Comparison

Ship Maneuvering Simulator vs Pocket Course

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

Head to head
About

Ship Maneuvering Simulator

Pilot large vessels through challenging maritime scenarios. Experience realistic ship physics and handling in various missions, from navigating channels to berthing. Compete globally on leaderboards and unlock new ships as you progress.

Highlights
  • Realistic ship physics (MMG hydrodynamic model)
  • Career mode with ranks and missions
  • 8 unique ships with distinct handling
  • Free play mode with custom settings
  • Weekly and all-time leaderboards
  • Detailed sound effects
Features
Read full description

Experience what it really takes to handle a large ship. Ship Maneuvering Simulator is built on the MMG hydrodynamic model, the same kind of model used in professional ship handling research, so every ship drifts, pivots and answers the helm the way the real thing does. Made by a professional maritime pilot who handles large ships every day, and tuned to feel like the real thing, but built to be fun: time runs faster than real life, so you get to the challenge quickly. CAREER MODE • Start as Cadet and earn your stripes, rank by rank, up to Captain and Pilot • Real ship handling missions: buoyed channels, stopping, turning, going astern, anchoring, holding position in wind and current, berthing alongside, entering a lock and leaving the quay with tugs • Earn up to 3 stars per mission and unlock new ships • Weekly and all-time leaderboards for every mission, so you can compete with players worldwide 8 SHIPS, EACH WITH ITS OWN CHARACTER Cargo ship, navy supply ship, loaded and empty bulker, large container ship, cruise ship, frigate and battleship. Each has its own engine, speed and handling, from a slow loaded bulker to a 28-knot frigate. REALISTIC HANDLING • Propeller walk when going astern • Drift in turns and a pivot point that moves with speed • Rudder effect that depends on propeller wash and speed • Bow thruster that loses power as speed builds • Realistic stopping distances and turning circles • Wind and current that set you off your course • Tugs that push and pull for berthing and unberthing FREE PLAY Take any unlocked ship out at sea, on the river or in port. Set the wind and current yourself and practise at your own pace. SOUND AND LOOK An engine sound for each ship (twin engines, frigate gas turbines), bow thruster, tugs, collisions and a busy harbour. Whether you're a seafarer, a maritime student or just love ships, see if you have what it takes to bring her alongside without a scratch.

About

Pocket Course

Experience a unique twist on mini golf with physics-based gameplay. Master challenging courses, collect gear with stat tradeoffs, and compete in various modes. Play offline or connect to Game Center leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Physics-based aiming and spin control
  • Two distinct 27-hole courses
  • Competitive, Practice, and Daily modes
  • Collectible gear with stat tradeoffs
  • Offline play supported
  • Game Center leaderboards
Features
Read full description

Pocket Course is a single-player mini golf game with 72 detailed holes, a career Tour and a free Daily. Play offline, with no ads. Curve your putt with side spin, roll farther with topspin, or use backspin to stop short of trouble. Play 72 holes across Heritage Hills, Spin Cycle, The Highlands and Spider Lake. Cross narrow bridges over water, time your putt through a windmill, and follow wooden spirals from raised greens to the course below. THE TOUR Build your golfer and compete against computer-controlled rivals in 18-hole tournaments. Earn XP to train your stats, spend coins on new balls and putters, and work your way from the Muni Open to a full season on Tour. Progress from Rookie Year through Year 5, with tougher rivals each year and a record of your completed seasons. Follow your results in the Pocket Courier. PRACTICE Return to any unlocked hole, try different lines and work on your spin. Play as your own golfer or use the fully trained Standard golfer. THE DAILY Three holes a day, drawn from all four courses. Everyone gets the same holes and loaner equipment, with a mix of Day and Night play. Keep your streak going and share your score. The entire Daily stays free, including holes from Spider Lake. ONE PURCHASE. ALL FUTURE CONTENT. Heritage Hills, Spin Cycle and The Highlands are free, with normal course progression. A one-time purchase unlocks Spider Lake and all future content updates. It also opens access to the final two balls and putters; you still earn their Tour unlocks and buy them with in-game coins. No subscription. Made by James Watson, a solo developer and software engineering student. Your purchase supports continued work on Pocket Course.

Screenshots

Ship Maneuvering Simulator4 screens
Pocket Course4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Course at 5.0 against Ship Maneuvering Simulator's 4.3. Pocket Course also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Ship Maneuvering Simulator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (104 vs 10). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Pocket Course sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ship Maneuvering Simulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pocket Course holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ship Maneuvering Simulator has 104 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Ship Maneuvering Simulator's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pocket Course's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ship Maneuvering Simulator ships an update every 8 days, Pocket Course every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Ship Maneuvering Simulator versus Pocket Course: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShip Maneuvering SimulatorPocket Course
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (104 ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings104 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size390 MB30 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperWPCJAMES MICHAEL WATSON

Customer experience

Ship Maneuvering Simulator

All ratings104 ratings
Positive79.8%
Neutral5.8%
Negative14.4%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive85.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative10.9%

Pocket Course

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Ship Maneuvering Simulator

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pocket Course

One-time1
  • Pocket Course Full Game$2.99

Questions

Is Ship Maneuvering Simulator free?
Ship Maneuvering Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pocket Course free?
Pocket Course is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ship Maneuvering Simulator or Pocket Course?
Pocket Course is rated higher. Ship Maneuvering Simulator averages 4.3 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while Pocket Course averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do Ship Maneuvering Simulator or Pocket Course have ads?
Ship Maneuvering Simulator shows ads; Pocket Course does not.
Which is updated more often, Ship Maneuvering Simulator or Pocket Course?
Ship Maneuvering Simulator ships an update every 8 days, and Pocket Course every 4 days. Most recently, Ship Maneuvering Simulator was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pocket Course on October 25, 2026.

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