Kiwanuka vs Empty.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kiwanuka
Guide tiny citizens through an enchanting action-puzzle game. Instruct them to build and topple towers, creating bridges to reach the exit. Success hinges on strategic thinking and precise timing.
- Unique touch-based game mechanics
- Guide and instruct tiny citizens
- Build and topple towers
- Use towers as bridges
- Reach the exit
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"Whimsical, magical, and enchanting" –– Touch Arcade, 5/5 Kiwanuka is an action-puzzle game with an entirely new game-mechanic designed uniquely for touch screen. Guide the tiny citizens, instruct them to build towers, knock the towers over to grab ledges, then use them as bridges to reach the exit. Success requires careful thought and perfect timing. - "A brilliant, beautiful, unique experience. Everything from the sounds, visuals, and just the vibe of the game all come together to create one of the most interesting little games I’ve played." - Touch Arcade, Game of the Week - "An elegantly smart game." - Cult of Mac - "A good surprise" -New York Times - "A truly special game" - Kotaku - "Amazing" - TUAW - "A hidden treasure." - SlashGear - "The game looks great." - Pocket Gamer -"In an increasingly-long line of delightful puzzle games on iOS, Kiwanuka is one of the best. It sees you guiding a colourful collection of characters to freedom using a glowing staff: like a neon-infused Lemmings built for touchscreens." - The Guardian
Empty.
A relaxing puzzle game designed to help you unwind and appreciate simplicity. Rotate rooms to clear them using intuitive one-touch controls. Enjoy a peaceful experience with a beautiful soundtrack and over 25 handcrafted levels.
- Unique room rotation puzzles
- One-touch controls
- No ads or paid content
- Accessible for all ages
- 25+ handcrafted levels
- Original soundtrack
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A relaxing puzzle game to unwind with. Each level teaches you to value simplicity in life. ‣ Unique puzzle mechanics — clear the room by rotating it! ‣ One-touch controls — play with one hand! ‣ No ads. No paid content. Supported by donations. ‣ Accessible for players of all ages. ‣ 25+ beautiful hand-crafted levels. ‣ Original soundtrack - a full length album. Learn the timeless concept — that less is more — that will contribute to your wellbeing in addition to simply joyfully passing time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Empty. at Free against Kiwanuka's $0.99. Empty. also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 61%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Kiwanuka's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
Empty. is free to download; Kiwanuka costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Empty. holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Empty. has 2.4K ratings behind it against 328, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Kiwanuka's written reviews are positive against 93% of Empty.'s.
Kiwanuka ships an update every 5 weeks, Empty. monthly. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Kiwanuka | Empty. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (328 ratings) | 4.8 (2.4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.8% of reviews | 92.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 328 | 2.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 88 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marco Mazzoli | Maksym Dzitsiuk |
Customer experience
Kiwanuka
Empty.
User reviews
Kiwanuka
From 328 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great game design
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and music
- 🤩 Charming and fun gameplay
- 💡 Unique puzzle mechanics
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Too short and lacking in content
- 🤔 Repetitive and lacking in challenge
- 🐛 Occasional control issues
- 💰 Expensive for the amount of content
Empty.
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌙 Calming and relaxing
- 👍 Simple and intuitive gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful color palette and aesthetics
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 💡 Unique and innovative concept
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Game is too short
- 🤔 Some levels require precise alignment
- 🔇 No option to turn off background music
Bugs and requests
Kiwanuka
Reported bugs
3 issues- Progress reset issues
- Freezing and crashing
- Unresponsive controls
Requested features
4 requests- More levels and content
- Increased difficulty and challenge
- Improved controls and responsiveness
- Cloud save support
Empty.
Reported bugs
2 issues- Certain objects not disappearing as expected
- Glitches on specific levels
Requested features
3 requests- More levels and content
- Difficulty settings or options
- Ability to save progress
In-app purchases
Kiwanuka
No in-app purchases
Empty.
No in-app purchases
