Comparison

Osmos vs Galaxy Genome

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Physics-based gameplay
  • Absorb smaller organisms to grow
  • Avoid larger predators
  • Stellar graphics
  • Ambient soundtrack
  • 72 levels across 8 worlds
  • Multiplayer mode
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 “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

About

Galaxy Genome

Embark on an open-world sci-fi adventure as a space pilot. Explore a vast, scientifically accurate Milky Way, customize your ship, and choose your path as a trader, pirate, or explorer. Engage in combat, smuggling, and mining while following a compelling story or undertaking side missions.

Highlights
  • Open-world sci-fi space simulator
  • Ship customization and upgrades
  • Explore a 1:1 scale Milky Way galaxy
  • Free-form play with multiple roles
  • Vibrant story and side quests
  • Surface vehicles for planet exploration
Read full description

Galaxy Genome is an open world sci-fi space simulator. You'll be able to upgrade your ship and customize every component as you hunt, explore, fight, mine, smuggle, trade and survive in the cutthroat galaxy. Follow the main story or do side missions. This game gives you the ability to feel real space exploration. The entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions. At the beginning of the game you are a pilot of a small ship. Financial struggle forces you to start transporting contraband. Certainly, it will lead to you being in trouble with the law someday. But at some point in your life you are forced to make a deal with the authorities of the system. And that is when your dangerous space adventure begins. Game Features: - Free-form play allows everyone to choose their own path, becoming an angry pirate, a peaceful trader, an explorer, a bounty hunter, or a mix between these roles. - More than 30 different and customizable ships. - The game has a vibrant story and side quests. - Surface vehicles to explore planets. - No classes or skill levels, strength is decided by ship equipment and player skill. - The vast 1:1 scale Milky Way galaxy is based on real scientific principles. Around 2 billion star systems.

Screenshots

Osmos4 screens
Galaxy Genome4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Galaxy Genome at free against Osmos's paid. Galaxy Genome also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 7 months). Osmos's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (92% vs 75%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and chart position 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 costs $3.99 and Galaxy Genome $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Osmos holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Osmos has 897 ratings behind it against 116, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Osmos's written reviews are positive against 75% of Galaxy Genome's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Osmos ships an update every 7 months, Galaxy Genome every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Osmos versus Galaxy Genome: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOsmosGalaxy Genome
Price$3.99$3.99
Rating4.8 (897 ratings) — better4.3 (116 ratings)
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings897 — better116
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#66 — better#106
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.413.4
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB100 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHemisphere GamesAnton Skvortsov

Customer experience

Osmos

All ratings892 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews1,213 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.5%

Galaxy Genome

All ratings114 ratings
Positive80.7%
Neutral9.6%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral13.8%
Negative11.2%

User reviews

Osmos

From 897 App Store ratings

What 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

Galaxy Genome

From 116 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Massive explorable galaxy with procedurally generated systems
  • 💎 No pay-to-play mechanics or paywalls
  • 🎮 Deep gameplay with trading, combat, mining, and exploration
  • 📱 Excellent value for mobile space sim
  • 🎯 Active developer with regular updates and community engagement

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes, especially when accessing mission menu
  • 📚 Steep learning curve with minimal tutorial guidance
  • 🐢 Tedious travel time through large spaces
  • 🎮 Unintuitive flight controls and ship deceleration
  • 🗺️ Confusing route mapping and pathfinding issues

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

Galaxy Genome

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Game crashes when accessing mission menu
  • Game crashes when attempting warp jump with space station
  • Chinese characters display as blocks
  • Autopilot overshoots destinations
  • Module list cannot be scrolled when modules are disabled
Show 11 more
  • Mission rewards not calculating correctly with large fleets
  • Debris accumulation causes crashes if staying in system too long
  • Save files showing 0:00:00 playtime after crashes
  • Loading screen freezes on M1 iPad Pro
  • Virtual joystick not appearing in tutorial
  • Game crashes on older devices (iPhone 6, iPhone 10)
  • Landscape mode system menus remain in portrait orientation
  • Reputation system bugs preventing mission acceptance
  • Tutorial missions freezing and preventing progression
  • Pathfinding algorithm fails on optimal routes
  • Search function case-sensitive and returns only one result

Requested features

20 requests
  • Controller support (Xbox, Backbone)
  • Multiplayer or co-op gameplay
  • Ability to build and control space stations
  • Fleet management improvements
  • Save editing or money cheats for progression
Show 15 more
  • Galaxy map resource search filter
  • System naming and bookmarking features
  • More engineers for ship upgrades
  • Mod support on iOS
  • Better tutorial with highlighted interactive elements
  • Wiki or comprehensive in-game documentation
  • Portrait mode option
  • Reverse landscape mode
  • Quick-link from missions to galaxy map
  • Total light-years traveled tracker
  • More ship variety, especially for factions
  • Ability to disable ships and board them
  • Station conquest mechanics
  • Rank/reputation system with titles
  • Faster travel or acceleration options

In-app purchases

None

Osmos

No in-app purchases

None

Galaxy Genome

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Osmos free?
Osmos costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Galaxy Genome free?
Galaxy Genome costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Osmos or Galaxy Genome?
Osmos is rated higher. Osmos averages 4.8 out of 5 from 897 ratings, while Galaxy Genome averages 4.3 from 116 ratings.
Do Osmos or Galaxy Genome have ads?
Neither Osmos nor Galaxy Genome shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Osmos or Galaxy Genome?
Osmos ships an update every 7 months, and Galaxy Genome every 5 weeks. Most recently, Osmos was updated on October 26, 2026 and Galaxy Genome on October 27, 2026.
Which is more popular, Osmos or Galaxy Genome?
Osmos currently peaks at #66 in the App Store charts, and Galaxy Genome at #106. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons