# Mars Quest vs Gargoyle Ruins

The clearest difference is price: Mars Quest at Free against Gargoyle Ruins's $1.99. Mars Quest also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months). Gargoyle Ruins's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Mars Quest is free to download; Gargoyle Ruins costs $1.99 up front. Mars Quest sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Gargoyle Ruins sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mars Quest holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Quest has 91 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Mars Quest's written reviews are positive against 52% of Gargoyle Ruins's.

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, Gargoyle Ruins every 8 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Quest | Gargoyle Ruins |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.0 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-quest-8-bit/id491304485/reviews)** | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gargoyle-ruins/id615159935/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **91** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **68.5% of reviews** | 51.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 98 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [First Class Media B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1394094946) | [Game Stew](https://appshunter.io/developer/517689895) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars Quest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-quest-8-bit/id491304485)

Embark on a challenging retro adventure guiding an astronaut through alien-infested Martian levels. Experience nostalgic 8-bit graphics and music while avoiding obstacles and increasing speed. Compete with friends via Game Center.

**Highlights:** 8-bit retro music, Guide astronaut through levels, Avoid aliens and obstacles, Smart level progression, Increasing speed challenges, Game Center scores and achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove advertising | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 extra life | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 extra lives | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 extra lives | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25 extra lives | $4.99 | one-time |


### Gargoyle Ruins

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gargoyle-ruins/id615159935)

Embark on a retro adventure inspired by classic tabletop arcade games. Solve a kingdom's mystery, rescue kidnapped girls, and defeat evil forces through challenging gameplay and engaging story.

**Highlights:** Retro VFD tabletop arcade style, Story Mode with mystery and upgrades, Arcade Mode with global leaderboards, Over 50 upgradeable items, 40 challenging achievements, Multiple death scenarios

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000G | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2500G | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7500G | $4.99 | one-time |
| 25000G | $9.99 | one-time |
| 42000G | $14.99 | one-time |
| 62000G | $19.99 | one-time |
| 85000G | $24.99 | one-time |
| 150000G | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Quest free?

Mars Quest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gargoyle Ruins free?

Gargoyle Ruins costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mars Quest or Gargoyle Ruins?

Mars Quest is rated higher. Mars Quest averages 4.0 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while Gargoyle Ruins averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Mars Quest or Gargoyle Ruins have ads?

Mars Quest shows ads; Gargoyle Ruins does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Quest or Gargoyle Ruins?

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, and Gargoyle Ruins every 8 months. Most recently, Mars Quest was updated on November 1, 2026 and Gargoyle Ruins on November 1, 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.*