Comparison

Spaceward Ho! vs XCOM 2 Collection

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

Head to head
About

Spaceward Ho!

Command a spacefaring civilization to explore, colonize, and conquer the galaxy. Develop technologies, manage resources, and lead your starship fleets in strategic battles against alien adversaries. Forge alliances or dominate the cosmos to determine the fate of the galaxy.

Highlights
  • Galaxy exploration and colonization
  • Empire and economy management
  • Technology development
  • Starship fleet combat
  • Diplomacy with alien races
  • Resource mining and terraforming
Features
Read full description

Spaceward Ho! is a strategic game of awesome scope. You control the entire military and economy of a spacefaring race. Your goal: explore and colonize the galaxy. Unfortunately, you are not alone. Alien enemies bent on galactic conquest will oppose your expansion. You fight them by developing new technologies and expanding your empire, or you can ally with them to turn enemies into friends. Terraform newly discovered worlds or mine their natural resources. Maneuver your starship fleets, both in defense of your own systems and in offensive strikes against the evil aliens. Your strategic decisions will determine the fate of the galaxy. Based on the original Mac/PC/Palm game and updated for iOS. For new players, read the Help file and also watch the tutorial video online. Please contact us on Twitter @SpacewardHo or Our Website, or send us email.

About

XCOM 2 Collection

Lead a resistance against an alien occupation on Earth. Engage in turn-based tactical combat, customize your soldiers, and undertake unique missions. This collection includes the full game and all DLC packs, optimized for mobile devices.

Highlights
  • Turn-based tactical combat
  • Full game and DLC included
  • Mobile-optimized touch interface
  • Soldier customization
  • Procedurally generated missions
  • Alien resistance gameplay
Read full description

READ BEFORE BUYING: Please expand this description and read the full list of supported devices below to confirm that your device is supported. Aliens rule Earth with a new order promising a brilliant future for those who conform, while silencing all those who do not. At the edges of the world, the scattered forces of XCOM gather to defend humanity, ignite a global resistance, and reclaim the planet. Bring down the alien regime from your iPad or iPhone with the XCOM 2 Collection; the complete experience of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen and four DLC packs in a single package with no in-app purchases. COMPLETE COMMAND Delivers all the turn-based tactical challenges of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. ENGINEERED FOR iOS Lead the Resistance using a touch-screen Command Interface designed for mobile. CUSTOMISE YOUR SQUADS Customise each soldier’s look, loadout and abilities. EVERY GAME A UNIQUE CHALLENGE Direct your forces through a near-infinite combination of goals, missions, and maps. INCLUDES FOUR DLC PACKS Access new missions, soldier types, and enemies with XCOM 2's DLC packs. XCOM 2 Collection requires iOS 18 or later. You need 11GB of free space on your device, though we recommend at least double this to avoid initial installation issues. Supported iPhones: • iPhone XR and later • iPhone SE (2nd generation, 2020) and later • iPhone Air (2025) Supported iPads: • iPad - 8th Generation (2020) and later • iPad mini - 5th Generation (2019) and later • iPad Air - 3rd Generation (2019) and later • iPad Pro - 3rd Generation (2018) and later • If you require assistance, please contact our support team at support@feralinteractive.com © 2026 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Originally developed by Firaxis Games. Take-Two Interactive Software, 2K, Firaxis Games, XCOM, XCOM 2, and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Developed for and published on iOS by Feral Interactive. iOS and the iOS logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Feral and the Feral logo are trademarks of Feral Interactive Ltd. All other marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Spaceward Ho!4 screens
XCOM 2 Collection4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Spaceward Ho! at $4.99 against XCOM 2 Collection's $14.99. Spaceward Ho! also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (79% vs 62%). XCOM 2 Collection's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 95) and chart position (#66 vs unranked). On update cadence, 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

Spaceward Ho! costs $4.99 and XCOM 2 Collection $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spaceward Ho! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: XCOM 2 Collection has 1.1K ratings behind it against 95, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Spaceward Ho!'s written reviews are positive against 62% of XCOM 2 Collection's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spaceward Ho! ships an update every 6 weeks, XCOM 2 Collection monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Spaceward Ho! versus XCOM 2 Collection: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpaceward Ho!XCOM 2 Collection
Price$4.99 — better$14.99
Rating4.6 (95 ratings) — better4.3 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews — better62.3% of reviews
Number of ratings951.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#66 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB3.4 GB
Age rating9+17+
DeveloperAritonFeral Interactive Ltd

Customer experience

Spaceward Ho!

All ratings95 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews140 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral10.7%
Negative10.7%

XCOM 2 Collection

All ratings1,090 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews778 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral10.2%
Negative27.5%

User reviews

Spaceward Ho!

From 95 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⏰ Timeless gameplay still engaging after 30+ years
  • 📱 Works well on modern iOS devices despite age
  • 🎮 Faithful port of classic Mac game
  • 🎯 Simple yet deep strategy mechanics
  • 😄 Includes original sound effects and Easter eggs

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
  • 📐 UI feels clunky and dated
  • 🔍 Small icons and buttons difficult to tap accurately
  • 📊 Missing comparison graphs from original version
  • 🎯 Planet icons remain too large when zoomed out

XCOM 2 Collection

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth performance
  • 🎮 Excellent mobile controls
  • 💎 Full game experience with DLC
  • 👍 Faithful port of PC version

Room to improve

  • 🔋 High battery drain
  • 🔍 Graphical downgrade from PC
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🤔 Difficulty with double-tap movement

Bugs and requests

Spaceward Ho!

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Game crashes when ending turn while winning
  • Crashes on iOS 14+ due to security checks
  • Audio issues on Mac with Apple Silicon
  • Dreadnoughts disappear when mixed with tankers in delayed fleets
  • Some planets get stuck and won't terraform or mine
Show 6 more
  • Double-tap battle recap feature removed in update
  • Leaderboard and achievements not updating
  • Game runs slowly on older devices
  • Planets get stuck unable to move ships
  • Interface elements scale incorrectly when zoomed out
  • Text overlays prevent clicking through to planets

Requested features

15 requests
  • Multiplayer support (most frequently requested)
  • WiFi/Bluetooth multiplayer with friends
  • Game Center integration for multiplayer
  • Save/load game functionality for save-scumming
  • Ability to rename planets and ships
Show 10 more
  • Improved UI with modern design
  • Mac desktop version with flexible layout
  • Better fleet management interface
  • Leaderboard and achievement updates
  • Ability to measure distance between planets
  • Individual ship naming for fleets
  • Adjustable mining vs terraforming levels
  • Pop-up magnifier for precise slider control
  • Comparison graphs for player statistics
  • Tap-and-hold menu controls instead of button clicks

XCOM 2 Collection

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to change equipment
  • Crashes on certain missions
  • Disappearing save files
  • Issues with device compatibility

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add controller support
  • Provide option to disable War of the Chosen
  • Improve camera controls and UI
  • Add more graphical settings

In-app purchases

None

Spaceward Ho!

No in-app purchases

None

XCOM 2 Collection

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spaceward Ho! free?
Spaceward Ho! costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is XCOM 2 Collection free?
XCOM 2 Collection costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spaceward Ho! or XCOM 2 Collection?
Spaceward Ho! is rated higher. Spaceward Ho! averages 4.6 out of 5 from 95 ratings, while XCOM 2 Collection averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Spaceward Ho! or XCOM 2 Collection have ads?
Neither Spaceward Ho! nor XCOM 2 Collection shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spaceward Ho! or XCOM 2 Collection?
Spaceward Ho! ships an update every 6 weeks, and XCOM 2 Collection monthly. Most recently, Spaceward Ho! was updated on October 24, 2026 and XCOM 2 Collection on October 26, 2026.

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