Comparison

Spooky Express vs Preserve™

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

Head to head
About

Spooky Express

Manage the Spooky Express, a unique rail service for the undead. Plan routes and lay tracks to transport various monsters to their destinations across over 200 challenging levels. Enjoy a playful puzzler with a spooky theme and delightful surprises.

Highlights
  • Plan routes and lay train tracks
  • Transport undead passengers
  • Over 200 thoughtfully designed levels
  • Unique monster destinations
  • Playful puzzler with spooky theme
  • Haunting soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Try before you buy. No ads. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full game. Take charge of the Spooky Express; the only rail service willing to carry the undead passengers of deepest, darkest Trainsylvania. In your new role you'll plan routes and lay train tracks to meet your creepy commuters' demands, and create a rail network spanning more than 200 thoughtfully designed levels. Each monster has a home of their own: take the vampires to their coffins and the zombies to their graves, and escort the interloping humans away before they’re snacked upon. There’s only room for one at a time in the passenger car and the track can’t cross itself, so plot your route carefully, lay the tracks, and don't let the train miss its stops. Trainsylvania spans a host of unique locations, with each puzzle forming a cosy diorama, complete with spooky soundtrack. Whether you're puzzling through the Pumpkin Patch, meandering through the Morbid Manor, or investigating the Impish Inferno, you'll find playful touches and surprises around every corner. • An elegant, playful puzzler, jam-packed with monsters and mechanics. • Thoughtfully designed puzzles which expertly balance complexity and approachability. • Created by the award-winning designers of A Monster's Expedition, A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build, Cosmic Express and more. • Featuring several delightful comics from David Hellman and Zac Gorman. • Accompanied by a haunting soundtrack from Priscilla Snow. No generative artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the creation of this game or promotional materials. Draknek & Friends believes in the value of real human labour and inspiration in all of our endeavours.

About

Preserve™

A peaceful puzzle game where you build vibrant ecosystems by strategically placing flora and fauna cards. Explore different biomes, unlock natural wonders, and enjoy a relaxing gameplay experience with a soothing soundtrack and charming visuals.

Highlights
  • Build living biomes
  • Match flora and fauna synergies
  • Multiple gameplay modes
  • Unlock natural wonders
  • Discover secret patterns
  • Soothing visuals and soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Preserve is free to download with no ads. In-app purchases are required to unlock the full experience. Restore the wild. One tile at a time. Preserve is a peaceful puzzle game that lets you build entire ecosystems through clever placement of flora and fauna cards. Whether you're growing a forest, cultivating a wetland, or balancing food chains in a meadow, your decisions shape how each biome evolves. Enjoy multiple game modes tailored to your mood—complete challenges in Puzzle mode, build freely in Creative, or find balance in classic mode. With its serene soundtrack, charming visuals, and relaxing yet rewarding gameplay loop, Preserve is a unique digital escape for the minds. - Grow living biomes by matching flora and fauna synergies - Multiple gameplay modes: Puzzle, Classic and Creative - Unlock natural wonders and discover secret patterns - Soothing visuals and relaxing soundtrack - Fully offline, no ads. Relax. Reconnect. Rewild the world.

Screenshots

Spooky Express4 screens
Preserve™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Spooky Express at none against Preserve™'s shown. Spooky Express also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Preserve™'s advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 89). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Spooky Express sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Preserve™ sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Preserve™ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Preserve™ has 1.1K ratings behind it against 89, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Spooky Express's written reviews are positive against 70% of Preserve™'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Spooky Express versus Preserve™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpooky ExpressPreserve™
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (89 ratings)4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.3% of reviews70.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings891.1K — better
Update frequencyDailyDaily
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size420 MB789 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDraknek LimitedPlug In Digital

Customer experience

Spooky Express

All ratings89 ratings
Positive84.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive67.3%
Neutral16.3%
Negative16.3%

Preserve™

All ratings1,063 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews202 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative20.3%

User reviews

Spooky Express

From 89 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Engaging puzzles
  • 👍 Neat graphics
  • 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
  • 👍 Clever mechanics
  • 👍 Forgiving and encourages exploration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sound glitches
  • 🐛 Issues with completing second level

Preserve™

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Peaceful and pretty
  • 👍 Relaxing gameplay
  • 👍 Great game

Room to improve

  • 💰 Paid levels after first free stage
  • 🐛 Crashes on level 1
  • 🔍 Hard to see details on small screens

Bugs and requests

Spooky Express

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Track won't finish on second board

Requested features

2 requests
  • Ability to deliver zombies and vampires
  • Fix for level 2 difficulty

Preserve™

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on level 1
  • Crashes on startup

Requested features

2 requests
  • Graphics upgrades
  • Tablet support

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Spooky Express

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$5.99
5 purchases

Preserve™

One-time5
  • Jurassic Biome$2.99
  • Marine Biome$2.99
  • Savanna Biome$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Iceage Biome$2.99
  • Bundle 3 biomes$6.99

Questions

Is Spooky Express free?
Spooky Express is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Preserve™ free?
Preserve™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spooky Express or Preserve™?
Preserve™ is rated higher. Spooky Express averages 4.5 out of 5 from 89 ratings, while Preserve™ averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Spooky Express or Preserve™ have ads?
Preserve™ shows ads; Spooky Express does not.
Which is updated more often, Spooky Express or Preserve™?
Spooky Express ships an update daily, and Preserve™ daily. Most recently, Spooky Express was updated on September 19, 2026 and Preserve™ on September 23, 2026.

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