Stardash vs Sword & Penguin
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Stardash
Experience a challenging retro platformer with classic gameplay and vibrant pixel art. Master difficult levels with infinite lives, unlock secret areas, and enjoy an authentic chiptune soundtrack. This game offers a rewarding experience for those who love a good challenge.
- Classic platformer gameplay
- Challenging levels
- Infinite lives
- Unlockable temple levels
- Flip-mode challenges
- Retro graphics
- Original chiptune soundtrack
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Not just the looks of a classic game, also the gameplay of a classic platformer. This game is NOT EASY! you have an endless amount of lives, so you can quickly restart a level when you miss a jump, get hit by an enemy, get bitten by a plant, get hit by a spiky-ball, crushed by big statues, run onto spikes, get hit by a wasp, or any of the other many ways you’ll get stopped in your run. BUT when you do complete a level, the rush you get will keep you coming back for more, and more, and more, and.. Unlock special temple levels by finding hidden keys, unlock a flip-mode by completing a level both within the time set, and also by collecting all the coins in a level. Stardash is all about the gameplay thrown at you in awesome retro graphics and original chiptunes. ** OTHERS SAY: "all the ingredients needed for platforming excellence" - iFanzine "Orange Pixel nailed everything they were going for in this veritable symphony of old school gaming." - Appolicious "back to my early years, playing my favorite platform games" - unbound gamer "if you’re not gonna grab this, you will miss something truly wonderful" - app-score
Sword & Penguin
Embark on an adventure to rescue kidnapped penguin eggs from invading polar bears. Solve hundreds of daily puzzles, defeat bosses, and create your own levels. Supports touch, swipe, and controller input.
- Hundreds of daily puzzles
- Level editor for user creations
- Boss battles against bear army
- Touch, swipe, and controller support
- Rescue kidnapped penguin eggs
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The polar bears have invaded the penguin kingdom and egg-napped your younglings! Use your wits and agility to become the legendary hero. Solve hundreds of quirky puzzles - new puzzles added every day! Sword & Penguin features a level editor for showcasing your own creations & ability to solve them. Defeat the bear army and its bosses. Supports touch, swipe and MFI controller input.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sword & Penguin at Free against Stardash's $1.99. Sword & Penguin also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (100% vs 69%). Stardash's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (24 vs 2). On 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
Sword & Penguin is free to download; Stardash costs $1.99 up front. Sword & Penguin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stardash asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sword & Penguin holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stardash has 24 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Stardash's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sword & Penguin's.
Stardash ships an update every 3 weeks, Sword & Penguin monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stardash | Sword & Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (24 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 24 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Pascal Bestebroer | Easy 8 Software |
Customer experience
Stardash
Sword & Penguin
Bugs and requests
Stardash
Reported bugs
11 issues- Jump button disappeared after update
- Game crashes on iOS 7
- Doesn't work with iOS 11
- Proximity to enemies kills needs work
- Hit detection is weird
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- Animation could be smoother
- Collision detection needs to be tighter
- Controls broken on iControlPad in iCade mode
- Crash on launch
- Frame rate issues
- Invisible walls for secret areas
Requested features
15 requests- Joystick for movement
- Make Shesan Level 9 easier
- Update for iOS 11 compatibility
- Full screen on iPhone 5
- More sound effects
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- Character upgradable
- Make game compatible with 60beat controller
- Add mega difficulty mode
- Fix achievements
- Move OpenFeint logo
- Rearrange buttons
- More levels
- Add color or costume for character
- Unique control system
- Flip iPad upside down for headphone jack clearance
Sword & Penguin
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Stardash
No in-app purchases
Sword & Penguin
- Hint Book$1.99
Questions
Is Stardash free?
Is Sword & Penguin free?
Which has better reviews, Stardash or Sword & Penguin?
Do Stardash or Sword & Penguin have ads?
Which is updated more often, Stardash or Sword & Penguin?
Other comparisons
