Comparison

Emerald Mine vs Pac.io

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

Head to head
About

Emerald Mine

Navigate treacherous underground caves as a miner, collecting gems to unlock exit portals. Avoid hazards like exploding bugs, tanks, aliens, and falling debris. Relive a classic Amiga experience with over 6,000 levels.

Highlights
  • Collect gems to open exit portals
  • Avoid hazards: bugs, tanks, aliens, acid
  • Over 6,000 classic levels
  • MFi controller support
  • Game Center high scores
  • Touchscreen controls
Features
Read full description

Emerald Mine for iOS. Based on the Rocks N Diamonds codebase but only includes the Emerald Mine levels. Game Center global high scores. In Emerald Mine you play as a miner trapped deep underground. Your objective is to collect the minimum number of gems to open the exit portals. Explore the caves to find all the gems and try to avoid the hazards which include exploding bugs, tanks, aliens and acid pools. Be careful of falling boulders and debris as they will crush you. Relive the classic Amiga game, Emerald Mine. This is a fan port of the game updated to play on all iOS devices. All classic art and sounds are included as well as the original levels for Emerald Mine 1, 2 and 3 plus some bonus levels from the Emerald Mine archive. In total there are more than 6,000 levels. Swipe on the right half of the screen to move your character. Tap and hold on the left side then swipe on the right side to grab a nearby block. MFi controllers supported

About

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.

Highlights
  • Swipe controls for movement
  • Strategic power-ups
  • Unlockable skins
  • Offline and online play
  • Intuitive gameplay
Features
Read full description

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

Emerald Mine4 screens
Pac.io4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Emerald Mine at none against Pac.io's 10. Emerald Mine also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Pac.io's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (297 vs 32). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Emerald Mine asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pac.io holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pac.io has 297 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Emerald Mine's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emerald Mine ships an update every 2 weeks, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Emerald Mine versus Pac.io: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmerald MinePac.io
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (32 ratings)4.2 (297 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.1% of reviews — better53.9% of reviews
Number of ratings32297 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB139 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLes BirdNomadic Bear Games

Customer experience

Emerald Mine

All ratings32 ratings
Positive71.9%
Neutral12.5%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive55.1%
Neutral16.3%
Negative28.6%

Pac.io

All ratings297 ratings
Positive78.5%
Neutral4.7%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive53.9%
Neutral10.1%
Negative36.0%

Bugs and requests

Emerald Mine

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
Show 2 more
  • 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
Show 4 more
  • Grace period or invincibility after spawn
  • Sound effects and audio
  • New items, levels, and game updates
  • Revert to original 2024 version

In-app purchases

None

Emerald Mine

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Pac.io

One-time10
  • Small Coin Pack$0.99
  • Medium Coin Pack$4.99
  • Magnet$4.99
Show 7 more
  • 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

Questions

Is Emerald Mine free?
Emerald Mine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pac.io free?
Pac.io is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Emerald Mine or Pac.io?
Pac.io is rated higher. Emerald Mine averages 4.0 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Pac.io averages 4.2 from 297 ratings.
Do Emerald Mine or Pac.io have ads?
Pac.io shows ads; Emerald Mine does not.
Which is updated more often, Emerald Mine or Pac.io?
Emerald Mine ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pac.io fortnightly. Most recently, Emerald Mine was updated on September 20, 2026 and Pac.io on September 21, 2026.

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