Gem Forge vs Idle Stars
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gem Forge
Read full descriptionHide full description
Gem Forge: Diamond Enhance Tap, enhance, and forge your way from a humble pebble to the legendary Eternal Diamond! Gameplay - Tap to enhance your gem from Lv.1 to Lv.34 - Risk and reward: higher level = lower success rate but huge profit - Use Protection Charms to save your precious gem from shattering - Collect mystical Charms (Lucky, Crit, Phoenix, Combo + 6 more) — each used once for a single boost - Watch ads for Restore, Boost +50%, or Free Enhance 35-Stage Gem Evolution Tree Stage 1 Ore: Stone → Copper → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Mithril Stage 2 Common: Garnet → Amethyst → Topaz → Aquamarine → Opal → Lapis Stage 3 Premium: Pearl → Sapphire → Ruby → Emerald → Diamond Stage 4 Ultra Rare: Pink Diamond → Alexandrite → Paraiba → Padparadscha → Painite → Star of India Stage 5 Mythic: Fairy Dew → Elf's Tear → Dragon Heart → Phoenix Core → Tear of God → Eternal Diamond Features - 35 unique gem designs with full Indian Mughal jewelry aesthetic - 4 tiers of Protection Charms (Basic / Mid / High / Ultra) - 10 one-time use Charms with unique effects - Codex with 35 collectible gems - Hall of Fame leaderboard - Combo system with bonus rewards - Beautiful Indian jeweler's workshop atmosphere - 8 languages supported Developer: ALIENZ Contact: support@alienz.ooo
Idle Stars
Build a star-spanning empire by managing resources, researching technologies, and colonizing new worlds. Engage in diplomacy or conflict with alien civilizations. Reset your universe with permanent upgrades to achieve greater progress each cycle.
- Layered idle economy with five resources
- Research paths and automation
- Galaxy map with exploration and colonization
- Diplomacy and conflict with civilizations
- Supernova resets with permanent progression
- Offline progress and notifications
Read full descriptionHide full description
Begin with one quiet world and turn it into an empire among the stars. Idle Stars is an incremental strategy game about connected systems. Build solar arrays, mines, laboratories, habitats, and spaceports. Balance five resources, research technologies that change how your economy works, and install AI Directors to automate each world while you are away. When your first planet is no longer enough, launch explorers into a living galaxy. Colonize new worlds, connect them into sectors, and meet civilizations with their own histories and strengths. Open talks, send envoys, or bring the fleet—the choices you make shape the empire and what the galaxy remembers. Eventually, growth reaches its limit. Trigger a supernova, carry stardust and permanent upgrades into a fresh universe, and push farther on every cycle. FEATURES • A layered idle economy built around energy, minerals, science, population, and influence • Research paths and automation that transform how worlds grow • A galaxy map with exploration, travel, colonization, and sectors • Civilizations that can be approached through diplomacy or force • Supernova resets with lasting progression • Offline progress and optional local notifications • Game Center achievements • Optional iCloud document sync between your Apple devices • Universal support for iPhone and iPad • No ads and no subscription The complete game is free. The optional Supporter Pack permanently unlocks three styles for planets, ships, and the app icon. You can also buy one hour of ×2 production: the timer runs in real time, even while the app is closed, and the multiplier never stacks above ×2. The optional Stellar Charter permanently multiplies all production by ×1.5, in every run.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gem Forge at none against Idle Stars's 3. Gem Forge also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Idle Stars's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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 Stars sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Gem Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.
Gem Forge ships an update daily, Idle Stars every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gem Forge | Idle Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | RandomGG, Inc. | PULSAR LLC |
In-app purchases
Gem Forge
No in-app purchases
Idle Stars
- 1-Hour Boost$1.99
- Supporter Pack$4.99
- Stellar Charter$7.99









