Comparison

Mech Pilot vs Nightgate

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

Head to head
About

Mech Pilot

Engage in large-scale urban warfare as a mech pilot fighting an alien invasion. Destroy enemies to collect energy for upgrades, unlock new weapons, and master dodging maneuvers. Experience immersive 3D environments with advanced graphical features.

Highlights
  • Large-scale urban warfare
  • Destroy, loot, and upgrade mech
  • Swipe to dodge incoming fire
  • Variety of weapons
  • Encounter unique enemies
  • Immersive city environments
Features
Read full description

"Very addicting and fun" "Benchmark in its genre." "Mech Pilot plays surprisingly well on the compact touchscreen" The Mech War has begun! General Riffin has joined forces with the alien race Kryllex to overthrow our King. I am Cara, the rebellion leader. I have sent out this training program to other worlds, searching for the best Mech Pilots in the universe. If you train well, you will be contacted… Large scale urban warfare: Explore immersive city environments Destroy, loot, and upgrade: Collect Electro energy from your downed enemies and use it to upgrade the defensive and offensive capabilities of your mech. The more you play, the more powerful and farther you will get, so keep practicing pilot! *NEW* Swipe to Dodge Now you can swipe left or right to jump sideways, or swipe down to evade incoming fire! Variety of weapons: Weapons include machine gun, lasers, homing missiles, ion cannon, and a sniper mode. Encounter unique enemies: Enemies include tanks, jeeps, helicopters, alien scouts, patrols, bombers, soldier, elite, and titan mechs. Roadblocks: Sometimes you will be blocked and need to eliminate a single or group of enemies to proceed. The latest in IOS and 3D features: Social integration to share your rank Real time entire scene dynamic soft shadows God rays 3D sound (best with headphones) Full screen antialiasing on iPhone 5 and iPad 3 Universal App; Play Mech Pilot on iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2, the New iPad, iPod Touch 4, iPod Touch 5 for a single low price. For more games visit www.RockingPocketGames.com

About

Nightgate

Navigate a dark, digital world in the year 2398 as the last remaining life form on Earth. Explore 50 handcrafted levels, avoid enemies, and uncover the mysteries of this futuristic landscape. Enjoy an immersive experience with a stunning minimalist design and original soundtrack.

Highlights
  • 50 handcrafted levels
  • Avoid enemies
  • Immersive digital environments
  • Original soundtrack
  • Minimalist design
  • Discover achievements
  • iCloud progress sync
Features
Read full description

In the year 2398, a network of intelligent computers known as Nightgate, is the last remaining life form on Earth. "Stunning" - The Daily Dot "A Neon-Soaked Art Installation" - Stuff TV "One of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while" - MacStories "A Gorgeous Minimalist Experience" - TouchArcade "Top 10 Indie Mobile Games of 2016" - Indie Game Reviewer "10 Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2016" - FACT Magazine "A pretty cool mixture of laid back and frantic" - Gamezebo "Wide range of challenges and mechanics" - Pocket Gamer "Feels right at home on the Apple TV" - iLounge "Wonderfully Intuitive Controls" - Cult of Mac "A Triumph in Design" - TapSmart "Immersive and Captivating" - AppAdvice –– Step into the computer and make your way through 50 handcrafted levels. Avoid enemies as you interact with a dark digital world and explore what lies beyond the futuristic landscapes of Nightgate. Features: • Universal app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV • No ads, no in-app purchases • Immersive digital environments • Over 40 minutes of original soundtrack (also available on iTunes Music Store) • Minimalist design featuring vibrant colors and complex geometries • Discover achievements scattered throughout the game • In-game camera to capture beautiful screenshots • Sync your progress using iCloud • Fully localized for English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese and Russian

Screenshots

Mech Pilot4 screens
Nightgate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nightgate at 95% against Mech Pilot's 26%. Nightgate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Mech Pilot's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months) and price ($1.99 vs $3.99). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Mech Pilot costs $1.99 and Nightgate $3.99 up front. Mech Pilot sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Nightgate asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nightgate holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nightgate has 1.3K ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Mech Pilot's written reviews are positive against 95% of Nightgate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mech Pilot ships an update every 5 weeks, Nightgate every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Mech Pilot versus Nightgate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMech PilotNightgate
Price$1.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.3 (40 ratings)4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.6% of reviews94.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings401.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size168 MB162 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperChris EgerterSemidome Inc.

Customer experience

Mech Pilot

All ratings40 ratings
Positive77.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive25.6%
Neutral15.4%
Negative59.0%

Nightgate

All ratings1,274 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews1,006 reviews
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.4%

User reviews

Mech Pilot

From 40 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Good graphics and visuals
  • 👍 Fun for MechWarrior fans
  • 🎮 Addictive gameplay
  • 🎶 Good sound effects
  • 🕹️ Nostalgic MechWarrior style

Room to improve

  • 🕹️ Awkward/poor controls
  • 🚫 Limited movement/on-rails
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes/unplayable
  • 😵 Confusing controls
  • 📉 Steep learning curve

Nightgate

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎨 Stunning visuals
  • 🎵 Immersive soundtrack
  • 👍 Simple yet challenging
  • 🌟 Unique and innovative

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🕹️ Slightly difficult controls
  • 📏 Levels could be more varied
  • 🕰️ Game is a bit short

Bugs and requests

Mech Pilot

Reported bugs

26 issues
  • Screen stretched/off screen
  • Touchscreen coordinates not calibrated
  • App loads but doesn't display properly
  • App kicks out immediately
  • Game loads off to the side
Show 21 more
  • Ammo depletes without warning
  • Cannot get to next mission
  • Crashes too often
  • Cannot load game
  • Game crashes each time
  • Cannot get into level 1
  • Game crashes before starting
  • Doesn't open on iPad 1
  • Keeps exiting the game
  • Cannot get to stage 1
  • Not compatible with iOS version
  • Game not cool at all
  • Cannot adjust sound and music controls
  • Not optimized for iPhone 5
  • No free movement
  • Harvest button stops when camera moves
  • Upgrades don't change mech look
  • No strafing, jumping, running, tilt controls
  • Moves forward without touching button
  • Stops dead when meeting first mech
  • Cheaters in global rank

Requested features

19 requests
  • More levels
  • Radar like original
  • Bigger environment
  • Reverse Y axis option
  • iCade controller support
Show 14 more
  • Free roam/open world
  • Instructions
  • Zoom/scope option
  • Save points
  • Jump jets
  • True strafing/side-to-side control
  • Better control mechanism
  • Gesture activated controls
  • Adjustable sensitivity
  • Tilt fire control
  • Third person view with full mobility
  • More shoulder weapons
  • Google Maps integration (for iOS users)
  • Dark mode

Nightgate

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game crashes when switching apps
  • Levels sometimes reset unexpectedly

Requested features

3 requests
  • More levels and content updates
  • Ability to reset progress
  • Multiplayer or online features

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mech Pilot

One-time1
  • Metronosis Level Pack$0.99
None

Nightgate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mech Pilot free?
Mech Pilot costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Nightgate free?
Nightgate costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mech Pilot or Nightgate?
Nightgate is rated higher. Mech Pilot averages 4.3 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Nightgate averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Mech Pilot or Nightgate have ads?
Neither Mech Pilot nor Nightgate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mech Pilot or Nightgate?
Mech Pilot ships an update every 5 weeks, and Nightgate every 5 months. Most recently, Mech Pilot was updated on October 14, 2026 and Nightgate on October 16, 2026.

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