PapiStep vs Pac.io
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PapiStep
Guide a character upwards by tapping to jump onto moving platforms. Avoid falling off the screen to keep playing. The game ends if your character falls.
- Tap to jump
- Ascend higher
- Moving platforms
- Endless gameplay
- Left/right screen wrap
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You control Mr.Papi (red ball guy) to go up higher. All you have to do is tap anywhere to jump! Platforms are moving left or right automatically, and you should jump timely to land on a next platform. - The left side of the screen is connected with the right side. - If he falls down, the game is over.
Pac.io
Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.
- Swipe controls for movement
- Strategic power-ups
- Unlockable skins
- Offline and online play
- Intuitive gameplay
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Pac.io – Swipe, Power Up, and Dominate the Grid! Dive into the ultimate io grid-battle! Swipe in four directions, outsmart your opponents, and become the King of the grid. Every move counts—strategize, dodge, and strike to stay on top! Unleash Epic Power-Ups Turn the tide of battle with incredible power-ups: Bomb, Ghost, 5x Multiplier, Magnet, Sword, Thunder, Freeze, Laser, and Speed Up. Eat bigger players, escape tricky situations, and crush your enemies with style. Use them wisely—power waits for no one! Unlock Legendary Skins Show off your legendary skins as you rise through the ranks. Each skin makes you look epic and adds extra flair while you dominate the battlefield. Game Highlights • Play anywhere—offline or online, anytime. • Smooth, intuitive swipe controls for lightning-fast moves. • Easy to learn, impossible to put down. • FREE to play with endless battles, power-ups, and epic fun! Swipe, power up, and conquer—become the ultimate legend in Pac.io!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PapiStep at 4.8 against Pac.io's 4.2. PapiStep also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Pac.io's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 19 months) and ratings volume (340 vs 5). On price, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. PapiStep asks for nothing beyond the download.
PapiStep holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pac.io has 340 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of PapiStep's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's.
PapiStep ships an update every 19 months, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PapiStep | Pac.io |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better | 4.2 (340 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews — better | 53.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 340 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 139 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Yohei Iwasaki | Nomadic Bear Games |
Customer experience
PapiStep
Pac.io
User reviews
PapiStep
From 5 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Nostalgic childhood game
- 👍 Addictive and challenging gameplay
- 💯 Masterpiece and best game ever
- 🚀 Fun and passes time
- 🌟 Highly recommended for PapiJump players
Room to improve
- 😠 Too hard and frustrating
- 👎 Boring after a while
- 🐌 Slow to respond
- 🤷 Confusing and hard to play
- 😞 Not as good as other Papi games
Pac.io
From 340 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 😍 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Fun Pac-Man inspired mechanics
- 👥 Real multiplayer players (not just bots)
- ⚡ Fast-paced and entertaining
- 🏆 Leaderboard and competitive features
Room to improve
- 📺 Excessive ads throughout gameplay
- ⚠️ Ads interrupt and crash the game
- 😤 Unfair difficulty and instant death
- 🎮 Sliding controls instead of D-pad/joystick
- 🤖 Questionable AI behavior and cheating
Bugs and requests
PapiStep
Reported bugs
6 issues- Won't lean
- Doesn't show up on homescreen
- Takes to random internet page
- Papi does not jump when trying to make him jump
- Can't control Papi at all
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- Doesn't jump automatically
Requested features
4 requests- Papi Step 2 game
- More graphics and music
- Different difficulties
- Add something new to make it different
Pac.io
Reported bugs
7 issues- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls
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- Power pellet duration inconsistencies
- Game glitching and crashing frequently
Requested features
9 requests- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones
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- Grace period or invincibility after spawn
- Sound effects and audio
- New items, levels, and game updates
- Revert to original 2024 version
In-app purchases
PapiStep
No in-app purchases
Pac.io
- Small Coin Pack$0.99
- Medium Coin Pack$4.99
- Magnet$4.99
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- Thunder$4.99
- Sword$4.99
- Big Coin Pack$9.99
- No Ads$9.99
- Large Coin Pack$19.99
- Huge Coin Pack$49.99
- Massive Coin Pack$99.99
