Comparison

MIXIMAL vs DNA Play

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

Head to head
About

MIXIMAL

Create unique, silly animals by mixing parts or syllables. This app offers a tactile and creative experience with handcrafted animations and analog sounds, inspired by classic flipbooks. It's designed for open-ended exploration with no pressure or goals.

Highlights
  • Mix between 11 animals
  • Create new animals using syllables
  • Combine full animals for surprise animations
  • Switch between 8 languages
  • Lively animations and impressive audio
  • No failing, no goals
Features
Read full description

Mix animals! Mix syllables! Filled with handcrafted animations and sound. MIXIMAL is an entertaining game based on traditional flipbooks we all know from our childhood. Kids create new silly animals and discover their names. We took this classic concept and constructed wonderful handcrafted animations and sounds to complement it. Each animation is created frame-by-frame to provide a warm and organic aesthetic. The sounds originate from analog sources. Our aim with the app is to offer a highly tactile experience, as we think our kids should play with quality toys. Features: + Mix between 11 animals + Make up new animals using syllables + Combine a full animal for a surprise animation + Switch between 8 languages + Lively animations and impressive audio + No failing, no goal, no wrong or right + Supports all iPads and iPhones with iOS 14 or later + No internet access needed! + No advertisements! Available in 8 languages with full voice acting: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese! Learn more about YATATOY: yatatoy.com Contact us for assistance or to give feedback: https://yatatoy.com/info/ MADE BY YATATOY

About

DNA Play

Design and mutate unique creatures by solving DNA puzzles and altering genes. Interact with your creations in real-time through various activities, discovering their personalities and evolving their forms.

Highlights
  • Create over 200 billion unique monsters
  • Solve DNA puzzles to build creatures
  • Alter genes for real-time mutations
  • Interact with monsters in various activities
  • Discover monster personalities and quirks
  • Save monster creations and DNA blueprints
Read full description

Create your own funny monsters and transform them in real-time by building and tweaking their DNA! Over 200 billion unique life forms at your fingertips! Feed your monsters, dance with them, watch them skate, get to know their quirks. • App Store "Best of 2015" • Reached #1 in Kids & Education on the App Store in US, UK & many more countries • Digital Ehon Award - Prize Winner 2017 • Tutora Award - Best Educational App 2017 • "App of the Week" by BBC Focus Magazine • Featured in "Apps of the Month" by The Guardian • "Learning about genetics becomes child’s play" - Cool Mom Tech • "A playful and amusing introduction to a big STEM concept!" - Madison Public Library • "Sneak scientific knowledge under a child’s radar by turning it into a game" - The Sunday Times This fun monster maker game introduces kids to the basic science of DNA in an easy pure-play style. Learn how to build creatures by completing a series of simple DNA puzzles. Get creative and experiment with quirky mutations of different body parts by altering genes. Have fun playing with your monsters and change their form in real-time while they dance, skate, eat or sleep! CREATE & MUTATE Start with a basic unformed figure and complete the gene puzzles to give it a fully grown torso, face and limbs. Then tweak the genes or simply tap on the monster's body parts to trigger mutations. Observe how the tiniest change in the DNA code can lead to unimaginable new characteristics. Watch your monster turn from yellow to red, grow pink hair and 6 eyes, have its ears transform into fish fins and its belly pop out and crave for food. Best of all, these are emotional creatures with vivid personalities, so prepare to be surprised! PLAY & EXPLORE Once you complete all 6 body parts it's time to play with your monsters and have fun! Feed them, tweak them, push them, squeeze them, make them jump or slide! Go for a skateboard ride with them! Get to know their quirks. Do they enjoy being chased by an elephant, being hypnotized or listen to music? Are they afraid of the dark? Discover what makes them sneeze, laugh or cry, how their voice changes after mutating their faces! Try, experiment and evolve! Why stick with 2 short legs when 4 tall ones are so much better for flamenco dancing? Keep transforming and observe which forms look better in various activities! Take photos and share your genetic blueprints so friends can clone your beasts. Build your personal library of ready-to-play, cute little monsters. Science has never been so fun! MAIN FEATURES • A playful introduction to DNA, biology and genetics • Build over 200 billion unique monsters! • Complete the DNA puzzles, swap their pieces to mutate • Tap on body parts to trigger random mutations • Plenty of unexpected and hilarious interactions • Transform monsters in real-time while they dance, sleep, eat, skate & more! • Save your monsters in a ready-to-play library  • Save snapshots of your creations stamped with their DNA code • Parents' section includes basic info on DNA, illustrated tutorial, interaction hints & play ideas • Ideal for kids 4-9 years old • Perfect for STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) • Language neutral game-play • No time limits, free-play style • Exceptional graphics, superb music & original sound design • Safe for kids: COPPA compliant, no 3rd party ads, no in-app purchases PRIVACY POLICY We respect your privacy! We do not collect, store, or share any personal information. Our app does not contain 3rd party ads or in-app purchases and is completely safe for young children. Read our privacy policy here: http://avokiddo.com/privacy-policy. ABOUT AVOKIDDO Avokiddo is an award-winning studio, creating top quality apps for education and playful learning. We think that when you enjoy something, you become one with it; and it is in this creative state that learning takes place. More about us at: avokiddo.com

Screenshots

MIXIMAL4 screens
DNA Play4 screens

Verdict

The call

MIXIMAL and DNA Play both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of MIXIMAL's written reviews are positive against 68% of DNA Play's. DNA Play's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 366) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, update cadence 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

MIXIMAL costs $4.99 and DNA Play $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for MIXIMAL against 4.4 for DNA Play. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DNA Play has 2.2K ratings behind it against 366, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of MIXIMAL's written reviews are positive against 68% of DNA Play's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MIXIMAL ships an update every 5 months, DNA Play every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
MIXIMAL versus DNA Play: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIXIMALDNA Play
Price$4.99$4.99
Rating4.5 (366 ratings) — better4.4 (2.2K ratings)
Positive reviews87.0% of reviews — better67.6% of reviews
Number of ratings3662.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB155 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYATATOYAVOKIDDO

Customer experience

MIXIMAL

All ratings366 ratings
Positive86.3%
Neutral6.6%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive87.0%
Neutral8.7%
Negative4.3%

DNA Play

All ratings2,160 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral14.7%
Negative17.6%

User reviews

MIXIMAL

From 366 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Stylish and simple design
  • 😂 Funny and entertaining animations
  • 🧸 Great for toddlers and young children
  • 💡 Clever and educational concept
  • 🎶 Engaging sounds and music

Room to improve

  • ⚠️ Limited number of animals
  • 🔇 Sound issues reported
  • 📉 App stopped working after updates
  • 🧩 Animals not always easily identifiable

DNA Play

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and creative
  • 💡 Teaches about DNA and diversity
  • 🥰 Child-friendly and engaging
  • 🤩 Customizable monsters

Room to improve

  • 😕 Limited gameplay and interaction
  • 😒 Repetitive and boring after a while
  • 🤔 Difficulty controlling/interacting with monsters
  • 💰 Overpriced for the content

Bugs and requests

MIXIMAL

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App won't load after iOS upgrade
  • Sound does not work
  • Crashing in iOS 13
  • App keeps cutting out

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more animals and sounds
  • Implement a selector for animals
  • Allow screenshots without UI elements
  • More animal combinations

DNA Play

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Food items hard to pick up
  • Glitches and crashes on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More gameplay options and activities
  • Ability to name and save monsters
  • Additional customization options
  • Improved controls and responsiveness

In-app purchases

None

MIXIMAL

No in-app purchases

None

DNA Play

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MIXIMAL free?
MIXIMAL costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DNA Play free?
DNA Play costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MIXIMAL or DNA Play?
MIXIMAL is rated higher. MIXIMAL averages 4.5 out of 5 from 366 ratings, while DNA Play averages 4.4 from 2.2K ratings.
Do MIXIMAL or DNA Play have ads?
Neither MIXIMAL nor DNA Play shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIXIMAL or DNA Play?
MIXIMAL ships an update every 5 months, and DNA Play every 6 months. Most recently, MIXIMAL was updated on September 19, 2026 and DNA Play on September 24, 2026.

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