Nihilumbra vs Samorost 3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nihilumbra
Embark on an adventure to discover a beautiful world and escape an inevitable curse. Learn to use colors to gain abilities and transform your surroundings while being pursued by an ancient force. This game offers over 10 hours of gameplay with a unique story and challenging mechanics.
- Over 10 hours of gameplay
- Classic gameplay redesigned for touch devices
- Change ground physics with five colors
- Transform five unique worlds
- Two control schemes: buttons or tilt
- Original soundtrack
- Unlockable surprise and replayability
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*** Apple's Best of 2012 Hidden Gems *** Has to be be downloaded over a Wi-Fi connection. Discover the beautiful world of Nihilumbra and join Born on his adventure to find himself whilst trying to escape from his inevitable curse. Born was created from the absolute nothingness: The Void. But somehow he separates himself from the black emptiness and appears in the world. This is where his long odyssey begins, in which he will learn how to use the colors around him to gain powerful abilities and transform the world. However, his experiences come at a high price. The Void must be one. It seeks to reclaim him and will never stop chasing him, destroying everything in its path along the way. To survive, Born will have to condemn the earth he walks to its inevitable obliteration by The Void... FEATURES: - More than 10 hours of gameplay. - “Old school” playability inspired by classic games but redesigned for tactile devices. - The ability to change ground physics using five different colors. - Use five worlds as your canvas and transform them at your will. - Two different control schemes: Classic buttons or tilting sensor. - Original soundtrack composed by Álvaro Lafuente. Headphones recommended. - Unlockable surprise on completion of the game. Replayability assured.
Samorost 3
Embark on a cosmic journey as a curious space gnome exploring nine unique alien worlds. Solve puzzles and uncover mysteries using a magic flute. This award-winning adventure game features beautiful artwork, sound, and music.
- Exploration adventure game
- Puzzle solving
- Magic flute powers
- Nine unique alien worlds
- Beautiful artwork and music
- Curious space gnome protagonist
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Samorost 3 is an exploration adventure and puzzle game from the award-winning creators of Machinarium and Botanicula. It is Amanita Design’s most ambitious experience to date and a loose continuation of the hit indie games Samorost and Samorost 2. Samorost 3 follows a curious space gnome who uses the powers of a magic flute to travel across the cosmos in search of its mysterious origins. Visit nine unique and alien worlds teeming with colorful challenges, creatures and surprises to discover, brought to life with beautiful artwork, sound and music. We recommend playing with headphones for a greater experience! What the press said: “Possibly the most beautiful point-and-click adventure I've ever played.” - Destructoid “The best adventure game in years.” - Kill Screen “A worthy follow-up to Machinarium and Botanicula.” - Pocket Gamer “Arguably the greatest game to come out of Amanita Design.” - PC Gamer “Samorost 3's setting is immediately entrancing.” - GameSpot “All of the music is incredible.” - GameZebo “Samorost 3 is a game that feels alive.” - Stuff
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Nihilumbra at every 2 months against Samorost 3's every 7 months. Nihilumbra also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (88% vs 75%). Samorost 3's advantage is ratings volume (568 vs 104) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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
Nihilumbra costs $2.99 and Samorost 3 $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Nihilumbra holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samorost 3 has 568 ratings behind it against 104, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Nihilumbra's written reviews are positive against 75% of Samorost 3's.
Nihilumbra ships an update every 2 months, Samorost 3 every 7 months. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.
| Parameter | Nihilumbra | Samorost 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (104 ratings) — better | 4.5 (568 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews — better | 74.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 104 | 568 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #164 | #55 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 5.1.1 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 665 MB | 1.2 GB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | BEAUTIFUN GAMES SL | Amanita Design s.r.o. |
Customer experience
Nihilumbra
Samorost 3
User reviews
Nihilumbra
From 104 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Beautiful game
- 👍 Engaging story
- 👍 Innovative gameplay
- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Atmospheric music
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🐛 Controls issues
- 🐛 Lack of iPhone 5/X support
- 🔋 High battery consumption
Samorost 3
From 568 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💎 Amazing graphics and visuals
- 🎶 Wonderful soundtrack and sound design
- 🤗 Charming and quirky characters
- 🧠 Challenging and rewarding puzzles
- 🌍 Immersive and imaginative world-building
Room to improve
- 🤯 Some puzzles are overly obscure and difficult
- ⏱️ Slow pacing and progression at times
- 💾 Occasional save/load issues and loss of progress
- 📱 Not optimized for smaller screens
Bugs and requests
Nihilumbra
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on certain levels
- Unresponsive controls in intense moments
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
3 requests- Update with more levels and content
- Sequel or additional games from the developer
- Improved controls and customization options
Samorost 3
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game crashes on certain devices
- Compatibility issues with older iOS versions
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to restart the game from the beginning
- More detailed instructions and tutorials
- Support for larger screens like iPad Pro
In-app purchases
Nihilumbra
No in-app purchases
Samorost 3
No in-app purchases
