Comparison

Starbase Orion vs Lost Frontier

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

Head to head
About

Starbase Orion

Engage in a deep 4X space strategy experience. Explore, expand, and conquer the galaxy by colonizing worlds, designing ships, and outmaneuvering opponents in turn-based combat. Features a robust AI and multiplayer options for galactic domination.

Highlights
  • Explore new worlds
  • Expand your empire
  • Exterminate rivals
  • Design custom ships
  • Engage in turn-based combat
  • Diplomacy and espionage
  • Multiplayer via GameCenter
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

"The best 4X game currently available for mobile" - PocketTactics.com "This one is geek heaven" - AppAdvice.com "Master of Orion in Your Pocket” - GamePro.com "Starbase Orion has an epic-feeling" - TouchArcade.com "Starbase Orion is here, and it's glorious." - TUAW.com Explore. Expand. Exterminate. Can you defeat your friends and become the ruler of the galaxy? Starbase Orion is an old-school 4X space strategy game that draws inspiration from titles such as Master of Orion and Galactic Civilizations. Lead your empire from the birth of its space age; colonize new worlds, explore new horizons, and discover other players attempting to do the same. It is a race to the stars where only one empire can declare victory over the galaxy. New to 4X Strategy Games? No Problem Starbase Orion includes a hand tailored tutorial mission perfect for those new to the genre. It features high-quality voice acting provided by the very talented Maurice Thomas. Aged like a Fine Wine With nearly a five year life span the dedicated community of Starbase Orion players and the developer have produced twenty-four fantastic updates. Each update has introduced new features and player suggested functionality to make the game better, more strategic, and more immersive. Strong Single-Player Experience Compete against a battle-tested artificial intelligence. Our AI was derived from our entry into to 2010 Google AI contest, where it placed in the top 15% of thousands of competing intelligences. Go head-to-head against a single AI opponent, or ramp up the carnage with a 4 way free-for-all. GameCenter Multiplayer Turn-Based Games Starbase Orion was designed to provide a fantastic multiplayer experience. Launch the game, sign into GameCenter, and start a new multiplayer game. No need to coordinate play times or seek out other players. Just go play, when you want and on your terms. Choose Your Race, Or Create Your Own There are five uniques races included; Human, Draske, Vass, Cyban, and Isather. You can also create your own custom race by picking and choosing between different race characteristics. Intense Space Combat Design your ships from a variety of weapons, hull, and systems. Send them into battle against the enemy. Give them orders, then watch the battle in unfold as they duke it out in the dark expanses of space. Diplomacy, Espionage, Free Agents Direct confrontations not your cup of tea? Negotiate your way to victory through diplomatic endeavors. Confound your enemies with an army of spies. Contract one of the many power and unique leaders to help you to victory. iCloud Support Starbase Orion is built from the ground up for iOS 5. It supports iCloud so that your saved games are instantly available on all of your devices. Start a game at home on your iPad, then pick it up again the next day on your iPhone. Simple, streamlined, fantastic. Universal - You Bought the Cool Gadgets, Go Play on Them Full support for iPad, iPhone, iPod, standard and Retina displays. Play when you want, where you want. Guaranteed Pricing While it is quite common for apps to become “free for a day”, Starbase Orion is not one of those apps. The standard price for Starbase Orion is $7.99 USD; it will never run a “free for a day” campaign. Tens of thousands of players have placed their confidence in us by purchasing Starbase Orion, and this is our guarantee to you. Guaranteed Free Updates We have a lot more planned for Starbase Orion. We plan to release all updates for free, without any hidden fees or In-App Purchases.

About

Lost Frontier

A turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy-western world blending steampunk and supernatural elements. Lead unique units and legendary heroes through story and challenge modes, or create custom games.

Highlights
  • Turn-based strategy gameplay
  • Story mode with 24 chapters
  • Challenge mode with 20 missions
  • 20 unique unit types
  • 9 playable 'Living Legend' heroes
  • Custom game modes with AI or local multiplayer
Features
Read full description

Lost Frontier is a turn-based strategy game, brought to you from the creators of the Battleheart and Zombieville series'. In a fantasy-western setting consumed by steam-punk technology and the supernatural, can you survive with just your wit and a six-gun at your side? Features: • Story Mode - Play through 24 chapters that introduce you to the gameplay, characters, and world of Lost Frontier. • Challenge Mode - once you've mastered the mechanics, put your knowledge to the test in a series of 20 demanding missions. • 20 Unique Unit types - take command of a wide range of Wild West forces, from Gunslingers and Cavalry to civil-war era Cannons and Gatling Guns. Or, employ more exotic weapons like steam-powered Gyrocopters and Zeppelins, and enlist the help of dark forces like Werewolves and Necromancers. • Living Legends - choose a "Living Legend" as the leader of your forces. Each of the 9 unique legends grow in power as you play with them, and promote different play styles. Will you pick your foes off from a distance as Wyatt "Long-Arm" Wilcox, or focus on brute force with the help of ace gunslinger John "6-eyes" McGraw? • Custom Games - choose from a variety of maps, set up the rules, and play with or against AI or human players via local, hot-seat play.

Screenshots

Starbase Orion4 screens
Lost Frontier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Starbase Orion at none against Lost Frontier's 9. Starbase Orion also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and chart position (#186 vs unranked). Lost Frontier's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $7.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On ratings volume, 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

Starbase Orion costs $7.99 and Lost Frontier $2.99 up front. Lost Frontier sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Starbase Orion asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Starbase Orion holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 329 and 200 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Starbase Orion's written reviews are positive against 72% of Lost Frontier's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starbase Orion ships an update every 3 months, Lost Frontier monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Starbase Orion versus Lost Frontier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarbase OrionLost Frontier
Price$7.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.7 (329 ratings) — better4.2 (200 ratings)
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews — better72.3% of reviews
Number of ratings329 — better200
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#186 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.26.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size239 MB153 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperChimera Software, LLCMika Mobile, Inc.

Customer experience

Starbase Orion

All ratings329 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral4.9%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews316 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral7.0%
Negative11.7%

Lost Frontier

All ratings200 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral9.0%
Negative14.5%
Written reviews159 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral10.1%
Negative17.6%

User reviews

Starbase Orion

From 329 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent 4x strategy game
  • 👍 Faithful recreation of Master of Orion
  • 🚀 Continuously updated with new features
  • 👍 Vibrant player community
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay and intuitive controls

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔍 Limited diplomacy and foreign relations
  • 🔍 Automated combat lacks depth
  • 🔍 Repetitive late-game experience
  • 🔍 Outdated visuals

Lost Frontier

From 200 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Well-made game from top to bottom
  • 👍 Immersive story and gameplay
  • 👍 Great turn-based strategy experience
  • 👍 Excellent value for the price
  • 👍 Charming art style and characters

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • 🔍 Difficulty can be too high, especially for newer players
  • 🔍 Lack of difficulty settings or options
  • 🔍 Repetitive dialogue and tutorials
  • 🔍 Reverse day/night effects for some characters

Bugs and requests

Starbase Orion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and save file corruption
  • UI issues with overlapping text and unresponsive controls
  • Multiplayer matchmaking and connectivity problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • More ship classes and customization options
  • Expanded tech tree and research system
  • Deeper diplomacy and espionage mechanics
  • Manual control of ship combat
  • Improved end-game content and victory conditions

Lost Frontier

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezes or crashes on newer iOS versions
  • Certain character abilities not functioning as intended
  • Incorrect day/night bonuses for some Living Legends

Requested features

4 requests
  • Online multiplayer mode
  • Map editor and custom scenario creation
  • Ability to skip tutorials after initial completion
  • More varied soundtracks and visual environments

In-app purchases

None

Starbase Orion

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Lost Frontier

One-time9
  • Boost McGraw$0.99
  • Boost Wilcox$0.99
  • Boost Valentine$0.99
Show 6 more
  • Boost Undertaker$0.99
  • Boost Jake$0.99
  • Boost Dutch$0.99
  • Boost Hawken$0.99
  • Boost Ghast$0.99
  • Boost Romanov$0.99

Questions

Is Starbase Orion free?
Starbase Orion costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lost Frontier free?
Lost Frontier costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starbase Orion or Lost Frontier?
Starbase Orion is rated higher. Starbase Orion averages 4.7 out of 5 from 329 ratings, while Lost Frontier averages 4.2 from 200 ratings.
Do Starbase Orion or Lost Frontier have ads?
Neither Starbase Orion nor Lost Frontier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starbase Orion or Lost Frontier?
Starbase Orion ships an update every 3 months, and Lost Frontier monthly. Most recently, Starbase Orion was updated on November 6, 2026 and Lost Frontier on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons