# Hopeless vs Platform Panic

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hopeless at 98% against Platform Panic's 70%. Hopeless also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5). Platform Panic's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 15 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hopeless sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Platform Panic sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hopeless holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 251 and 124 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of Hopeless's written reviews are positive against 70% of Platform Panic's.

Hopeless ships an update every 15 months, Platform Panic every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hopeless | Platform Panic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hopeless-space-shooting/id839584986/reviews)** | [4.5 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/platform-panic/id940103464/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **251** | 124 |
| Positive reviews | **98.1% of reviews** | 69.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 163 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Upopa Entertainment Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1140797199) | [Nitrome](https://appshunter.io/developer/568079484) |

## What reviewers say

### Hopeless

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hopeless-space-shooting/id839584986)

Defend cute Blobs from monsters on an abandoned planet in this fast-paced arcade shooter. Tap to fire, but be careful not to hit your friends or scare them too much. Survive increasingly intense waves of enemies and unlock new weapons and modes.

**Highlights:** Multi-touch fire system, Retro disco aesthetic, Two game modes, Unlockable rewards, Fast-paced reflex-based gameplay, Monster shooting mechanics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Mega Blaster | $0.99 | one-time |
| Refugee Blobs | $0.99 | one-time |
| Blob Expedition | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coin Purse | $1.99 | one-time |
| Blob Caravan | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Double Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Coin Sack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Lot | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coin Chest | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Great for reaction time
- 👍 Nostalgic art style
- 👍 Intense and adrenaline-rushing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔄 Wish it was still updated
- 🔄 "Gutted the first game" sentiment
- 🔄 "Where's the original" sentiment
- 🔄 "Gets challenging at later waves" sentiment

**Reported bugs**

- Game was "gutted"
- First game updated to a less desirable version

**Requested features**

- Update the game
- Bring back the old version of the first game
- Add an "original mode"
- Make more games like this
- Free roam game with different characters and weapons


### Platform Panic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/platform-panic/id940103464)

Pit iconic platform game heroes against each other in a procedurally generated retro challenge. Master simple controls to climb the leaderboards and unlock all characters in this addictive pixel-art adventure.

**Highlights:** Hero battles, Leaderboard challenges, Procedurally generated levels, Simple swipe controls, Retro pixel graphics, Chiptune soundtrack

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 250 coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1000 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5000 coins | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Retro-style graphics
- 🎶 Great music
- 💎 Addictive and challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 💰 Expensive upgrades
- 📺 Excessive ads
- 🎮 Unresponsive controls

**Reported bugs**

- Coins lost after using extra life
- Laser beams not functioning properly
- Falling through the floor and getting stuck
- Ads not removing after purchase

**Requested features**

- More characters and abilities
- Level editor and sharing
- Difficulty settings
- Cloud save support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hopeless free?

Hopeless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Platform Panic free?

Platform Panic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hopeless or Platform Panic?

Hopeless is rated higher. Hopeless averages 4.9 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Platform Panic averages 4.5 from 124 ratings.

### Do Hopeless or Platform Panic have ads?

Both Hopeless and Platform Panic show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hopeless or Platform Panic?

Hopeless ships an update every 15 months, and Platform Panic every 4 months. Most recently, Hopeless was updated on September 4, 2026 and Platform Panic on August 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*