# Black Island vs Backpack Attack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Black Island at 63% against Backpack Attack's 17%. Backpack Attack's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Black Island sells 22 one-off in-app purchases and Backpack Attack sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Backpack Attack holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backpack Attack has 144 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Black Island's written reviews are positive against 17% of Backpack Attack's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Black Island ships an update every 3 weeks, Backpack Attack every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Black Island | Backpack Attack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-island-merge-war/id6657972884/reviews) | **[4.6 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-attack/id6714474754/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **144** |
| Positive reviews | **62.5% of reviews** | 17.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 604 MB | 226 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Modle Studios Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764248805) | [Tran Hai Dang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1770275611) |

## What reviewers say

### Black Island

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-island-merge-war/id6657972884)

Embark on a military adventure where you merge items and troops to uncover island secrets and defeat an evil conspiracy. Restore bases, engage in strategic battles, and explore a mysterious archipelago.

**Highlights:** Merge over 400 supplies and troops, Engage in strategic battles, Restore and build bases, Explore a mysterious archipelago, Uncover hidden secrets and stories, One-handed gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Sparkling Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Elite Operations Bundle A | $2.99 | one-time |
| Strategic Supplies Bundle A | $2.99 | one-time |
| Battle Gear Discount A | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bountiful Golds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Shimmering Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - Briana's gift | $4.99 | one-time |
| Elite Operations Bundle B | $5.99 | one-time |
| Battle Gear Discount B | $5.99 | one-time |
| Epic Gold in a gear | $9.99 | one-time |
| Luminous Gems in a gear | $9.99 | one-time |
| Strategic Supplies Bundle B | $9.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - Chase's Hideout | $9.99 | one-time |
| Strategic Supplies Bundle C | $11.99 | one-time |
| Elite Operations Bundle C | $11.99 | one-time |
| Battle Gear Discount C | $11.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Gems in pocket | $19.99 | one-time |
| War and Love Pass - Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| War and Love Pass | $29.99 | one-time |
| Majestic Gold in bag | $49.99 | one-time |
| Brilliant Gems in chest | $99.99 | one-time |
| Infinite Gold in chest | $99.99 | one-time |


### Backpack Attack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-attack/id6714474754)

Engage in an action-packed adventure blending run-and-gun combat with strategic weapon crafting and merging. Organize your backpack, evolve your arsenal, and conquer challenging levels to become the ultimate weapon master.

**Highlights:** Efficient backpack item arrangement, Weapon crafting and evolution, Strategic merging mechanics, Level progression and boss battles, Weapon upgrades and skill enhancement, Diverse and challenging levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Gem | $0.99 | one-time |
| Silver Keys | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Force Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Speed Up | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Special Attack | $4.99 | one-time |
| X2 Hp Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| X2 Shield Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Commander Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| X2 Game Speed | $7.99 | one-time |
| Super Promotion Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Special Packs | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove All Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hand of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Silver Keys 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove All Ads | $14.99 | one-time |
| Golden Keys | $19.99 | one-time |
| Another Life | $19.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| House of Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Awesome game
- 👍 Game good
- 👍 Character, Weapon, Theme Ok
- 👍 Fun game

**What reviewers complain about**

-  광고 Too many ads
- 💸 Scam for removing ads
- 🐛 Game freezes when unlocking characters
- 🐛 Ads not removed after purchase
- 🐛 In-game ads disrupt gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes when unlocking second character
- Purchased ad removal not working
- Purchased items not delivered
- Character unlock progress stuck
- Game lag caused by ads

**Requested features**

- Fix character unlock bug
- Improve ad frequency
- More engaging storyline/lore
- Better weapon/inventory management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Black Island free?

Black Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Backpack Attack free?

Backpack Attack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Black Island or Backpack Attack?

Backpack Attack is rated higher. Black Island averages 4.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Backpack Attack averages 4.6 from 144 ratings.

### Do Black Island or Backpack Attack have ads?

Both Black Island and Backpack Attack show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Black Island or Backpack Attack?

Black Island ships an update every 3 weeks, and Backpack Attack every 4 days. Most recently, Black Island was updated on June 5, 2026 and Backpack Attack on September 21, 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.*