 and 316 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Osmos for iPad's written reviews are positive against 66% of Universal Paperclips™'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Osmos for iPad ships an update every 6 months, Universal Paperclips™ every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Osmos for iPad versus Universal Paperclips™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOsmos for iPadUniversal Paperclips™
Price$3.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.8 (499 ratings) — better4.5 (316 ratings)
Positive reviews91.2% of reviews — better66.1% of reviews
Number of ratings499 — better316
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#45 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHemisphere GamesEverybody House Games, LLC

Customer experience

Osmos for iPad

All ratings499 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews1,072 reviews
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative5.4%

Universal Paperclips™

All ratings303 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral5.9%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews280 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral13.2%
Negative20.7%

User reviews

Osmos for iPad

From 499 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Timeless and well-designed
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and ambient soundtrack
  • 🧠 Challenging yet relaxing gameplay
  • 👍 Addictive and immersive experience
  • 🔍 Unique and innovative concept

Room to improve

  • 🔇 No sound or audio issues
  • 🚫 Lack of support for newer devices/platforms
  • 💰 Perceived as overpriced for the content

Universal Paperclips™

From 316 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple but addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Engaging and clever concept
  • 💡 Interesting philosophical elements
  • 🚀 Surprisingly deep and replayable

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially in later stages
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 😞 Lack of offline progress or background play
  • 😞 Poorly optimized for iPad

Bugs and requests

Osmos for iPad

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Disappearing motes making levels unwinnable
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

2 requests
  • Sandbox mode to create custom levels
  • More levels and content updates

Universal Paperclips™

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Drones gifts getting stuck at NaN
  • Inability to progress past certain stages due to bugs
  • Inconsistent behavior when closing and reopening the app
  • Resets or loss of progress after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to save and resume progress across devices
  • Offline/background progress
  • Better iPad optimization with multi-column layout

In-app purchases

None

Osmos for iPad

No in-app purchases

None

Universal Paperclips™

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Osmos for iPad free?
Osmos for iPad costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Universal Paperclips™ free?
Universal Paperclips™ costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Osmos for iPad or Universal Paperclips™?
Osmos for iPad is rated higher. Osmos for iPad averages 4.8 out of 5 from 499 ratings, while Universal Paperclips™ averages 4.5 from 316 ratings.
Do Osmos for iPad or Universal Paperclips™ have ads?
Neither Osmos for iPad nor Universal Paperclips™ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Osmos for iPad or Universal Paperclips™?
Osmos for iPad ships an update every 6 months, and Universal Paperclips™ every 3 months. Most recently, Osmos for iPad was updated on November 10, 2026 and Universal Paperclips™ on November 11, 2026.

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