Comparison

Junk Jack Retro vs Terraria

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

Head to head
About

Junk Jack Retro

Explore, build, and survive in procedurally generated 2D worlds. This prequel offers retro pixel art, a dynamic day/night cycle, and a vast array of crafting and building options. Discover hidden secrets, fight monsters, and create unique homes.

Highlights
  • Retro style pixel art
  • Procedurally generated worlds
  • Dynamic day/night cycle
  • Advanced farming system
  • Extensive crafting recipes
  • Underground biomes
  • Combat with diverse mobs
Features
Read full description

*If you don't have Junk Jack we suggest you to first purchase it and then consider Junk Jack Retro to enjoy where all started!* Junk Jack is now called Junk Jack Retro, with widescreen support! Junk Jack Retro is the prequel of Junk Jack, a 2D sandbox game where you can explore, build your home and survive in random procedurally generated worlds full of monsters, treasures and hidden secrets! --------- What the press says: "A Wonderful Free-Roam Game with an Irresistible Pixel Aesthetic" -Iphonealley.com, 4.5/5 "It has charm in spades. While it isn't the first 2D sandbox building game out there, it is a particularly attractive one, sporting crisp pixel art and gorgeous lighting effects. " " -Toucharcade, 4/5 "Junk Jack is a hands-down, no questions asked must-own for any and all iOS users who love sandbox crafting games." -148apps, 4.5/5 "Junk Jack isn't Minecraft, nor does it feel like it needs to be as its 2D world provides the same level of novel exploration fun while presenting challenges of its own to overcome; a tightly balanced free form experience that's only going to get better with time." -Appspy, 5/5 --------- Join our forum (http://forum.pixbits.com) and help us to improve our game, and share your creations! Features: * retro style pixel art! * beautiful sound tracks from Bright Primate * intuitive controls: swipe to move and tap to interact with everything! * dynamic day/night cycle * never get lost with customizable signs * advanced farming system with more than 30 different plant types * 135+ recipes for cookable foods! * tint cloth blocks with 15 color dyes * underground biomes with unique graphic style and monsters. * placeable and throwable explosives that can destroy buildings, landscapes and monsters! * critters and enemies to fight (more than 60 different mobs!) * a fully featured lighting system together with many different sources of light and global lighting * 3 slots for infinite worlds that you can generate and explore, every world is different from any other! * procedural generation which creates beautiful worlds with plants, caves, different biomes all around the world * a double layered world which allows to customize background and foreground of your creations * many ores and shiny gems to help your adventure * many hidden containers full of treasures * more than 1000 treasures! * more than 600 crafts! * more than 380 block types * many elements to decorate your houses (like sofas, tables, wardrobes, paintings, statues and many others) * an in-game discoverable book to teach you how to play and the recipes available * shelfs to place items around just to make your buildings shine * minimap (with a really zoomed out feature to allow you to share your creations) * runs fine on older gen hardware We would like to thank Notch! He developed our bigger indie brother Minecraft, without which this game would not exist. If you need help, please contact us!

About

Terraria

Explore a vast, procedurally generated world filled with unique biomes, challenging enemies, and valuable treasures. Dig, fight, build, and craft to survive and thrive in this open-ended adventure. Discover over 5,000 items, interact with numerous NPCs, and enjoy extensive building options.

Highlights
  • Vast procedurally generated worlds
  • Over 5,000 unique items
  • Combat against 400+ enemies
  • Build and craft complex structures
  • Explore 20+ biomes
  • Interact with 20+ NPCs
  • Multiplayer support for up to 8 players
Features
Read full description

The world is at your fingertips as you fight for survival, explore for fortune, and dig for glory. Delve deep into cavernous expanses, test your mettle in combat, or construct your own city! Terraria offers more than ever - including the brand new 1.4.5 Bigger and Boulder Content! Presenting an impressive catalogue of 5,000+ items, 25+ NPCs, and 400+ enemies and blending elements of classic action games with sandbox-style creativity, Terraria is truly a unique adventure! The latest content update includes: NEW 1.4.5 CONTENT: - Dead Cells crossover content – new weapons, combat accessories and more! - Iconic Pals from Palworld have arrived in Terraria! - Fifteen new furniture sets. - Five new types of boulders — watch your step! - Four new transformation mounts. - New whips and Summoner prefixes. - New Kites, critters, and decorative features. - And so much more to discover! NEW WORLD SEEDS TO DISCOVER: - A new Skyblock world seed. - A new world creation menu allowing you to mix and match special seeds. - Improvements to existing seeds! IMPROVEMENTS: - Reworks and balance improvements to weapons. - Visual updates to many classic sprites. - And so many more improvements! • MULTIPLAYER – Play with up to 7 friends on Local Wifi or Online via device-device Wifi hosted games or through the Mobile Terraria Dedicated Server for PC (available for free on Terraria.org) • TERRARIA REIMAGINED FOR MOBILE – Fully customizable controls and User Interface provide a level of polish and capability not previously possible! • Gamepad support – including fully-remappable buttons - Play with your Bluetooth connected gamepad where supported. • Full array of World sizes – Small/Medium/Large...the same size as on Terraria for PC! Now includes random world name generator and the ability to use World Seeds (including some hidden easter egg worlds) • Over 400 enemies to combat, defeat, and plunder for loot • Over 20 Biomes and Mini-Biomes to explore, both above and underground – from lush forests to barren deserts to dungeons, the underworld, and even the terrifying Corruption await! • Updated crafting with multiple added item options • Over 20 NPCs to discover, each providing their own benefits and unique style • More than 1000 new items to discover – bringing the total item count to more than 5000! • In-depth building options that are easy to learn but allow for amazing feats of architecture in the hands of a master. • And much, much more! In short, every pixel of Terraria has been reimagined and hand crafted for the BEST possible mobile experience! Follow us on Twitter @Terraria_Logic and @505_Games Join our community on Discord @ http://Discord.GG/Terraria Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TerrariaOfficial and https://www.facebook.com/505Games Visit us on the web at www.terraria.org Join the official Terraria Forums at: https://forums.terraria.org/

Screenshots

Junk Jack Retro4 screens
Terraria4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Terraria at none against Junk Jack Retro's 10. Terraria also leads on ratings volume (48K vs 147) and chart position (#3 vs unranked). Junk Jack Retro's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $4.99) and review sentiment (84% vs 74%). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support 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

Junk Jack Retro costs $0.99 and Terraria $4.99 up front. Junk Jack Retro sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Terraria asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Junk Jack Retro against 4.5 for Terraria. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Terraria has 48K ratings behind it against 147, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Junk Jack Retro's written reviews are positive against 74% of Terraria's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Junk Jack Retro ships an update every 5 weeks, Terraria every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Junk Jack Retro versus Terraria: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJunk Jack RetroTerraria
Price$0.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.3 (147 ratings)4.5 (48K ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.2% of reviews — better73.9% of reviews
Number of ratings14748K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#3 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS7.1 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB262 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperPixbits SRL505 Games (US), Inc.

Customer experience

Junk Jack Retro

All ratings147 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral6.1%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews888 reviews
Positive84.2%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.5%

Terraria

All ratings47,683 ratings
Positive86.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews1,030 reviews
Positive73.9%
Neutral8.2%
Negative18.0%

User reviews

Junk Jack Retro

From 147 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Long-time fan
  • 💬 Multiplayer request
  • 🎮 Retro feel
  • 👍 Great game
  • 🔍 Lots of content to explore

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes
  • 🔒 Needs more security
  • 🕹️ Clunky controls
  • 💰 Not worth the money
  • 🤔 Confusing

Terraria

From 48K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing game
  • 👍 Great content and features
  • 💎 Excellent value for money
  • 🎮 Engaging gameplay
  • 🌟 Fantastic for all ages

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and glitches
  • 🤯 Complicated new controls
  • 🤔 Lack of customization options
  • ⏱️ Slow world loading times
  • 🤖 Unresponsive NPCs

Bugs and requests

Junk Jack Retro

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Inventory/crafting issues
  • Compatibility problems
  • Saving/loading issues

Requested features

9 requests
  • Multiplayer
  • Creative mode
  • More content updates
  • Armor and weapons
  • Customization options
Show 4 more
  • Larger worlds
  • Liquids and portals
  • Bosses and mobs
  • Quests and progression

Terraria

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Character and world data loss
  • Inventory and crafting issues
  • Multiplayer server connection problems
  • Graphical glitches and visual bugs
  • Inconsistent performance on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add old control scheme as an option
  • Improve cloud save functionality
  • Introduce more biomes and bosses
  • Implement cross-platform multiplayer
  • Allow customization of UI layout

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Junk Jack Retro

One-time10
  • Complete CraftBook$0.99
  • Slime Hat$0.99
  • Botanist Hat$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Chef Hat$0.99
  • Robin Hood Hat$0.99
  • Breeding Hat$0.99
  • Jazon Hat$0.99
  • Frost Ninja Hat$0.99
  • Santa Hat$0.99
  • Golden Logo$2.99
None

Terraria

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Junk Jack Retro free?
Junk Jack Retro costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Terraria free?
Terraria costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Junk Jack Retro or Terraria?
Terraria is rated higher. Junk Jack Retro averages 4.3 out of 5 from 147 ratings, while Terraria averages 4.5 from 48K ratings.
Do Junk Jack Retro or Terraria have ads?
Neither Junk Jack Retro nor Terraria shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Junk Jack Retro or Terraria?
Junk Jack Retro ships an update every 5 weeks, and Terraria every 3 weeks. Most recently, Junk Jack Retro was updated on November 6, 2026 and Terraria on November 7, 2026.

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