# Machinarium vs Nihilumbra

The clearest difference is price: Nihilumbra at $2.99 against Machinarium's $9.99. Nihilumbra also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (88% vs 69%). Machinarium's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 108) and chart position (#106 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Machinarium costs $9.99 and Nihilumbra $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Nihilumbra holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Machinarium has 1K ratings behind it against 108, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Machinarium's written reviews are positive against 88% of Nihilumbra's.

Machinarium ships an update every 5 weeks, Nihilumbra every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Machinarium | Nihilumbra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinarium/id459189186/reviews) | **[4.7 (108 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihilumbra/id500161349/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 108 |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews | **87.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#106** | — |
| Size | 302 MB | 665 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **5.1.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Amanita Design s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/423984213) | [BEAUTIFUN GAMES SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/498443765) |

## What reviewers say

### Machinarium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinarium/id459189186)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Paid · Puzzle, #153 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on an adventure as a robot named Josef to rescue his girlfriend, Berta, who has been kidnapped by a criminal gang. Explore a unique robot city and solve puzzles to achieve your goal.

**Highlights:** Robot protagonist, Story-driven adventure, Puzzle solving, Unique robot city setting, Award-winning visuals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and graphics
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack and sound design
- 🤖 Cute and engaging main character
- 🧠 Challenging and rewarding puzzles
- 👍 Immersive and atmospheric game world

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty in seeing small details on mobile screens
- 🕹️ Clunky or unresponsive touch controls
- 🤔 Puzzles can be overly obscure or unintuitive
- 🕰️ Repetitive gameplay in some areas
- 💤 Slow pacing can feel tedious at times

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on certain devices
- Glitches preventing progress in key areas
- Inconsistent responsiveness of interactive elements

**Requested features**

- Difficulty settings or customization options
- Ability to skip or bypass certain mini-games
- Improved save/resume functionality
- Expanded story or sequel content


### Nihilumbra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihilumbra/id500161349)

Embark on an adventure to discover a beautiful world and escape an inevitable curse. Learn to use colors to gain abilities and transform your surroundings while being pursued by an ancient force. This game offers over 10 hours of gameplay with a unique story and challenging mechanics.

**Highlights:** Over 10 hours of gameplay, Classic gameplay redesigned for touch devices, Change ground physics with five colors, Transform five unique worlds, Two control schemes: buttons or tilt, Original soundtrack, Unlockable surprise and replayability

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Beautiful game
- 👍 Engaging story
- 👍 Innovative gameplay
- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Atmospheric music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🐛 Controls issues
- 🐛 Lack of iPhone 5/X support
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on certain levels
- Unresponsive controls in intense moments
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Update with more levels and content
- Sequel or additional games from the developer
- Improved controls and customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Machinarium free?

Machinarium costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nihilumbra free?

Nihilumbra costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Machinarium or Nihilumbra?

Nihilumbra is rated higher. Machinarium averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Nihilumbra averages 4.7 from 108 ratings.

### Do Machinarium or Nihilumbra have ads?

Neither Machinarium nor Nihilumbra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Machinarium or Nihilumbra?

Machinarium ships an update every 5 weeks, and Nihilumbra every 2 months. Most recently, Machinarium was updated on October 26, 2026 and Nihilumbra on October 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*