Comparison

Eclipse vs Through the Ages

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

Head to head
About

Eclipse

Lead an interstellar civilization to galactic domination in this strategic board game adaptation. Explore, research, build ships, and outmaneuver rivals through deep 4X gameplay. Choose your species and forge your path to victory.

Highlights
  • 4X gameplay (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate)
  • 7 unique species with distinct traits
  • Customizable star systems, tech tree, and ship designs
  • Up to 6 players (human or AI)
  • Asynchronous multiplayer with notifications
  • In-game tutorial and manual
Features
Read full description

Alliances are shattering, and hasty diplomatic treaties are made in secrecy. A confrontation of the superpowers seems inevitable – only the outcome of the galactic conflict remains to be seen. Which faction will emerge victorious and rule the galaxy? A game of Eclipse places you in control of a vast interstellar civilization, competing for success with its rivals. You will explore new star systems, research technologies, and build mighty spaceships. There are many potential paths to victory, so you need to plan your strategy considering the strengths and weaknesses of your species, while paying attention to the other civilizations' endeavors. Eclipse other civilizations and lead your people to victory! This is the classic version, which corresponds to the original board game. We're working on an implementation of the new version "Second dawn for the galaxy." FEATURES * Official iOS version of the 'Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy' boardgame * Deep and challenging 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) gameplay * 7 species with different strengths and weaknesses * Customizable star systems, technology tree and ship designs * Up to 6 players (human or AI) * Asynchronous multiplayer with push notifications * 3 AI difficulty levels * In-game tutorial & manual Eclipse received multiple awards: * 2011 Charles S. Roberts Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Board Wargame Nominee * 2011 Jogo do Ano Nominee * 2012 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner * 2012 Golden Geek Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Winner * 2012 International Gamers Award - General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee * 2012 JoTa Best Gamer Game Audience Award * 2012 JUG Game of the Year Winner * 2012 Ludoteca Ideale Winner * 2012 Lys Passioné Winner * 2012 Tric Trac Nominee

About

Through the Ages

Lead a civilization from its beginnings to the modern era. Expand your resources, develop technologies, and build armies to defend or attack. Construct wonders and choose governments to achieve victory in this deep strategy game.

Highlights
  • Civilization development
  • Resource management
  • Technology research
  • Military expansion
  • Government selection
  • Wonder construction
  • Card-driven gameplay
  • Solo and online multiplayer
Features
Read full description

Through the Ages is based on a highly acclaimed civilization board game by well-known designer Vlaada Chvátil. The original game is recognized as a modern classic board game. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES Become a chieftain of a small civilization at the dawn of humankind's history. Expand your farms and mines to ensure you have enough resources to grow your civilization. This is our chance to make history! Develop various technologies, improve armies to defend your cities, or attack other civilizations nearby. Choose the best government that fits your goals and build magnificent wonders to achieve memorable victory at the end of the modern era. CARD-DRIVEN GAMEPLAY Through the Ages is a card-driven, turn-based board game that gives you countless options on what to do and how to play. Thanks to the pool of hundreds of cards, every game is unique, allowing you to build a mighty civilization. PLAY SOLO OR ONLINE You can play against AI-driven world leaders with various difficulties, or you can jump into online games against other players. Thanks to the ELO system, the game will find you opponents of the same level as you are. Clash with them and discover whose strategy leads to victory. You can also participate in some of the many championships, including the official World Championship in Through the Ages. PLENTY OF CHALLENGES The game offers more than 30 challenges that change the winning conditions or rules, so you must adapt your strategy to lead your civilization to victory. Prove that you understand how civilization works and become the mighty world leader.

Screenshots

Through the Ages4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Through the Ages at 4.9 against Eclipse's 2.4. Through the Ages also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (5.1K vs 48). Eclipse's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and price ($3.99 vs $9.99). On ads 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

Eclipse costs $3.99 and Through the Ages $9.99 up front. Through the Ages sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Eclipse asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Through the Ages holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Through the Ages has 5.1K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Eclipse's written reviews are positive against 88% of Through the Ages's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Eclipse ships an update every 11 months, Through the Ages every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Eclipse versus Through the Ages: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEclipseThrough the Ages
Price$3.99 — better$9.99
Rating2.4 (48 ratings)4.9 (5.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.9% of reviews87.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings485.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#41 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size126 MB188 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperBrettspielwelt GmbHCGE Digital s.r.o.

Customer experience

Eclipse

All ratings48 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative64.6%
Written reviews228 reviews
Positive64.9%
Neutral11.8%
Negative23.2%

Through the Ages

All ratings5,140 ratings
Positive97.8%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews814 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative8.5%

User reviews

Eclipse

From 48 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent adaptation of board game
  • 🚀 Well-designed user interface
  • 🚀 Challenging AI opponents
  • 👍 Faithful to original board game
  • 👍 Great for learning the game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Sluggish performance on older devices
  • 🐛 Confusing tutorial
  • 🐛 Missing key features from board game
  • 🐛 Lack of detailed scoring breakdown

Through the Ages

From 5.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent tutorial
  • 👍 Great implementation of board game
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Challenging AI
  • 👍 Lots of replay value

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with online play
  • 🐛 Bugs in challenge mode
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with older devices

Bugs and requests

Eclipse

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game crashes during combat
  • Saved games unable to be resumed
  • AI gets stuck during turns
  • Influence/resource management issues
  • Graphical glitches and UI bugs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Randomize player and AI options
  • Ability to see opponents' moves
  • Option to adjust game length
  • Inclusion of expansions
  • Improved online multiplayer experience

Through the Ages

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes during challenge mode
  • Connectivity issues with online play
  • Compatibility problems on older devices
  • Freezing during gameplay

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add pass-and-play mode with AI
  • Ability to mix human and AI players
  • More customization options for game settings
  • Expansion content (new leaders, wonders, etc.)
  • Ability to slow down AI turns for better observation

In-app purchases

None

Eclipse

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Through the Ages

One-time1
  • New Leaders and Wonders$4.99

Questions

Is Eclipse free?
Eclipse costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Through the Ages free?
Through the Ages costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Eclipse or Through the Ages?
Through the Ages is rated higher. Eclipse averages 2.4 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while Through the Ages averages 4.9 from 5.1K ratings.
Do Eclipse or Through the Ages have ads?
Neither Eclipse nor Through the Ages shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Eclipse or Through the Ages?
Eclipse ships an update every 11 months, and Through the Ages every 10 days. Most recently, Eclipse was updated on June 10, 2026 and Through the Ages on September 26, 2026.

Other comparisons