Osmos vs Universal Paperclips™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Osmos
Navigate a cosmic world as a galactic mote. Absorb smaller organisms to grow while avoiding larger predators. This physics-based survival game features stunning graphics and an ambient soundtrack.
- Physics-based gameplay
- Absorb smaller organisms to grow
- Avoid larger predators
- Stellar graphics
- Ambient soundtrack
- 72 levels across 8 worlds
- Multiplayer mode
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** 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 “Beyond doubt, a work of genius" — GameAndPlayer.net 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 "iPhone App of the Week" — Apple * Apple Design Award winner (iPad version) * #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.) * Award-winning electronic soundtrack by Loscil, Gas, High Skies, Biosphere, Julien Neto, and more. * Endless replay value: play random versions of any level in Arcade mode. * 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 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 “The best iPad game yet.” — IGN 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 “What iPad Gaming Should Be All About” — Gizmodo “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 “It’s the best iPad game on the App Store” — MTV Multiplayer 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
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.
- AI paperclip maximization
- Idle management gameplay
- Strategy simulation
- Empire building
- Full gameplay
- No ads
- No in-app purchases
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Osmos at 92% against Universal Paperclips™'s 66%. Osmos also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). Universal Paperclips™'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months) and price ($1.99 vs $3.99). 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
Osmos costs $3.99 and Universal Paperclips™ $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Osmos holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 892 and 303 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Osmos's written reviews are positive against 66% of Universal Paperclips™'s.
Osmos ships an update every 7 months, Universal Paperclips™ every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | Osmos | Universal Paperclips™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (892 ratings) — better | 4.5 (303 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews — better | 66.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 892 — better | 303 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #70 | #55 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hemisphere Games | Everybody House Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Osmos
Universal Paperclips™
User reviews
Osmos
From 892 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Mesmerizing visuals and aesthetics
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack and audio design
- 🧠 Challenging and thought-provoking gameplay
- 🕰️ Ability to control time/speed
- 🕊️ Relaxing and meditative experience
Room to improve
- 🤯 Frustratingly difficult at times
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🖥️ Not optimized for larger screens (iPad)
- 🔍 Lack of zoom/scale controls
Universal Paperclips™
From 303 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on certain devices/OS versions
- Compatibility issues with newer hardware
Requested features
4 requests- More levels and content updates
- Multiplayer mode improvements
- Customization options (e.g. music, visuals)
- Difficulty settings or accessibility options
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
Osmos
No in-app purchases
Universal Paperclips™
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Osmos free?
Is Universal Paperclips™ free?
Which has better reviews, Osmos or Universal Paperclips™?
Do Osmos or Universal Paperclips™ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Osmos or Universal Paperclips™?
Which is more popular, Osmos or Universal Paperclips™?
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