Retro vs Starshard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro
Engage in an arcade-style space shooter with waves of enemies and challenging bosses. Unlock upgrades and master multiple unique ships with stunning pixel art and fast-paced gameplay. It's easy to learn but difficult to master.
- Arcade-style space shooter
- Battle waves of enemies
- Face epic bosses
- Unlock powerful upgrades
- Stunning pixel art
- Multiple unique ships
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Take command of your spaceship in this thrilling arcade-style space shooter! Battle waves of enemies, face epic bosses, and unlock powerful upgrades. Featuring stunning pixel art, fast-paced gameplay, and multiple unique ships to master, this game will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of retro arcade games, it’s easy to pick up but hard to master. Can you dominate the galaxy and become the ultimate pilot? Download now and find out!
Starshard
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Three fleets came out of the dark and took the lanes one by one. Command has one hull left to send — yours. Starshard is a vertical space shooter built on one promise: FAIR PLAY. No pay-to-win. No energy timers. Just you, your ship, and endless waves of alien fleets — now fully playable in English and Turkish. DODGE. BLAST. SURVIVE. Weave through bullet storms with one finger. Collect power-ups, charge your weapons, and carve through six enemy types — from swarming scouts to armor-plated frigates — plus elite gold variants that hit harder and fly faster. DRAFT YOUR BUILD, EVERY RUN Defeat a boss and choose 1 of 3 upgrades: side cannons, homing missiles, piercing lasers, combat drones, tail guns, flak rounds and more. Every run builds differently. Every choice matters. EPIC BOSS BATTLES Three alien dreadnought factions guard the void, each with its own attack patterns — bullet curtains, radial bursts, summoned reinforcements. Push them past half health and face their enraged second phase. BUILD YOUR HANGAR Earn shards and unlock permanent gear: escort wingmen, drone bays, shield generators, afterburners. Choose your ship — the balanced Interceptor, the nimble Falcon, or the heavy Titan — and equip a loadout that fits your style. CAMPAIGN + ENDLESS Clear campaign missions with hand-crafted enemy compositions, or chase your record in endless mode across deep space, planetary sectors, and asteroid fields. Climb the pilot ranks from Cadet to legend. FAIR MONETIZATION • No pay-to-win, no energy timers, no subscriptions • Optional rewarded ads for a revive or bonus crystals; a short ad between runs, never mid-fight • One purchase removes all ads, forever • Everything is earnable by playing The void is waiting, pilot. How far will you fly?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Retro at none against Starshard's 2. Retro also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). 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
Both are free to download. Starshard sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Retro asks for nothing beyond the download.
Retro ships an update daily, Starshard every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro | Starshard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 163 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Batuhan Yildirim | Burak Emre Nevruzoglu |
In-app purchases
Retro
No in-app purchases
Starshard
- Shard Doubler$1.99
- Remove Ads$2.99









