Comparison

Trench Runner vs Explore Island

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

Head to head
About

Trench Runner

Navigate a dangerous trench, destroying enemy turrets to survive. The objective is to last as long as possible in this challenging survival game. Prepare for an inevitable end.

Highlights
  • Destroy turrets
  • Survival gameplay
  • High score chasing
  • Trench environment
Features
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Destroy turrets and stay alive as long as possible. In the end, everybody dies. Eventually..

About

Explore Island

Embark on an adventure across procedurally generated islands, each with unique biomes and challenges. Engage in activities like fishing, insect catching, combat, crafting, and resource gathering to uncover mysteries and catalog countless items.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated islands
  • Resource gathering and crafting
  • Fishing and insect catching
  • Combat against various enemies
  • Dungeon exploration
  • Item cataloging
  • Fairy companion system
Features
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You are an explorer on a mission to discover various islands, each with unique biomes, resources, and enemies! Through the exploration of procedurally generated islands, the game offers countless tasks such as fishing, catching insects, battling enemies, exploring dungeons, mining, gathering resources, cooking, forging unique weapons, and even crafting gear! The ultimate challenge is to catalog the countless items found in the game! ● Explore 5 islands with different climates, biomes, resources, and enemies. From desert islands with pyramids to snowy islands with castles filled with enemies. ● Gather resources to help you progress. You'll find fruits, minerals, gems, plants, fish, insects, and rare items. ● Master the art of crafting or forging; maybe even become a top chef by creating equipment like swords, fishing rods, axes, pickaxes, backpacks, clothing, insect nets, and delicious food. ● Face off against dozens of enemies in combat. Each island has unique foes, some that only appear at night or in dungeons. Defeat island bosses to advance your journey. ● Fishing is always a good deal, whether it's for creating new recipes or selling them for a hefty profit. The fish collection is vast, ranging from common to legendary! ● Catch a wide variety of insects—dozens to collect, sell, and catalog! ● Explore the depths of dangerous dungeons, with some floors procedurally generated to ensure a unique experience every time. Discover valuable treasures, face challenging enemies, and conquer the dungeon bosses! ● At the start of the game, you'll receive an egg to hatch. After incubation, a fairy with a unique color and ability will be yours! The type of fairy is random—will you be lucky enough to get a legendary one? Explore Island: Craft & Survive is not just about exploration and combat; it's a paradise for crafters, fishermen, relic collectors, and insect enthusiasts. Do you have what it takes to uncover the mysteries of the islands? Find out by diving into this game full of endless possibilities!

Screenshots

Trench Runner3 screens
Explore Island4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Explore Island at 4.4 against Trench Runner's 3.0. Explore Island also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 21 months) and ratings volume (10 vs 1). Trench Runner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Explore Island sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Trench Runner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explore Island holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Island has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trench Runner ships an update every 21 months, Explore Island every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Trench Runner versus Explore Island: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrench RunnerExplore Island
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)4.4 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—91.7% of reviews
Number of ratings110 — better
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB174 MB
Age rating4+9+
Developerkerem yokuvaAlphaquest Games LTDA

Customer experience

Trench Runner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Explore Island

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%

In-app purchases

None

Trench Runner

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Explore Island

One-time8
  • Small Gems Pack$1.99
  • Small Coins Pack$1.99
  • Starter Pack$4.99
Show 5 more
  • Medium Gems Pack$6.99
  • Medium Coins Pack$6.99
  • Big Coins Pack$24.99
  • Big Gems Pack$24.99
  • Premium Pack$119.99

Questions

Is Trench Runner free?
Trench Runner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Explore Island free?
Explore Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Trench Runner or Explore Island?
Explore Island is rated higher. Trench Runner averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Explore Island averages 4.4 from 10 ratings.
Do Trench Runner or Explore Island have ads?
Both Trench Runner and Explore Island show ads.
Which is updated more often, Trench Runner or Explore Island?
Trench Runner ships an update every 21 months, and Explore Island every 4 days. Most recently, Trench Runner was updated on October 16, 2026 and Explore Island on October 24, 2026.

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