# Mars Quest vs CastleRise

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CastleRise at none against Mars Quest's 5. CastleRise also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Mars Quest's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mars Quest sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. CastleRise asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, CastleRise every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Quest | CastleRise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-quest-8-bit/id491304485/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **91** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 98 MB | 355 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [First Class Media B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1394094946) | [COMETALK](https://appshunter.io/developer/799314827) |

## 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 |


### CastleRise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlerise/id6758389706)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Quest free?

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

### Is CastleRise free?

CastleRise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mars Quest or CastleRise have ads?

Both Mars Quest and CastleRise show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Quest or CastleRise?

Mars Quest ships an update fortnightly, and CastleRise every 4 days. Most recently, Mars Quest was updated on October 23, 2026 and CastleRise on October 24, 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.*