Comparison

Sidius Nova vs The Strays

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

Head to head
About

Sidius Nova

Lead your species to survival after a homeworld destruction. Collect resources, build ships, and engage in epic space battles. Choose to play as humans or an alien armada, unlocking new ships and strategies as you conquer galaxies.

Highlights
  • Resource collection
  • Ship building
  • Epic space battles
  • Playable factions (humans/aliens)
  • Unlockable ships
  • Galactic conquest
Features
Read full description

by Stefan Schmitt and Ben Jelter -YOUR HOMEWORLD HAS BEEN DESTROYED- Your remaining motherships are the only way to guarantee the survival of your species. Collect resources to build ships for epic space battles. "has the same 'one more turn oh god one more turn' hook that its grander siblings on the PC have" -KOTAKU Also featured on Space Sector! HOURS OF STRATEGIC DEEP SPACE GAMEPLAY Sidius Nova is a strategy game designed from the ground up to provide a deep and satisfying experience on your iOS device. PICK A SIDE Play as the last humans alive or an alien armada. UNLOCKABLE SHIPS Earn new ships as you play! Conquer entire galaxies and expand your fleet by researching new units. New units dramatically expand the gameplay by offering new defensive and offensive strategies. Follow @sidiusnova on twitter to find out more and give us feedback!

About

The Strays

Lead a team of battle-hardened dogs against mutated horrors and uncover a dark conspiracy. Blast your way through infected city zones, from labs to sewers, utilizing each dog's unique abilities to fight grotesque bosses and reveal the truth behind the outbreak.

Highlights
  • Twelve playable dogs with unique abilities
  • Seven distinct campaign zones
  • Mutant enemies and boss battles
  • Uncover a deep conspiracy through intel
  • Fast-paced run-and-gun action
Features
Read full description

THE CITY HAS GONE TO THE DOGS. The Helix Institute promised a cure. What they unleashed was an outbreak. Now the streets crawl with mutated horrors, the labs hide unspeakable secrets, and the Free Strays have banded together to fight back. Take control of a twelve-dog team of battle-hardened street survivors and blast your way through a city consumed by the Helix infection. From research labs to the sewers, abandoned mines, and the heart of the outbreak itself, every level pushes you deeper into the conspiracy. PICK YOUR FIGHTER Choose from twelve playable strays, each with their own look, abilities and ultimate moves. FIGHT THROUGH THE OUTBREAK Battle across distinct campaign zones, each with its own threats and atmosphere: the Abandoned Lab, the Overgrown Park, the Helix Fortress, the Ruined City, the Toxic Sewers, the Helix Mines, and the final Genesis facility. FACE THE NIGHTMARES Square off against grotesque bosses pulled straight from Helix's worst experiments, including the towering Wild Alpha Bear, the monstrous Sewer Queen, and the corrupted minds behind it all. UNCOVER THE CONSPIRACY Dig into the story through collectible intel notes, and use the evidence board packed with classified photos and disturbing clues to reveal more about what Helix really did, and who's still out there. WHAT YOU GET - Fast, satisfying run-and-gun action - Twelve unique playable dogs - Eight campaign zones - Mutant enemies and boss battles - A deep, unfolding conspiracy told through intel and lore The humans made the monsters. The strays are here to clean up the mess. Download The Strays and take back the city, one mutant at a time.

Screenshots

Sidius Nova4 screens
The Strays4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The Strays at 5.0 against Sidius Nova's 4.4. The Strays also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). Sidius Nova's advantage is ratings volume (49 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Sidius Nova sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. The Strays asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Strays holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sidius Nova has 49 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sidius Nova ships an update every 3 months, The Strays every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Sidius Nova versus The Strays: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSidius NovaThe Strays
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (49 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings49 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB90 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperStefan SchmittDo Not Get Abstracted Studios, LLC

Customer experience

Sidius Nova

All ratings49 ratings
Positive83.7%
Neutral8.2%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews83 reviews
Positive84.3%
Neutral7.2%
Negative8.4%

The Strays

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sidius Nova

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Occasional crashing
  • Repeated crashing during combat
  • Crashing when fighting mothership
  • Game progress not syncing between devices
  • App leaves residual files after uninstallation

Requested features

16 requests
  • Add multiplayer/hot seat/skirmish
  • Add longer single player campaign
  • Add more frequent dialogue
  • Add meaningful player-driven plot choices
  • Add 'back' button for dialogue
Show 11 more
  • Option to skip mothership death animation
  • Rework research point system
  • Add bonus for multiple fleets
  • Improve mothership strength/abilities
  • Add iPad version/support
  • Add iPhone 5 screen support
  • Add Game Center support
  • Add cloud saving system
  • Add endless mode
  • Add asynchronous multiplayer
  • Add fast forward button

The Strays

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Sidius Nova

One-time3
  • Genius (RP earned x2)$0.99
  • Laboratory (8,000 RP)$1.99
  • Singularity (Unlock Everything)$3.99
None

The Strays

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sidius Nova free?
Sidius Nova is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Strays free?
The Strays is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sidius Nova or The Strays?
The Strays is rated higher. Sidius Nova averages 4.4 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while The Strays averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Sidius Nova or The Strays have ads?
Neither Sidius Nova nor The Strays shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sidius Nova or The Strays?
Sidius Nova ships an update every 3 months, and The Strays every 5 days. Most recently, Sidius Nova was updated on October 16, 2026 and The Strays on October 16, 2026.

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