Comparison

Dark Meadow vs Atom Run

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

Head to head
About

Dark Meadow

Explore a decaying hospital in a dark fairytale mystery. Engage in thrilling combat with gesture-based controls, uncover secrets, and upgrade your gear. This visually stunning adventure offers a gripping story and atmospheric gameplay.

Highlights
  • Visually stunning Unreal 3 engine graphics
  • Mature dark fairytale plot
  • Gesture-based combat (crossbow and sword)
  • Deep exploration and item discovery
  • In-world storytelling and acting
  • RPG elements for character progression
Features
Read full description

FREE VERSION OF THE VISUALLY STUNNING, ENGROSSING STORYTELLING GAME ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE! Nominated for Mobile Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences * IGN: "worth playing just to experience the game’s huge amount of eccentric dialogue, and to experience the unfolding mystery.... one of the best to hit the App Store in recent memory." * KOTAKU: "at home in the halls of BioShock's Rapture...disturbingly gorgeous experience." * DESTRUCTOID: "a very atmospheric and engrossing game with a delicious streak of dark humor coursing through its veins.. worth picking up for anybody with an interest in iOS gaming." * JOYSTIQ: "It's a surprisingly funny, gorgeous game that's an easy recommendation... ram home the truth that mobile games are getting surprisingly good at creating big worlds on tiny screens." * TOUCH ARCADE: "The Dark Meadow is a standout in almost every way. From look to setting to the touch-centric gameplay, it shines, and you can tell this title was crafted with much love " * GIZMODO.UK: "a splendid achievement. The bar has been raised, the gauntlet has been thrown down, and the hyperbole has been exhausted. We can’t wait to see the next game that tries to go one better." * MODOJO: "a cross between BioShock and Infinity Blade... a hauntingly beautiful and intriguing game everyone should play, as it offers both a compelling adventure and a glimpse into the future of smart phone gaming. " * GAMEZEBO: "arguably the best title to come to the genre. It's gorgeous, it's creepy, and it's a blast to play. This is the perfect game to play during the Halloween season. " A dark fairytale of intrigue and mystery, where the sins of the past must be paid for… So sets the stage for The Dark Meadow -- a visually stunning world of deep exploration, gripping story, and heart racing combat, created with the unrivaled power of the Unreal Engine 3. You awake in a hospital uncertain of how you arrived there or why. An old man warns of a beautiful witch whose minions roam the halls seeking the living. It is only when the witch is destroyed that you will be released from this unrelenting torment. Using fun and intuitive fully gesture-based controls, you explore the decaying ruins of Montclair Hospital, armed with your crossbow for long-range combat as well as your sword for up close and personal melee battles. The best elements from role-playing games encourage exploration as a wide variety of items are secreted throughout the world – from hidden scraps of paper that reveal the mystery of your imprisonment, to weapons and items, to money which can be used to purchase better equipment and weapons. - Visually stunning, photo-realistic world built with the Unreal 3 engine - A mature plot, stylized as a dark modern fairytale with bizarre twists and turns; - In-world storytelling and quality acting - Gesture-based action: crossbow ranged combat with ‘pull back and fire’ mechanic, slashing melee combat with dodging, blocking, and combos; - Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean , Italian, Simplified Chinese, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese languages.

About

Atom Run

Embark on a fast-paced platformer adventure as a robot prototype tasked with collecting atoms and molecules to recreate life. Navigate challenging levels with precise controls and enjoy a console-worthy experience optimized for mobile devices.

Highlights
  • Fast-paced action-adventure platformer
  • Intuitive and precise controls
  • Console-worthy mobile experience
  • Original electronic music soundtrack
  • Supports iOS joysticks
  • Game Center integration
Read full description

"In 2264, an unprecedented disaster put an end to all living things. Only the robots survived - but when exposed to radiation, they become uncontrollable! With one exception..." You control Elgo, a sophisticated robot prototype with simple, intuitive commands. Your mission is to find all the atoms and molecules that are critical to creating new life. Act fast, because your time is short! Features & Highlights of this Game: - Action-adventure fast paced platformer game - Experience worthy of a game console fully optimized for iOS - Optimized for retina display - 2D game engine, 3D graphics - Precise and intuitive commands - Original music electronic music - Supports iOS joysticks (Game Controller MFI) - Game Center - Complete Game! Free of ads and does not feature additional purchases - We do not collect any personal information. - Atom Run is available in: English, French, Italian, Chinese, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Russian. System Requirements: Atom Run requires iPad 2, iPhone 4S or iPod Touch (5th generation) or higher - or a newer device. Don't hesitate to leave us a rating or a comment in iTunes. About FingerLab: FingerLab is an independent app development & publishing studio. In 2012, it won the Apple Design Award for its app “DM1-The Drum Machine.” Besides, it has even been featured in the iTunes App Store in several categories including Best of 2013 (Musyc), App of the Week (Rockmate, Albert & Multiponk), Hall of Fame (Multiponk, DM1). Watch us: vimeo.com/fingerlab Visit us: fingerlab.net Follow us: twitter.com/fingerlab Powered by Fingerlab

Screenshots

Dark Meadow4 screens
Atom Run4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dark Meadow at Free against Atom Run's $2.99. Dark Meadow also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 17 months). Atom Run's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). 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

Dark Meadow is free to download; Atom Run costs $2.99 up front. Dark Meadow sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Atom Run asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dark Meadow holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dark Meadow has 6.6K ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Dark Meadow's written reviews are positive against 58% of Atom Run's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Meadow ships an update every 9 days, Atom Run every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Dark Meadow versus Atom Run: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark MeadowAtom Run
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.4 (6.6K ratings) — better3.9 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews — better58.5% of reviews
Number of ratings6.6K — better47
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 17 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS4.0 — better12.2
Further details — not scored
Size547 MB132 MB
Age rating12++9
DeveloperPhosphor Games Studio, LLCFingerlab

Customer experience

Dark Meadow

All ratings6,649 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews304 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative10.9%

Atom Run

All ratings46 ratings
Positive71.7%
Neutral6.5%
Negative21.7%
Written reviews609 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral13.6%
Negative27.9%

User reviews

Dark Meadow

From 6.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great graphics
  • 👍 Engaging story and characters
  • 🎮 Unique and immersive gameplay
  • 💎 Creepy and atmospheric

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🤑 Aggressive monetization through in-app purchases
  • 🕹️ Repetitive combat and gameplay loop
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

Atom Run

From 47 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great game
  • 🎨 Excellent graphics
  • 🎶 Awesome soundtrack
  • 👍 Fun and addictive
  • 🕹️ Tight controls

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🕰️ Difficult and frustrating levels
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
  • 🔒 Limited progression without badges
  • 🤖 Unresponsive double jumps

Bugs and requests

Dark Meadow

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on startup or during gameplay
  • Inability to pick up items in certain areas
  • Inconsistent controls and camera movement
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Update for newer iOS versions
  • More varied enemy types and combat mechanics
  • Ability to save progress and resume later
  • Optimization for larger screens like iPhone 5

Atom Run

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on high graphics settings
  • Levels not unlocking properly
  • Time badges not registering correctly
  • Audio issues and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Ability to save progress
  • Customizable controls
  • Power-ups and abilities
  • Level editor

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Dark Meadow

One-time10
  • 35,000 Gold Pieces$0.99
  • 100 Sun Coins$0.99
  • 100,000 Gold Pieces$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 210 Sun Coins$1.99
  • Premium Upgrade$1.99
  • 300,000 Gold Pieces$4.99
  • 550 Sun Coins$4.99
  • 800,000 Gold Pieces$9.99
  • 1250 Sun Coins$9.99
  • 2,000,000 Gold Pieces$19.99
None

Atom Run

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dark Meadow free?
Dark Meadow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Atom Run free?
Atom Run costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dark Meadow or Atom Run?
Dark Meadow is rated higher. Dark Meadow averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while Atom Run averages 3.9 from 47 ratings.
Do Dark Meadow or Atom Run have ads?
Neither Dark Meadow nor Atom Run shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dark Meadow or Atom Run?
Dark Meadow ships an update every 9 days, and Atom Run every 17 months. Most recently, Dark Meadow was updated on October 19, 2026 and Atom Run on October 20, 2026.

Other comparisons