When Lights Align vs Search Light
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
When Lights Align
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When Lights Align is a narrative-driven atmospheric adventure where you play as a lone firefly drifting through a mysterious, ever-changing natural world. Each space unfolds with its own quiet presence, inviting exploration and a sense of discovery. Use your glow to light your way, communicate, and survive. The environment responds in subtle ways, telling a silent story through light, color, and ambience. Lose yourself in a calm, immersive experience where every movement carries you deeper into the unknown.
Search Light
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Every light in the city has gone out. You are a child with a small lantern, walking through the dark. Free and ad-free. Nothing is locked, and no purchase gives you an advantage. SEARCH LIGHT is a wordless platformer. Run, jump, burst your light and rekindle the people who faded. Three hundred handcrafted levels. No procedural generation — every level was built by hand. More than sixty districts, each with its own rule: rising water, bridges locked to a metronome, streets that turn upside down, an ember you carry in your palm that dims as you walk. You are following the trail your mother left behind. Every memory fragment you collect reveals a line of her story. - One-touch controls, left-handed mode, adjustable button size - Gentle mode, reduced shake, high contrast - No internet needed — the story plays fully offline - Endless Night: the same daily seed for everyone on earth, daily rankings - The city's shared light: every life relit by every player, counted together - Fully localised in 11 languages The only purchase is an optional "light a lantern" tip on the main menu. Leave one if you want to say thanks; leave nothing and you miss nothing. Hatsoft — a one-person studio.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: When Lights Align at none against Search Light's 3. When Lights Align also leads on update cadence (daily vs fortnightly). 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. Search Light sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. When Lights Align asks for nothing beyond the download.
When Lights Align ships an update daily, Search Light fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | When Lights Align | Search Light |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 146 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jessica Immanuel | Tolga Hatipolu |
In-app purchases
When Lights Align
No in-app purchases
Search Light
- Small Lantern$0.99
- Medium Lantern$2.99
- Grand Lantern$4.99
Questions
Is When Lights Align free?
Is Search Light free?
Do When Lights Align or Search Light have ads?
Which is updated more often, When Lights Align or Search Light?
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