Comparison

Osmos vs Stacklands

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

Stacklands

Engage in an immersive stack game experience with endless challenges. Explore a mysterious world, battle demons, and defend your lands using various defense mechanisms, life mechanisms, skills, and magic. Enjoy beautifully crafted visuals and sound effects.

Highlights
  • World exploration
  • Demon battles
  • Defense mechanisms
  • Build and upgrade life mechanisms
  • Skills and magic
  • Multiple game modes
  • Competitive multiplayer
Features
Read full description

StackWorld is an exciting stack game that offers an immersive gaming experience with endless challenges. In StackWorld, you can explore a mysterious world, battle various demons, and use different defense mechanisms to protect your lands from invasion. StackWorld is an engaging stack game that's full of exciting challenges and thrilling adventures. In this game, you'll explore a mysterious world, battle evil enemies, and defend your lands. To achieve this goal, you'll need to build and upgrade various life mechanisms such as room, food, and animal. You can also use different skills and magic to eliminate enemies and earn extra rewards. StackWorld game mechanism is simple but gradually increases in difficulty, letting you experience different levels of challenges. You can choose from different game modes, Each mode has unique maps and levels, allowing you to enjoy different gaming experiences. The characters and scene designs in the game are beautifully crafted, leaving a lasting impression. The sound effects and music are also suitable for the game's atmosphere, immersing you entirely in the gameplay. You can also join other players in competitive mode to showcase your stack skills and see who the best player is. Overall, StackWorld is an excellent game worth trying. Download it now and defend your lands together!

Screenshots

Osmos4 screens
Stacklands4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Osmos at 92% against Stacklands's 28%. Osmos also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (898 vs 47). Stacklands's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.4). On update cadence, 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 Stacklands $4.99 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 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Osmos has 898 ratings behind it against 47, 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 28% of Stacklands's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Osmos ships an update every 7 months, Stacklands every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Osmos versus Stacklands: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOsmosStacklands
Price$3.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (898 ratings) — better2.5 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews — better27.6% of reviews
Number of ratings898 — better47
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#69#44 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.411.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB365 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHemisphere Games国祎 王

Customer experience

Osmos

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

Stacklands

All ratings45 ratings
Positive31.1%
Neutral13.3%
Negative55.6%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive27.6%
Neutral15.5%
Negative56.9%

User reviews

Osmos

From 898 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

Stacklands

From 47 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun gameplay
  • 👍 Enjoyable on mobile
  • 👍 Good time killer

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Colors inverted/hard to read
  • 🐛 Poor UI/layout on mobile
  • 🐛 Not up-to-date with PC version
  • 🐛 Missing features/content
  • 🐛 Buggy and broken settings

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

Stacklands

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Music and sound effects buttons don't work
  • Game doesn't fit on iPhone 15 Plus screen
  • UI elements cut off by screen edges/notch
  • Ideas menu flickers or shows incorrect descriptions
  • Game crashes sometimes
Show 6 more
  • Cannot re-open idea menu after collapsing
  • Cannot select menus/buttons on certain iPhones
  • Game is zoomed in too much
  • Combat cards and upgrades missing
  • Cannot make miners, lumberjacks, smithies, etc.
  • Wizard/mage unavailable on iPad

Requested features

9 requests
  • Update to match PC version
  • Change color of food cards
  • Improve color contrast/options
  • Fix UI layout for mobile screens
  • Add missing features/content from PC version
Show 4 more
  • Add portrait mode
  • Make menu tabs larger/easier to click
  • Fix buggy tooltips
  • Add hotpot

In-app purchases

None

Osmos

No in-app purchases

None

Stacklands

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Osmos free?
Osmos costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stacklands free?
Stacklands costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Osmos or Stacklands?
Osmos is rated higher. Osmos averages 4.8 out of 5 from 898 ratings, while Stacklands averages 2.5 from 47 ratings.
Do Osmos or Stacklands have ads?
Neither Osmos nor Stacklands shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Osmos or Stacklands?
Osmos ships an update every 7 months, and Stacklands every 6 months. Most recently, Osmos was updated on November 6, 2026 and Stacklands on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, Osmos or Stacklands?
Osmos currently peaks at #69 in the App Store charts, and Stacklands at #44. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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