Comparison

SpaceShard vs Idle Archaeologist

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Endless procedural mazes
  • Time-based multiplayer matches
  • Achievements and milestones
  • Spacesuit customization
  • Global leaderboards
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

SpaceShard4 screens
Idle Archaeologist4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SpaceShard versus Idle Archaeologist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpaceShardIdle Archaeologist
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul HallGOKHAN OGUZ

Customer experience

SpaceShard

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Idle Archaeologist

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

SpaceShard

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Idle Archaeologist

Subscriptions2
  • Expedition Pass$3.991 Month
  • Patron Pass$5.991 Month
One-time6
  • Pouch of Gems$0.99
  • Quiet Museum$4.99
  • Bag of Gems$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Chest of Gems$9.99
  • Vault of Gems$19.99
  • Hoard of Gems$49.99

Questions

Is SpaceShard free?
SpaceShard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idle Archaeologist free?
Idle Archaeologist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SpaceShard or Idle Archaeologist?
SpaceShard is rated higher. SpaceShard averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Idle Archaeologist averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SpaceShard or Idle Archaeologist have ads?
Idle Archaeologist shows ads; SpaceShard does not.
Which is updated more often, SpaceShard or Idle Archaeologist?
SpaceShard ships an update every 5 months, and Idle Archaeologist every 6 months. Most recently, SpaceShard was updated on November 5, 2026 and Idle Archaeologist on October 31, 2026.

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