Shadow Node vs Novafall
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shadow Node
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Welcome to Shadow Node – the ultimate hacker idle experience. You are an elite hacker on a mission to infiltrate global networks, breach high-security servers, and mine valuable data fragments. Your ultimate goal? The legendary Shadow Node—a network so secretive it is only spoken of in whispers on the deepest dark web forums. Are you ready to bring the digital world to its knees? FEATURES Progressive Hacking Network Work your way up from simple local networks to complex government databases. Every successful hack brings you closer to the top of the digital food chain. Idle Gameplay: Your Botnet Never Sleeps Progress even while you’re offline. Your scripts automatically gather data fragments while you're away. Return to collect massive rewards—perfect for hackers on the go. Deep Upgrade System Invest in cutting-edge hacking tools, AI assistants, massive botnets, and quantum processors. Optimize your mining rate with hundreds of unique upgrades. Strategic Prestige System Perform a strategic reset to unlock permanent bonuses and multipliers. Plan your ascension carefully to exponentially increase your earning potential. Milestones & Achievements Complete challenging objectives to unlock legendary Dark Matter upgrades that fundamentally transform your gameplay. Immersive Cyberpunk Atmosphere Experience an atmospheric soundtrack and a dark aesthetic designed to pull you deep into the world of cybercrime. HIGHLIGHTS Offline Progression: Your mining operations run 24/7. Fully Customizable: Tweak visual effects, haptic feedback, and choose from multiple languages. Mobile Optimized: Smooth gameplay and intuitive touch controls. PREMIUM MODE (Optional) Maximize your efficiency with the Premium Upgrade: 2x Mining Rate: Double the speed of your data extraction. Ad-Free: No interruptions, just pure hacking. Instant Boosts: Get immediate payouts with zero delays. Leave no trace. Download Shadow Node now and begin your ascent to hacker stardom!
Novafall
Build a vast space empire, colonize planets, and defend against rival factions in this idle strategy game. Ascend to gain permanent upgrades and dominate the galaxy. Features deep strategy with ship customization, espionage, and alien diplomacy.
- Build and colonize 64 worlds
- Engage with three rival empires
- Collect 30 ship classes
- Utilize espionage and diplomacy
- Ascend for permanent upgrades
- Offline and progress-while-away gameplay
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Novafall is an idle space-strategy game. Build a fleet, colonize 64 worlds across 16 sectors, and hold them against three rival empires. When a run slows down, ascend: the galaxy resets, and the Dark Matter you keep buys permanent upgrades for every run after. THREE RIVAL EMPIRES The Vex Hegemony, the Krillix Swarm and the Hollow Court each claim part of the map. Once your empire is big enough, they besiege your colonies and run spy operations against you. Invade their worlds, buy them outright, or sign a truce. Your government decides which of them treat you as kin and which as an enemy. WHAT'S IN IT • 30 ship classes, from the Probe Drone to the Omega Fleet • 64 planets: terran and ocean worlds, gas giants, mining, volcanic, crystal and relic worlds • Espionage: spy cells, counter-intelligence and a signature operation for each government • Five alien species you can win over with gifts, for alliances and tribute • Six wonders, a Senate with edicts, and a galactic stock market • Ten ministers you appoint to automate the empire one system at a time • NOVA, your ship's advisor, ranks what to do next ASCENSION • Spend Dark Matter on permanent upgrades that carry into every run • 8 challenge runs with handicaps, each giving a permanent yield bonus • A weekly galactic anomaly, and double Dark Matter from ascensions on weekends • 26 achievements, milestones and a 7-day supply drop HOW IT'S SOLD • No forced ads. The only ad is a sponsor broadcast you choose to watch for a bonus. • Purchases are optional. Dark Matter and warp time are earned by playing. The six Precursor Relics are the one thing only the shop provides. • Novafall does not track you and does not ask for tracking permission. • Your save backs up to your own iCloud. • Progress continues while you are away, and the game plays offline.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Novafall at none against Shadow Node's 1. Shadow Node's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Shadow Node sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Novafall asks for nothing beyond the download.
Shadow Node ships an update weekly, Novafall every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shadow Node | Novafall |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 132 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | NETBYTE UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | Robert Gonzales |
In-app purchases
Shadow Node
- Premium$1.99
Novafall
No in-app purchases









