Comparison

The Window vs Substrate Entity

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

Head to head
About

The Window

Experience a unique narrative adventure where your choices directly influence the unfolding story and lead to various endings. This game offers immersive, text-based gameplay with branching paths.

Highlights
  • Text-based adventure gameplay
  • Choice-driven narrative
  • Multiple story branches
  • Unique outcomes
  • Immersive storytelling
Features
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The Window is an innovative text-based adventure game where every decision you make shapes your unique story. Immerse yourself in carefully crafted narratives where your choices matter, leading to different outcomes and multiple story branches.

About

Substrate Entity

Features
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One row every beat. It forks every beat. You are a charge running an etched plate. The trace splits under you, and some of the branches it offers are already finished. Nothing marks them. You read ahead, you pick a side, you keep moving. Press the left or the right of the glass. That is the whole game. SEVEN STRATA Each one runs faster and darker than the one above it. When the colour turns, the tempo turns with it. CHARGE Every row costs you. The bright pads pay it back and stack your multiplier. The branch that keeps you alive and the branch that keeps you fed are rarely the same branch. NO ADS No timers, no energy, no currency, no in-app purchases, no account. It runs entirely on your phone. Portrait, one thumb. Sound, haptics and motion each turn off. More from Dro1d Labs: Pixel Pigeon for the stubborn life of a city bird, and War Pigeon for tactical stealth after dark. Privacy Policy: https://dro1d.org/substrate.html#privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

The Window4 screens
Substrate Entity4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Substrate Entity at every 5 days against The Window's every 6 months. The Window's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Window ships an update every 6 months, Substrate Entity every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Window versus Substrate Entity: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe WindowSubstrate Entity
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeffico LLCDRO1D LABS LIMITED

In-app purchases

None

The Window

No in-app purchases

None

Substrate Entity

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Window free?
The Window is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Substrate Entity free?
Substrate Entity is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Window or Substrate Entity have ads?
Neither The Window nor Substrate Entity shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Window or Substrate Entity?
The Window ships an update every 6 months, and Substrate Entity every 5 days. Most recently, The Window was updated on October 30, 2026 and Substrate Entity on October 31, 2026.

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