Comparison

Clay Jam vs Candleman

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

Head to head
About

Clay Jam

Guide a rolling character down clay-made hills, squashing monsters to grow and defeat fearsome beasts. Collect clay to free monsters and save the land. Features unique controls and hand-made visuals.

Highlights
  • Real clay visuals
  • Unique path-gouging controls
  • Hand-made monsters
  • Five unique hills
  • Boss battles
  • Family-friendly gameplay
Features
Read full description

Clay Jam is back! The classic fun-packed action game, with over 10 million downloads, is ready to roll again! Save the land of Clay Jam from the fearsome Bully Beasts. Guide Fat Pebble as he rolls down five weird and wonderful hills in a world made entirely from clay! Squash monsters on the way, and he'll grow and grow and GROW! Get all the way to the bottom of the hill and meet the nasty Bully Beasts. Can you collect enough clay to free the monsters and save Clay Jam?! Features: ● EVERYTHING in the game is made from real clay! ● Squash, roll and bounce your way through a very peculiar world ● A unique control system - gouge paths in the clay to steer ● Loads of hand-made monsters to discover ● 5 amazingly strange hills to rebuild ● 5 fearsome Bully Beasts to defeat ● Brilliantly original music ● Fantastically funny sound effects ● A game of hope & kindness for the whole family! PLEASE NOTE: This version is free and has ads in it. You can switch off ads forever in the game by purchasing a 1-time in-app purchase. *************** Editor's Choice in over 100 countries #1 Kids game in 46 countries #1 Action game in 10 countries Nominated for a BAFTA! Nominated for the Pocket Gamer awards! Over 10 million downloads! *************** USA Today “Clay Jam is a blast to play for kids and kids at heart, so be sure to roll over to the App Store to download the game.” Pocket Gamer "Full of character and colour, Clay Jam is easy to pick up and very hard to put down. It's also one of the most refreshing freemium games around, rewarding you for continual play rather than punishing you for not spending money." Modojo "An incredible artistic and technical achievement with very satisfying gameplay and progression." Kotaku "... every lovingly-molded inch of Clay Jam is an uncanny delight." Gametrailers - App of the Day "Clay Jam is a very rare treat on the App Store. It's refreshingly different from the rest of the pack, plays like a dream, and is balanced so perfectly that both kids and adults alike will get a suitable level of challenge from the game. Download this immediately." Gamezebo "... Clay Jam is an extremely satisfying experience shaped from mounds of sheer joy."

About

Candleman

Embark on an action-adventure journey as a small candle with a limited light source. Navigate challenging levels in darkness, utilizing light and shadow mechanics to overcome obstacles and uncover hidden treasures in an enchanting fairytale world.

Highlights
  • 10-second light mechanic
  • Light and shadow gameplay
  • Challenging levels
  • Enchanted environments
  • Fairytale story
Features
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Despite only being able to burn for 10 seconds, a little candle journeys into the darkness, with the purpose of seeking light. Candleman is a distinctive action adventure story entwined with low-light gameplay. Acting as a little candle who can burn for only 10 seconds, venture through an unsettling darkness with challenging levels and a smooth difficulty curve. Struggle to overcome obstacles based on the mechanics of light and shadow, explore a wide range of enchanted environments, and unveil hidden treasure as you seek the distant light. Features • Journey through dark, enchanting worlds with 10 seconds of light. • Face innovative challenges rooted in the mechanics of light and shadow. • Be immersed in a stunning fairytale that highlights everyday issues.

Screenshots

Clay Jam4 screens
Candleman4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Candleman at none against Clay Jam's shown. Candleman also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Clay Jam's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 41). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Clay Jam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Candleman sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Clay Jam against 4.6 for Candleman. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clay Jam has 2.3K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Clay Jam's written reviews are positive against 88% of Candleman's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Clay Jam ships an update every 2 months, Candleman every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Clay Jam versus Candleman: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClay JamCandleman
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.3K ratings) — better4.6 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews94.0% of reviews — better87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings2.3K — better41
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size200 MB1.3 GB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperYumYumYukYukMing Gao

Customer experience

Clay Jam

All ratings2,256 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews448 reviews
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.8%

Candleman

All ratings41 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative8.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Clay Jam

One-time1
  • Remove ads$2.99
1 purchases

Candleman

One-time1
  • Candleman full game$4.99

Questions

Is Clay Jam free?
Clay Jam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Candleman free?
Candleman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Clay Jam or Candleman?
Clay Jam is rated higher. Clay Jam averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Candleman averages 4.6 from 41 ratings.
Do Clay Jam or Candleman have ads?
Clay Jam shows ads; Candleman does not.
Which is updated more often, Clay Jam or Candleman?
Clay Jam ships an update every 2 months, and Candleman every 11 months. Most recently, Clay Jam was updated on September 25, 2026 and Candleman on September 23, 2026.

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