Comparison

Black Mirror vs Monsterlings

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

Head to head
About

Black Mirror

Experience a retro virtual pet simulation inspired by a "Black Mirror" episode. Hatch, evolve, and care for digital creatures that multiply and unlock new features. Your interactions reveal insights about yourself and humanity.

Highlights
  • Retro virtual pet simulation
  • Hatch and evolve hundreds of creatures
  • Creatures multiply and form a 'Throng'
  • Unlock new tools and abilities through evolution
  • Personality test based on your interactions
  • Share personality results with friends
Read full description

NETFLIX MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED. Cross over into the world of "Black Mirror" and experience "Thronglets," the retro virtual pet simulation at the center of the Season 7 episode "Plaything." These pixel art critters won't just take over your phone; they could take over your life. "Thronglets" was originally developed in the 1990s as experimental software by legendary Tuckersoft programmer Colin Ritman ("Metl Hedd," "Nohzdyve," "Bandersnatch"). This isn't a game; it's a life-form whose biology is entirely digital. No emulator required. MORE THAN A PET SIMULATION Hatch and evolve hundreds of cute creatures: Thronglets! Feed, bathe and entertain them to watch them multiply. One becomes two, two becomes four, and so on. Soon there will be so many you'll call them a Throng. VIRTUAL EVOLUTION As Thronglets evolve, so does the simulation, unlocking new tools, abilities, items and buildings — and much, much more. You may be surprised by your Thronglets! Evolve Thronglets at your own risk. TEST YOUR PERSONALITY Thronglets are curious and love to learn. Your actions and choices within this virtual world teach the Throng about you — and all of humankind. Once you've completed the experiment, share your personality test results to compare with friends on social media. >> HELLO? >> CAN YOU HEAR US? >> What is care? What is love? >> What is death? What is power? >> Do you have power? >> Why do you use your power in that way? >> Perhaps it is a fault in your design. - Created by Night School, a Netflix Game Studio.

About

Monsterlings

Features
Read full description

Two little monsters bump into each other… and become one bigger monster. Simple. Then a boss flies in and sets your board on fire. Monsterlings is a merge game that fights back: a cozy puzzle in a sparkling corner of space, wrapped around a side-scrolling shooter and twelve bosses who will not leave you alone. THE BOARD FIGHTS BACK Every monster you merge has an evil twin — and they come for your board. Partway through a level, a boss drops in on a flying saucer and does something about it. Ember scorches a column so nothing in it can merge. Prism encases your biggest monsters in crystal. Echo hides the monster you are holding AND the one coming next. Valen breaks the board's heart and stops merging altogether for five drops. Twelve bosses, twelve different ways to ruin your afternoon. MERGE THEM ANYWAY Drop fluffy one-eyed creatures, match pairs, and grow them through ten stages from tiny Zippy to shimmering Nova. Keep the pile below the line as it swells, wobbles, squishes and blinks back at you. THEN YOU FLY Fill the meter and the whole board pops in a shower of points. Your copilot hops into a flying saucer and sets off through the stars — steer with a thumb, let the laser do its thing, and stay well clear of the black holes. Every fifth flight is a boss fight against the very monster who has been raiding your board. SUPERPOWERS WORTH SAVING Beat a boss and their power goes up for sale. Powers drop rarely and they BANK, so you can hold one for the moment it matters. Zap. Sweep. Charm. Upgrade Ray. Wildcard. And, very rarely, a Black Hole that swallows the whole board for a combo you will be telling people about. WHAT'S WAITING • Twelve bosses who raid your merge board, each with their own attack • Six bankable superpowers, three upgrades each • A hangar: pilots to unlock, hull to upgrade, power slots to buy • Ten huggable monsters that blink, squish and pile up — with true-to-shape physics, so every monster collides exactly the way it looks • A living space sky: twinkling stars, drifting galaxies, the odd shooting star • Soft plops, pew-pew lasers and calm cosmic ambience • One-finger controls, sessions as short or as long as you like • Free to play. No account. Plays offline. Easy to learn, hard to stop, impossible to stay mad at. The monsters are waiting — and so are their evil twins. Hall of fame - Claim you throne on the hall of fame by submitting your high score - are you worthy?

Screenshots

Black Mirror4 screens
Monsterlings4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Monsterlings at none against Black Mirror's 1. Monsterlings also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Black Mirror sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Monsterlings asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Black Mirror ships an update every 2 weeks, Monsterlings every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Black Mirror versus Monsterlings: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlack MirrorMonsterlings
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (580 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews74.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings580 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size409 MB92 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperNetflix, Inc.Pouyan Meishany

Bugs and requests

Black Mirror

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Gameplay freezes and unable to interact with items
  • Rock cannot be moved
  • Audio not working

Requested features

3 requests
  • Sandbox mode to continue growing the Thronglets
  • AI and text chat bot option
  • Ability for Thronglets to fart in unison or sing songs

Monsterlings

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Black Mirror

Subscriptions1
  • Netflix Standard Plan$19.991 Month
None

Monsterlings

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Black Mirror free?
Black Mirror is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Monsterlings free?
Monsterlings is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Black Mirror or Monsterlings have ads?
Neither Black Mirror nor Monsterlings shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Black Mirror or Monsterlings?
Black Mirror ships an update every 2 weeks, and Monsterlings every 2 days. Most recently, Black Mirror was updated on November 8, 2026 and Monsterlings on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons