Frankenstein vs Phallaina
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Frankenstein
Experience Mary Shelley's classic novel like never before. Make choices that shape Victor Frankenstein's story, from building his creation to navigating the tragic consequences. This interactive adaptation features stunning visuals and the original 1818 text.
- Interactive novel-length retelling
- Shape Victor Frankenstein's choices
- Beautiful, easy-to-use interface
- 65 illustrations including anatomical engravings
- Full text of the 1818 original
- Annotated gallery of illustrations
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+ 'a brilliantly designed app; the current benchmark for high-quality storytelling via tablet.' Kirkus starred review + ‘This masterful new adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic novel may be the best interactive fiction yet’ — Laura Miller, Salon.com + “Superb” — Tim Harford, senior columnist for the FT + ‘the most eye-catching development in April's digital publishing’ — The Guardian + “Enormous sensitivity to Shelley's narrative... There's enormous intelligence behind the reworking” — Dr. Dale Townshend, lecturer in Gothic and Romantic Literature at Stirling University + ‘a visual and textual masterpiece that you will be thrilled to experience’ — John Bardinelli, Jayisgames.com --------------------------------------------------------- The year is 1792 and in his Paris laboratory, Victor Frankenstein is building a man... Guide his tale with your choices in this unique literary app. Written by best-selling author Dave Morris, designed and developed by creative studio inkle and published by award-winning independent publisher, Profile Books, Frankenstein is a new way of experiencing Mary Shelley's classic tale of terror and revenge. The original text has been fully adapted into interactive form, allowing you the reader to visit Frankenstein's workshop, help him make his monster, and guide him through the disastrous events that follow. This is a reading experience like no other, that will put you into the heart of the story. With breath-taking visuals and sleek design, Frankenstein is an unputdownable reading experience, and a whole new kind of ebook. * * * Features: - New novel-length interactive re-telling of the classic story - Weave your own narrative as you guide Victor Frankenstein's choices - Innovative and beautiful easy-to-use interface provides a seamless reading experience - 65 illustrations including detailed 16th century anatomical engravings - The full text of the original Frankenstein, as published in 1818 - The Art of Frankenstein, an annotated gallery of the illustrations used
Phallaina
Experience a unique digital comic book that blends graphic novel storytelling with animated film elements. This scrolling narrative offers an immersive 90-minute experience with parallax effects and captivating sound design. Explore a world where science and mythology intertwine.
- Scrolling graphic novel format
- Parallax effects for depth
- Entrancing sound design
- 90-minute narrative experience
- Available in English and French
- Combines cognitive science and mythology
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A "Scrolling Graphic Novel" for tactile screens. Peabody Award 2017. Halfway between a graphic novel and an animated film, Phallaina is the first "scrolling graphic novel" for tablets and smartphones. Available in English and French, the app delivers 90 minutes of scrollable reading experience. Conceived by Marietta Ren and the Small Bang studio, and accompanied by an entrancing sound design by Côme Jalibert, this horizontal-scrolling, panel-less digital comic book uses parallax effects in order to bring an immersive depth to the narrative. Download the app for free and discover the first two chapters. The story In a world similar to ours, where cities have adapted to the rising waters, Audrey follows a series of clinical trials in order to understand the origins of her hallucinatory fits, which are populated by huge white whales. Thus begins the intimate adventure of her personal transformation, combining cognitive sciences and mythology... and changing the course of her destiny in the process. International recognition Released in January 2016, selected as part of the official competition of the Angoulême International Comic Book festival, as well as the Naples Comicon, Phallaina has also won the Best digital comic award at the 2016 New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles, and has known a great amount of success in numerous festivals such as the Peabody awards and the Webby awards. But our biggest reward are your stars, shares and comments which fill us with joy and gratitude! And for those of you who have not yet taken the plunge, hesitate no longer :) ! Download Phallaina now, and delve right into Audrey's world. © France Télévisions - Small Bang 2016
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Phallaina at Free against Frankenstein's $3.99. Phallaina also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (93% vs 78%). Frankenstein's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 37 months). On ratings volume, 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
Phallaina is free to download; Frankenstein costs $3.99 up front. Phallaina sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Frankenstein asks for nothing beyond the download.
Phallaina holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Frankenstein's written reviews are positive against 93% of Phallaina's.
Frankenstein ships an update every 3 weeks, Phallaina every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Frankenstein | Phallaina |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (32 ratings) | 4.7 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 77.5% of reviews | 92.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 32 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 37 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #150 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 227 MB | 318 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | inkle | Small Bang |
Customer experience
Frankenstein
Phallaina
In-app purchases
Frankenstein
No in-app purchases
Phallaina
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