# The Nom vs Elastic Playground

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Elastic Playground at none against The Nom's 10. Elastic Playground also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 48%). The Nom's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (24K vs 3.1K). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Nom sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Elastic Playground asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for The Nom against 4.6 for Elastic Playground. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Nom has 24K ratings behind it against 3.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of The Nom's written reviews are positive against 80% of Elastic Playground's.

The Nom ships an update weekly, Elastic Playground every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Nom | Elastic Playground |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-nom/id6443968137/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elastic-playgroundragdoll-fun/id6744131124/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 3.1K |
| Positive reviews | 48.4% of reviews | **80.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 260 MB | 171 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Voodoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/714804730) | [KAYAC Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/315952203) |

## What reviewers say

### The Nom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-nom/id6443968137)

Transform into a creature and battle your way through a dangerous world to defeat the scientist who changed you. Overcome guards and bosses using your wits and strength to reclaim your human form.

**Highlights:** Regain human form, Defeat Dr. Vial, Battle fierce guards, Fight powerful bosses, Explore a world of danger and mystery, Overcome challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gems Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Skin 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Skin 4 | $1.99 | one-time |
| No Forced Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gems Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gems Pack 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gems Pack 4 | $26.99 | one-time |
| Gems Pack 5 | $54.99 | one-time |
| Gems Pack 6 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Best
- 😊 Cool game
- 👍 Pretty fun
- 👍 Brilliant and original game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Adds are gambling
- 🤬 Too many ads
- 🤬 Forced ads
- 🤬 Can't turn off ads
- 🤬 Ads after every level

**Reported bugs**

- Game not loading
- Level progression issues
- Ads not working as advertised

**Requested features**

- Allow free roam instead of levels
- Add an ending or sequel
- Improve graphics
- Make it playable offline
- Fix level progression issues


### Elastic Playground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elastic-playgroundragdoll-fun/id6744131124)

Connect objects with a virtual rubber band to achieve in-game goals. Stretch the band to manipulate the environment and destroy targets. This physics-based puzzle game offers a unique way to interact with virtual objects.

**Highlights:** Connect objects with rubber bands, Manipulate environment with stretchability, Destroy target objects, Physics-based gameplay, Ragdoll physics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and relaxing gameplay
- 🚀 Engaging destruction mechanics
- 💡 Potential for endless mode

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Repetitive levels
- 💰 Too many ads

**Reported bugs**

- Looping through the same level
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more levels
- Implement a level picker
- Include different destruction methods (e.g., fire)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Nom free?

The Nom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Elastic Playground free?

Elastic Playground is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Nom or Elastic Playground?

The Nom is rated higher. The Nom averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Elastic Playground averages 4.6 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do The Nom or Elastic Playground have ads?

Both The Nom and Elastic Playground show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Nom or Elastic Playground?

The Nom ships an update weekly, and Elastic Playground every 3 months. Most recently, The Nom was updated on November 4, 2026 and Elastic Playground on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*