Notebook Artillery vs Fusion Core
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Notebook Artillery
Engage in strategic cannon combat with this arcade-simulation-action game. Adjust firing angle and powder to hit targets or opponents, accounting for wind and random stage layouts. Features hand-drawn art and multiple game modes.
- Adjust firing angle and powder
- Account for wind and stage layouts
- Solo target practice mode
- CPU opponent
- Local multiplayer vs mode
- Hand-drawn game art
- Unlockable stickers
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Apple called it "sketchy — in a good way." Multiple-time Game of the Day in 80+ countries. Nintendo Force gave it 8.5/10. And it started as a doodle. Once upon a time in a middle school computer lab, a student ignored every assignment for an entire semester to fire cannons at a friend. That student grew up, spent 20 years making games professionally, and eventually decided the world needed a proper love letter to that wasted time. This is it. Notebook Artillery is a hand-drawn artillery game inspired by the classic Mac game that got confiscated off school computers everywhere. Set your angle. Load your powder. Fire. Account for the wind. Try not to hit your own tower. Play your way: Solo target practice — break floating targets across randomly generated stages VS CPU — take on a computer opponent Local multiplayer — challenge someone in the same room What makes it feel different: Every frame hand-drawn in Procreate — ruled lines, coil binding, pencil textures, the whole notebook aesthetic Trees splinter. Towers explode. Cannonballs collide mid-air. Wind changes everything. Read the flag. Use your shot trails. Unlock stickers by pulling off feats — first-shot eliminations, mid-air collisions, and yes, accidentally destroying your own tower Randomly generated stages mean no two games play the same Made by one person, with audio by Kevin Samuels and Switch/console ports by PolyCrunch Games. No AI tools were used in making this game. All art hand-drawn. Developed in GameMaker Studio.
Fusion Core
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Fusion Core — Merge. Ignite. Level up. Slide glowing tiles together and watch them fuse into something brighter. Fusion Core is a sleek, modern take on the classic 2048 number-merge puzzle, reimagined as a living reactor core: every merge climbs a heat ramp from cold cyan to white-hot gold, and the highest tiles burn the brightest. Simple to learn, hard to put down. One thumb, one board, endless "just one more run." HOW IT WORKS Swipe to push every tile in one direction. When two matching tiles collide, they fuse into the next power level. Plan your moves, build combos, and keep the grid from locking up. Hit 2048 to bring your CORE ONLINE — then keep going for a new personal best. FEATURES • Pure, satisfying merge gameplay with smooth, real-time tile motion • A glowing reactor aesthetic with a cyan-to-gold heat ramp • XP and leveling — every fusion earns power and pushes you toward the next level • Unlock new visual themes as level rewards, free • Undo your last move when a slide doesn't go your way • Out of room? Watch a quick ad to REVIVE and clear your lowest tiles • Tracks your POWER (score) and PEAK (best) automatically • Plays fully offline — no account, no sign-up, no internet required • Controls for everyone: swipe on touch, or arrow keys / WASD THEMES Light up your reactor your way. Earn Reactor, Verdant, Synthwave, and Magma as you level up — or unlock the premium Arc Core and Aurum themes. Each theme reskins the entire board with its own color signature and glow. FUSION PREMIUM Fusion Core is free to play, supported by ads. A single optional Premium purchase removes the banner and between-game (interstitial) ads and unlocks four textured premium themes — Steel, Timber, Slate and Glass. Please note: the optional "Watch Ad to Revive" continue is available to every player and is not removed by Premium. Whether you've got thirty seconds in line or thirty minutes on the couch, FUSION is the perfect pick-up-and-play puzzle. Merge, ignite, and see how bright your core can burn. Download Fusion Core and start your chain reaction.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Fusion Core at Free against Notebook Artillery's $0.99. Fusion Core also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). Notebook Artillery's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#143 vs unranked). On 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
Fusion Core is free to download; Notebook Artillery costs $0.99 up front. Fusion Core sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Notebook Artillery asks for nothing beyond the download.
Notebook Artillery ships an update every 2 weeks, Fusion Core daily. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Notebook Artillery | Fusion Core |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (149 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 149 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #143 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 115 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Austin Ivansmith | LELAND ROY FRIED |
Bugs and requests
Notebook Artillery
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on iOS 12 and 13 on iPad Pro
- Inconsistent animation speeds
Requested features
7 requests- Online multiplayer
- Campaign mode with objectives
- Weapon/tower upgrades
- Customization options
- Special game modes (speed run, boss battles, etc.)
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- Ability to save and continue games
- Detailed badge/achievement system
Fusion Core
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Notebook Artillery
No in-app purchases
Fusion Core
- Font Pack$1.99
- Premium Themes$4.99
Questions
Is Notebook Artillery free?
Is Fusion Core free?
Do Notebook Artillery or Fusion Core have ads?
Which is updated more often, Notebook Artillery or Fusion Core?
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