Comparison

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) vs Afterplace

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

Head to head
About

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)

Embark on an epic role-playing adventure across different eras to save the planet. This definitive edition features updated graphics, sound, and new dungeons for an enhanced experience.

Highlights
  • Time travel across multiple eras
  • Active Time Battle Version 2
  • Over 50 character combos
  • Dimensional Vortex dungeon
  • Lost Sanctum dungeon
  • Updated graphics and sound
Read full description

Journey to the forgotten past, to the far future, and to the end of time. A big adventure to save the planet, now begins… CHRONO TRIGGER is the timeless role-playing classic developed by the ‘Dream Team’ of DRAGON QUEST creator Yuji Horii, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, and the creators of FINAL FANTASY. As the story unfolds, embark on a journey to different eras: the present, the middle ages, the future, prehistory, and ancient times! Whether you're a first-time player or a longtime fan, this epic quest to save a planet's future promises hours of enthralling adventure! As the definitive version of CHRONO TRIGGER, not only have the controls been updated, the graphics and sound have also been revamped to make your adventure even more fun and enjoyable to play. To complete your journey, also included is the mysterious ‘Dimensional Vortex’ dungeon and the forgotten ‘Lost Sanctum’ dungeon. Meet the challenges presented to you and long-lost secrets may be revealed... Story: A chance encounter amid the festivities of Guardia's Millennial Fair in Leene Square introduces our young hero, Crono, to a girl by the name of Marle. Deciding to explore the fair together, the two soon find themselves at an exhibition of the Telepod, the latest invention by Crono's longtime friend Lucca. Marle, fearless and brimming with curiosity, volunteers to assist in a demonstration. An unanticipated malfunction, however, sends her hurtling through a rift in the dimensions. Taking hold of the girl's pendant, Crono bravely follows in pursuit. But the world into which he emerges is the one of four centuries before. Journey to the forgotten past, the distant future, and even to the very End of Time. The epic quest to save a planet's future makes history once again. Key features: Active Time Battle Version 2 During battle, time will not stop, and you can enter commands when the character's gauge is full. The enemies' positions will change as time passes, so choose your actions based on any given situation. ‘Tech’ moves and combos During battle, you can unleash special ‘Tech’ moves, including abilities and/or magic and characters can combine these abilities to unleash all new combo attacks which are unique to them. There are over 50 different types of combos that you can execute between two and three characters! Experience the 'Dimensional Vortex' and the 'Lost Sanctum' dungeons The Dimensional Vortex: a mysterious, ever-changing dungeon existing outside of space and time. What wonders await you at its center? The Lost Sanctum: enigmatic gates in prehistoric and medieval times will lead you to these forgotten chambers. Meet the challenges presented to you and long-lost secrets may be revealed... Graphics and sound While keeping the atmosphere of the original, the graphics have been updated in higher resolution. As for the sound and music, under the supervision of composer Yasunori Mitsuda, all songs have been updated for an even more immersive gameplay experience. Autosave In addition to saving at a save point or choosing to quit from the menu, your progress is saved automatically while traversing the map. --------------------------------------------

About

Afterplace

Embark on an open-world adventure on your mobile device, exploring a vast landscape filled with hidden secrets, treasures, and quirky characters. Engage in combat, uncover mysteries, and forge your own path through a world without waypoints.

Highlights
  • Open world exploration
  • Hidden secrets and treasures
  • Combat with monsters
  • Interactive characters
  • No virtual buttons
  • Dynamic control adaptation
Features
Read full description

An open world adventure game filled with silly characters and terrible secrets. Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It's a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You'll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though - you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed nooks. There are no waypoints in Afterplace. You'll have to forge your own path. Afterplace has been designed from the ground up to be a fast, fluid, beautiful experience for mobile. There are no virtual buttons. You can move and attack by touching anywhere. You can tap objects directly to interact or attack, use two thumbs like a traditional controller, or control the game with a physical gamepad. The game will adapt dynamically to your play style. Pick up and set down the game at your own pace, it will always save your progress. Afterplace is made to feel like a full-fledged indie adventure game that fits in your pocket. About the Author: Afterplace is made by one person, Evan Kice. A former software engineer from Austin TX, Evan quit his job (to the dismay of his friends and family) and has been working full time on Afterplace since early 2019. The initial game released in December of 2022, but Evan plans on continuing to support and polish the game when he can!

Screenshots

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)4 screens
Afterplace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Afterplace at monthly against CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)'s every 10 months. Afterplace also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (94% vs 66%). CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)'s advantage is chart position (#10 vs #45). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) costs $9.99 and Afterplace $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Afterplace holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 613 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)'s written reviews are positive against 94% of Afterplace's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) ships an update every 10 months, Afterplace monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) versus Afterplace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)Afterplace
Price$9.99$6.99 — better
Rating4.5 (1.3K ratings)4.9 (613 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.3% of reviews94.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better613
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#10 — better#45
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size532 MB249 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperSQUARE ENIXEvan Kice

Customer experience

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)

All ratings1,300 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral5.2%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews406 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral11.3%
Negative22.4%

Afterplace

All ratings613 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews250 reviews
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.6%

User reviews

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great game, classic JRPG
  • 👍 Faithful port of the original
  • 👍 Runs well on iOS devices
  • 👍 Supports controllers
  • 👍 Cloud save functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Graphical issues and glitches
  • 🐛 Targeting and controls can be clunky
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔍 Lack of language/UI customization options

Afterplace

From 613 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Charming characters and dialogue
  • 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and visuals
  • 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
  • 💡 Unique story and world-building

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • 🔍 Lack of a map or quest log can lead to getting lost
  • 🔍 Some plot points not fully explained
  • 🔍 Limited weapon/item variety

Bugs and requests

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Graphical glitches on iPhone 5s and newer
  • Crashes during certain boss battles
  • Inability to transfer save data across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add option to disable graphical filters
  • Improve touch controls and targeting
  • Add support for Apple Silicon Macs
  • Include more content from DS/PS1 versions
  • Implement volume/sound controls

Afterplace

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on certain devices
  • Saves not loading properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to restart or replay the game
  • More in-depth combat and progression systems

In-app purchases

None

CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.)

No in-app purchases

None

Afterplace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) free?
CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Afterplace free?
Afterplace costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) or Afterplace?
Afterplace is rated higher. CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Afterplace averages 4.9 from 613 ratings.
Do CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) or Afterplace have ads?
Neither CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) nor Afterplace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) or Afterplace?
CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) ships an update every 10 months, and Afterplace monthly. Most recently, CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) was updated on September 24, 2026 and Afterplace on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) or Afterplace?
CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and Afterplace at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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