Comparison

Space Academy Idle vs Alchemist's Engine

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

Head to head
About

Space Academy Idle

Construct and expand a futuristic space academy, recruiting students and training them in various disciplines. Watch your academy grow and unlock new opportunities as graduates increase its value. Prestige to earn permanent progression and climb leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Build and upgrade a futuristic space academy
  • Unlock new buildings and optimize campus
  • Train students across multiple knowledge disciplines
  • Recruit gifted students with unique bonuses
  • Collect daily rewards and special gifts
  • Prestige with Endowments for permanent progression
  • Grow academy even while offline
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Space Academy Idle! Build the greatest academy in the galaxy by recruiting students, expanding your campus, and turning promising cadets into legendary scientists. Start with a single dormitory and grow into a thriving university. Construct new facilities, upgrade classrooms, and help your students master Cognition, Discipline, and Creativity before they graduate. Every graduate increases your academy’s value, unlocking new opportunities to expand even faster. Features - Build and upgrade a futuristic space academy - Unlock new buildings and optimize your campus - Train students across multiple knowledge disciplines - Recruit talented and gifted students with unique bonuses - Collect daily rewards and discover special gifts - Prestige with Endowments to earn permanent progression - Watch your academy grow even while you’re away - Complete achievements and climb Game Center leaderboards

About

Alchemist's Engine

Tend to a dormant engine in a ruined world by gathering fuel, crafting resources, and researching upgrades. Forge golems to assist in your tasks as you explore a labyrinthine mine and uncover a forgotten story.

Highlights
  • Feed and stoke the engine
  • Merge sparks on an alchemical table
  • Forge and upgrade golems
  • Research forgotten techniques
  • Explore a seeded labyrinth
  • Unravel the story
Features
Read full description

A sleeping engine. A blasted world. Tend to the fire, and uncover what was left behind. Alchemist's Engine is an incremental, idle crafting & adventure game. FEED THE FIRE - gather fuel, stoke the engine, and keep its heat rising. MERGE THE SPARKS - pluck sparks from the embers and merge them on the alchemical table to grow your power. RAISE YOUR WORKFORCE - forge golems of stone, quartz, and metal who gather, haul, and craft while you plan. Feed them back to the engine when you outgrow them. UPGRADE - smelt bronze and steel, research forgotten techniques, and upgrade the engine from a cold firebox into a towering machine. DESCEND - explore an ever-changing labyrinth of mines, crystal chambers, sunken temples, flooded galleries, and stranger rooms the deeper you go. UNRAVEL THE STORY - cold hearths, sibling machines, and a sealed gate that has waited a very long time for you.

Screenshots

Space Academy Idle4 screens
Alchemist's Engine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alchemist's Engine at none against Space Academy Idle's 4. Alchemist's Engine also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Space Academy Idle sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Alchemist's Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Space Academy Idle against 5.0 for Alchemist's Engine. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 17 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Academy Idle ships an update every 3 weeks, Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Space Academy Idle versus Alchemist's Engine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace Academy IdleAlchemist's Engine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (9 ratings)5.0 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings917 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS1716.7 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB8 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperRoberto Frias NerioJust Software LLC

Customer experience

Space Academy Idle

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Alchemist's Engine

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Space Academy Idle

One-time4
  • Small Box$1.99
  • Medium Box$3.99
  • Shipment$6.99
Show 1 more
  • XL Shipment$12.99
None

Alchemist's Engine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Academy Idle free?
Space Academy Idle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Alchemist's Engine free?
Alchemist's Engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Academy Idle or Alchemist's Engine?
Alchemist's Engine is rated higher. Space Academy Idle averages 4.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Alchemist's Engine averages 5.0 from 17 ratings.
Do Space Academy Idle or Alchemist's Engine have ads?
Both Space Academy Idle and Alchemist's Engine show ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Academy Idle or Alchemist's Engine?
Space Academy Idle ships an update every 3 weeks, and Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. Most recently, Space Academy Idle was updated on October 30, 2026 and Alchemist's Engine on October 31, 2026.

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