Comparison

Supernova vs Merge Lighthouse

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

Head to head
About

Supernova

An idle space tycoon game where you fuse hydrogen to grow and detonate stars. Earn permanent power-ups with each supernova to accelerate future runs. Features offline progress and a visually evolving star.

Highlights
  • Fuse hydrogen to create and grow stars
  • Offline progress and production
  • Visually evolving star stages
  • Prestige system with supernova cinematics
  • Deep multiplier stacking and research upgrades
  • Daily missions and streaks
  • Fully offline gameplay
Read full description

Fuse hydrogen into a living star. Grow it. Then blow it up — on purpose. SUPERNOVA is a premium-feel idle game about running a cosmic forge. Tap to spark fusion, build 12 generators from Hydrogen Wisp to Singularity Seed, and watch your star physically evolve — protostar, blue giant, red supergiant — until it is ready to collapse. Detonating it is the point: every supernova grants Neutron Cores, permanent power that makes each new universe faster than the last. WHY YOU'LL STAY • Real progress while you're away — production continues offline (extend the cap up to 24 hours with research), and a welcome-back doubler greets your return • A star that actually changes — five visual stages, rendered live, no canned art • Prestige that feels like a finale — a hand-built supernova cinematic, then a stronger start • Numbers that get gloriously big — Million, Septillion, and far beyond • Milestones every few minutes early on, deep multiplier stacking later • Daily missions and streaks that respect your time • 20 research upgrades that shape every run FAIR BY DESIGN • No ads. None. • No energy bars, no forced waits, no progress walls • Fully offline — no account, no sign-in, no internet required • Nothing collected, nothing tracked • Optional purchases exist (time warps, photons, a one-time Supporter Pack), and the entire game is balanced to be completed without spending anything THE LOOP 1. Tap your star and let generators forge Stardust 2. Hit ownership milestones — each one doubles a generator's output 3. Buy research, stack a Photon Surge boost, fill your Piggy Bank 4. Reach collapse readiness... and go SUPERNOVA 5. Keep your Neutron Cores forever. Start again, faster. Built by a solo developer in SwiftUI and SpriteKit. Every pixel is procedural — no asset packs, no stock art. Dark theme, tuned haptics, Reduce Motion respected. Your first universe is waiting. It starts with one atom.

About

Merge Lighthouse

Features
Read full description

Merge Lighthouse is a cozy merge + idle game. Drag matching light parts together to power up your lighthouse — the brighter it shines, the bigger the ships you can guide safely to harbor, and the more coins you earn. FEATURES - Simple, satisfying merge gameplay: combine parts from a dim lamp to a blazing Tier-10 Beacon. - Idle income: your lighthouse keeps earning while you're away. - Combos: chain quick merges to boost ship rewards. - Rare golden ships: catch them for a big payout. - Daily challenges and login rewards. - Prestige (Rebirth) for permanent brightness bonuses. - Boosters: coin storm, auto-merge, time warp and more. - Relaxing hand-crafted visuals and music. Play offline, anytime. Light up the coast, one merge at a time!

Screenshots

Supernova4 screens
Merge Lighthouse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Merge Lighthouse at none against Supernova's 10. Merge Lighthouse also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Supernova's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and device support (5 vs 2). On price and ads 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. Supernova sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Merge Lighthouse asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Supernova ships an update every 2 days, Merge Lighthouse monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Supernova versus Merge Lighthouse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSupernovaMerge Lighthouse
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (77 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings77 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB28 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperHUGO ANATOLE PAUL MORICEAUSeonggon Sim

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Supernova

One-time10
  • 50 Photons$0.99
  • Time Warp: 4 Hours$1.99
  • Break the Piggy Bank$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Automation Core$3.99
  • Supporter Pack$4.99
  • Time Warp: 24 Hours$4.99
  • 300 Photons$4.99
  • 700 Photons$9.99
  • Time Warp: 7 Days$14.99
  • 1600 Photons$19.99
None

Merge Lighthouse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Supernova free?
Supernova is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Merge Lighthouse free?
Merge Lighthouse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Supernova or Merge Lighthouse have ads?
Neither Supernova nor Merge Lighthouse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Supernova or Merge Lighthouse?
Supernova ships an update every 2 days, and Merge Lighthouse monthly. Most recently, Supernova was updated on October 28, 2026 and Merge Lighthouse on October 25, 2026.

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