# Chillaxian vs Dark Wave

The clearest difference is monetization model: Chillaxian at free against Dark Wave's paid. Chillaxian also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 52%) and ratings volume (163 vs 16). Dark Wave's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 12 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Chillaxian costs $1.99 and Dark Wave $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Chillaxian against 4.6 for Dark Wave. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chillaxian has 163 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Chillaxian's written reviews are positive against 52% of Dark Wave's.

Chillaxian ships an update every 12 months, Dark Wave every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chillaxian | Dark Wave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (163 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chillaxian/id673243744/reviews) | **[4.6 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-wave/id1364871808/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **163** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **84.9% of reviews** | 52.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#198** | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Madgarden Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639634896) | [Semidome Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/779855685) |

## What reviewers say

### Chillaxian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chillaxian/id673243744)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Paid · Casual (US App Store)

Experience a retro arcade space shooter with a relaxed atmosphere and intuitive controls. Blast waves of aliens, destroy space debris, and collect powerups. Face unique bosses and rescue humans for points in this classic-inspired adventure.

**Highlights:** Classic 80's arcade style, Laid back vibe, Easy, smooth controls, Variety of aliens, Unique boss battles, Scavenge and attach gadgetry for powerups, Rescue floating humans

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent retro arcade gameplay and mechanics
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist graphics and visual style
- 🎵 Outstanding 80s-inspired soundtrack and sound effects
- 👍 Simple, intuitive controls (left/right movement)
- 🎯 Smooth, responsive gameplay with no lag

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Progress resets when quitting the game
- 🐛 High scores reset unexpectedly
- 🐛 Game crashes when accessing preferences/pause menu
- 🐛 Crashes around level 1000 after updates
- 🐛 Progress stops recording after level 5001

**Reported bugs**

- Progress lost when quitting and returning to game
- High scores reset without explanation
- Game crashes when accessing preferences menu
- Game crashes when attempting to pause
- Crashes around level 1000 after updates

**Requested features**

- Pause functionality for TV version
- Progress saving between sessions
- Manual fire control option
- Ship customization and unlockable variants
- Weapon/blaster upgrades


### Dark Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-wave/id1364871808)

Navigate a winding road filled with dangers, conquering challenges across 5 chapters and 50 levels. Compete globally in endless mode or enjoy a minimalist, ad-free experience. Play across Apple devices and sync progress with iCloud.

**Highlights:** 5 Chapters, 50 Levels, Endless mode with global leaderboard, Minimalist design, No ads or in-app purchases, Play on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iCloud progress sync, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chillaxian free?

Chillaxian costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dark Wave free?

Dark Wave costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chillaxian or Dark Wave?

Dark Wave is rated higher. Chillaxian averages 4.5 out of 5 from 163 ratings, while Dark Wave averages 4.6 from 16 ratings.

### Do Chillaxian or Dark Wave have ads?

Neither Chillaxian nor Dark Wave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chillaxian or Dark Wave?

Chillaxian ships an update every 12 months, and Dark Wave every 3 months. Most recently, Chillaxian was updated on October 14, 2026 and Dark Wave on October 15, 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.*