Comparison

Populus Run vs El Paso, Elsewhere

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

Head to head
About

Populus Run

Control a crowd of people in this unique running game. Dodge obstacles, battle quirky bosses, and discover hidden characters. Enjoy the full experience with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Control a crowd of people
  • Dodge giant fast food
  • Slide down pipes
  • Battle rapper bosses
  • Hardcore mode
  • Collect secret characters
  • Original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Play the opening levels for free with no ads. Unlock the full game forever with a single in-app purchase. Populus Run is the unconventional running game where you control a crowd of people. • Dodge giant fast food • Slide down pipes like at a waterpark • Battle rapper bosses, including Macaron, Donut, and Burger • Test yourself in Hardcore mode • Collect all the secret characters who are hidden in the levels • Show your respect for the upbeat original soundtrack with its choral singing Populus Run was originally released exclusively on Apple Arcade. Now it's available on the App Store. If you've played the game before, your progress and achievements will be carried over.

About

El Paso, Elsewhere

Engage in a supernatural neo-noir shooter featuring slow-motion gunfights against vampires, werewolves, and other creatures. Explore a reality-shifting motel beneath El Paso and uncover an emotional story of heartbreak and revenge.

Highlights
  • Cinematic bullet-time action
  • Battle supernatural horrors
  • Immersive neo-noir story
  • Explosive combat with unique weapons
  • Dynamic and destructible environments
  • Original hip-hop soundtrack
Features
Read full description

El Paso, Elsewhere. A supernatural neo-noir shooter filled with monsters, mystery, and slow-motion action. Fight your way through a haunted, reality-shifting motel, now mysteriously 46 floors deep beneath El Paso, Texas. Hunt vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, and other terrifying creatures in cinematic slow-motion gunfights inspired by action classics. Uncover an emotional neo-noir story of heartbreak and revenge as you face Draculae—the vampire lord you once loved. WHY YOU’LL LOVE EL PASO, ELSEWHERE: • Cinematic bullet-time action: Slow-motion dives, dodges, and gunplay. • Face supernatural horrors: Battle vampires, werewolves, and fallen angels. • Immersive neo-noir story: Fully-voiced campaign filled with drama and mystery. • Explosive combat: Use holy-fire Molotov cocktails and dual pistols. • Dynamic environments: Destroy objects and enemies with realistic physics. • Original hip-hop soundtrack: Featuring RJ Lake & Xalavier Nelson Jr. From the acclaimed creators at Strange Scaffold, makers of Life Eater and I Am Your Beast. Download now and dive into neo-noir chaos.

Screenshots

Populus Run4 screens
El Paso, Elsewhere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: El Paso, Elsewhere at every 3 days against Populus Run's every 4 weeks. El Paso, Elsewhere also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Populus Run's advantage is device support (5 vs 3). On price, rating, ratings volume and 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

Both are free to download. Populus Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and El Paso, Elsewhere 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 Populus Run against 4.7 for El Paso, Elsewhere. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 744 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Populus Run's written reviews are positive against 82% of El Paso, Elsewhere's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Populus Run ships an update every 4 weeks, El Paso, Elsewhere every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Populus Run versus El Paso, Elsewhere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPopulus RunEl Paso, Elsewhere
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.5K ratings)4.7 (744 ratings)
Positive reviews69.6% of reviews81.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K — better744
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size523 MB2.7 GB
Age rating9+17+
DeveloperFIFTYTWOFrosty Pop

Customer experience

Populus Run

All ratings1,512 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral4.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews345 reviews
Positive69.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative21.4%

El Paso, Elsewhere

All ratings744 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews222 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative11.3%

User reviews

Populus Run

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Amazing game
  • 👍 Great developers
  • 👍 Fantastic music
  • 👍 Relaxing and fun
  • 👍 Colorful and visually appealing

Room to improve

  • 💰 Paywall after first few levels
  • 🐛 Occasional performance issues
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems on some devices

El Paso, Elsewhere

From 744 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent gameplay
  • 👍 Great story and characters
  • 🎨 Fantastic art style and visuals
  • 🎵 Awesome soundtrack
  • 🕹️ Smooth controls and mechanics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g. softlocks, invisible barriers)
  • 🎮 Suboptimal touch controls, need for customization
  • 💰 Paid full version after demo
  • 🇨🇳 Lack of Chinese language support

Bugs and requests

Populus Run

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing on login screen
  • Graphical glitches on certain devices
  • Saved data not restoring properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Make the full game free to play
  • Add more levels and worlds
  • Improve level selection UI
  • Allow customization of controls

El Paso, Elsewhere

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Elevator not working in level 28
  • Frankenstein enemy health gets stuck in level 27
  • Character movement issues during chapter name display
  • Crashes on iPhone 6 Plus

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add controller support
  • Implement cloud save functionality
  • Increase frame rate cap
  • Introduce a free-to-play zombies mode

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Populus Run

One-time1
  • Full Game$3.99
1 purchases

El Paso, Elsewhere

One-time1
  • El Paso, Elsewhere$4.99

Questions

Is Populus Run free?
Populus Run is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is El Paso, Elsewhere free?
El Paso, Elsewhere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Populus Run or El Paso, Elsewhere?
Populus Run and El Paso, Elsewhere are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.5K and 744 ratings respectively.
Do Populus Run or El Paso, Elsewhere have ads?
Neither Populus Run nor El Paso, Elsewhere shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Populus Run or El Paso, Elsewhere?
Populus Run ships an update every 4 weeks, and El Paso, Elsewhere every 3 days. Most recently, Populus Run was updated on October 17, 2026 and El Paso, Elsewhere on October 16, 2026.

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