SpaceShard vs Idle Archaeologist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SpaceShard
Navigate procedurally generated mazes, collecting shards to increase your score and unlock upgrades. Compete in time-based multiplayer matches and customize your spacesuit. Climb leaderboards and unlock achievements.
- Endless procedural mazes
- Time-based multiplayer matches
- Achievements and milestones
- Spacesuit customization
- Global leaderboards
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SpaceShard is a procedurally generated maze game where you traverse endless corridors and collect SpaceShards to extend your survival. Every shard counts toward your score, helps you upgrade, and earns you a place on the leaderboard. Take the challenge further with time-based multiplayer matches, where you compete against other players to see who can collect the most SpaceShards before the clock runs out. As you progress, you’ll unlock achievements for reaching milestones, mastering tricky runs, or winning competitive matches, perfect for showing off your skills. Plus, make the experience your own by customizing your spacesuit with as much color and flair as you want, creating a look that’s uniquely yours. Key Features • Endless procedural mazes – No two runs are the same. Master new layouts every time you play. • Time-based multiplayer matches – Challenge friends or players worldwide to see who can grab the most shards before the timer hits zero. • Achievements and milestones – Unlock badges for epic runs, skillful gameplay, and multiplayer victories. • Full spacesuit customization – Express yourself with unlimited color combinations and create a look as bold as your gameplay. • Leaderboards – Climb the global rankings and prove you’re the ultimate SpaceShard collector. This is a true passion project and my very first App Store release, a lifelong dream come true. I’m proud to finally share SpaceShard with you. Download now and start collecting shards! If you have fun, please consider leaving a review.
Idle Archaeologist
Excavate historical sites, restore artifacts, and build a museum that earns gold even when offline. Attract patrons and unlock new eras as you become a renowned armchair archaeologist.
- Excavate hundreds of artifacts
- Restore items at the workshop
- Build and display in your museum
- Earn idle gold offline
- Travel to famous historical sites
- Unlock new historical eras
- Collect historical artifact data
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DIG. DISPLAY. PROFIT. Idle Archaeologist is a cozy idle game where you excavate famous sites across history, restore the artifacts you find, and display them in your own museum. The longer they sit on the plinth, the more gold they earn — even while your phone is in your pocket. FEATURES Tap to dig — uncover hundreds of artifacts across 5 historical eras Restore at the workshop — clean, repair, and reassemble what you find Build your museum — every artifact on a plinth earns idle gold, 24/7 Attract patrons — wealthy historians fund expeditions and tip big Travel the world — Anatolia, the Nile Delta, the Andes, the Aegean coast and more Prestige and dig deeper — unlock the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Classical, Medieval Offline progression — your dig and museum keep earning while you're away Cozy pacing — no timers screaming at you, no FOMO popups FAIR FREE-TO-PLAY - No ads in your first 10 minutes - No paywalls A LOVE LETTER TO HISTORY Every artifact has a card in the Codex with a short historical note. Build your collection, fill the museum, and quietly become the world's most famous armchair archaeologist. - Privacy policy URL: https://gokhanoguz.github.io/idle-archaeologist/privacy.html - Support URL: https://gokhanoguz.github.io/idle-archaeologist/support.html - Terms URL: https://gokhanoguz.github.io/idle-archaeologist/terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SpaceShard at 5.0 against Idle Archaeologist's 1.0. SpaceShard also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). Idle Archaeologist's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.5). On price, update cadence 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. Idle Archaeologist sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. SpaceShard asks for nothing beyond the download.
SpaceShard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
SpaceShard ships an update every 5 months, Idle Archaeologist every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SpaceShard | Idle Archaeologist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul Hall | GOKHAN OGUZ |
Customer experience
SpaceShard
Idle Archaeologist
In-app purchases
SpaceShard
No in-app purchases
Idle Archaeologist
- Expedition Pass$3.991 Month
- Patron Pass$5.991 Month
- Pouch of Gems$0.99
- Quiet Museum$4.99
- Bag of Gems$4.99
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- Chest of Gems$9.99
- Vault of Gems$19.99
- Hoard of Gems$49.99
Questions
Is SpaceShard free?
Is Idle Archaeologist free?
Which has better reviews, SpaceShard or Idle Archaeologist?
Do SpaceShard or Idle Archaeologist have ads?
Which is updated more often, SpaceShard or Idle Archaeologist?
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