Comparison

Specimen86 vs Retro Repair Workshop

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

Head to head
About

Specimen86

Features
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About the Game You are a new observer at a marine research laboratory. In the lab’s mysterious aquarium, you’ll raise more than just an ordinary fish. What is this egg… really? The being you nurture may become a mermaid, a fishman, or something entirely different. Your choices shape its evolution and story, leading to multiple endings and a shocking truth. Game Features Evolve, Observe, Discover Experience a relaxing idle evolution game where growth paths and endings change based on your actions. Play at your own pace—perfect for short breaks or bedtime relaxation. Multiple Endings Your decisions—feeding, temperature control, conversations, and more—determine the final form. Explore all branching evolutions to uncover every ending. Healing Yet Unsettling Behind the soothing visuals of swimming creatures lies a darker side— research experiments, DNA extraction, and mysterious “bad endings.” A blend of cute and eerie, peaceful and ominous. A Story Worth Exploring Each specimen you raise generates a research report, revealing the hidden meaning behind your actions. For players who love theories, mysteries, and deeper lore, the story invites reinterpretation and replay. Idle Progression Even while the app is closed, time continues. Your specimen quietly prepares for its next stage of evolution. No moment is wasted—research and observation advance naturally. Elements That Affect Evolution There’s no single path to evolution. Affection, water temperature, cleanliness, item usage, and even character interactions— every small choice can open a new future. Experiment repeatedly to reach every form and ending. Collection System All your evolved specimens and research logs are saved. Review your collection to see how your decisions connected to each unique outcome. Piece together the world’s secrets one evolution at a time. What You’ll Experience Calm observation of aquatic life in a glass tank Emotional storytelling as your specimen grows—cute, mysterious, and unsettling moments The comfort of a healing game mixed with the intrigue of a dark fantasy Multiple endings that reward replay and exploration Research reports that reveal how your nurturing influenced the future Your specimen will react to your care, changing expressions and behavior— you might even grow attached to it. Capture those moments and share them via the screenshot & SNS share function. Recommended For Fans of idle growth and aquarium simulation games Players who enjoy healing games with a deeper, mysterious tone Those who love story games and hidden lore People looking for a short, relaxing daily game Players who enjoy cute but eerie, surreal experiences Collectors who love unlocking every evolution and ending Gameplay Flow You’re assigned to an ocean lab, tasked with nurturing a mysterious aquatic specimen. Use laboratory equipment and special items to maintain its environment and reduce stress. Even when left alone, time passes and evolution progresses. Conversations and environmental changes influence the path ahead— each playthrough may lead to an entirely different result. Every completed evolution is archived as a research log you can revisit anytime. Game Overview “Specimen No.86: Choices and the Future” is a new-style simulation that combines idle growth, healing gameplay, branching stories, dark fantasy, and collection elements. A soothing yet unsettling experience that stirs emotion— with multiple endings, including bad ones, your nurturing connects to a larger theme of evolution and destiny. This is more than a simple aquarium game. Dive into the story that drifts between healing and unease, and discover how your choices shape the future.

About

Retro Repair Workshop

Features
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Bring old treasures—and the memories they hold—back to life. Retro Workshop is a repair simulation game where you restore pocket watches, cameras, radios, and handheld game consoles. Step into a small workshop, choose your tools, and help customers rediscover the treasured objects they thought were lost. Your story begins on a rainy night, when a small parcel arrives at the workshop. Inside is a pocket watch that has stopped ticking. As you polish its scratches and repair its gears, the precious moments it holds begin to shine again. Now it is your turn to care for objects filled with memories and return them to their owners. Repair each item through intuitive taps and swipes. Wipe away dirt, remove rust, oil gears, and use a screwdriver to reach the mechanisms inside. Clear out dust, replace broken parts, and choose the right tool for each task. Enjoy the satisfying process of turning something worn and damaged into something beautiful and useful again. Watch a dull surface regain its shine, hear a repaired camera’s shutter click, and see a handheld console’s screen light up once more. If you enjoy cleaning games, restoration games, or hands-on activities, every finished repair offers a small moment of satisfaction. Every customer has a connection to the item they bring you: a watch passed down by someone special, a camera that captured cherished moments, a radio that played familiar broadcasts, or a game console they could never put down. Their requests and words of thanks offer glimpses into the memories behind each repair. As you complete more repairs, you will unlock new types of objects to work on. Discover pocket watches in different colors and patterns, along with a variety of cameras, radios, and game consoles. Browse your collection catalog, admire your discoveries, and look for your favorite designs. Visit the flea market to buy items for your own restoration projects. Explore the changing daily selection and keep an eye out for special designs. Once you have repaired a purchased item, you can display it on your workshop shelves and build a collection that reflects your taste. Spend your repair earnings on workshop backgrounds, tool appearances, and records to play while you work. Choose the setting and music you like, then settle in for your next repair. Collecting treasures and decorating your workshop give you more reasons to return. Whether you love antiques and vintage objects, enjoy fixing things, or find pleasure in collecting and decorating, Retro Workshop invites you to spend some time at the workbench. Drop in for a short break or take your time with a careful restoration. Every object means something to someone. Start your next repair in Retro Workshop.

Screenshots

Specimen864 screens
Retro Repair Workshop4 screens

Verdict

The call

Specimen86 and Retro Repair Workshop are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Specimen86 ships an update every 6 days, Retro Repair Workshop weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Specimen86 versus Retro Repair Workshop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpecimen86Retro Repair Workshop
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size302 MB497 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperSAYACHI-MARU GAMESRyohei Sakai

In-app purchases

None

Specimen86

No in-app purchases

None

Retro Repair Workshop

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Specimen86 free?
Specimen86 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Retro Repair Workshop free?
Retro Repair Workshop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Specimen86 or Retro Repair Workshop have ads?
Both Specimen86 and Retro Repair Workshop show ads.
Which is updated more often, Specimen86 or Retro Repair Workshop?
Specimen86 ships an update every 6 days, and Retro Repair Workshop weekly. Most recently, Specimen86 was updated on November 9, 2026 and Retro Repair Workshop on November 1, 2026.

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