Comparison

Botanicula vs Dad's Monster House

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

Head to head
About

Botanicula

Embark on a humorous adventure as five tree creatures on a quest to protect the last seed of their home tree from evil parasites. Explore over 150 detailed locations filled with funny animations and hidden bonuses, accompanied by award-winning music.

Highlights
  • Humorous adventure gameplay
  • Explore over 150 detailed locations
  • Hundreds of funny animations
  • Hidden bonuses
  • Award-winning music
Features
Read full description

Botanicula is a humor-filled adventure game from Amanita Design, creators of award-winning Machinarium and Samorost series, and Czech band DVA. Five friends, little tree creatures, set out on a journey to save the last seed from their home tree which is infested by evil parasites. - Relaxed game perfect for hard core gamers, their partners, families and seniors. - More than 150 detailed locations to explore. - Hundreds of funny animations. - Incredible amount of hidden bonuses. - Award winning music by Dva. * "One of the prettiest things on iPad" - Kotaku * "You absolutely need to check it out" (90%) - Toucharcade * "A bold, bright, and brilliant" (90%) - PocketGamer * "An amazing and heartwarming" (90%) - IGN * IGF Excellence in Audio Award * Game of the Year - jayisgames.com * IndieCade: Best Story/World Design Award * IGM Readers' Choice Award in Best Sound / Music

About

Dad's Monster House

Embark on a narrative-driven adventure to uncover a father's secret. Solve intricate puzzles, encounter unique monsters, and navigate a story exploring themes of love, ambition, and redemption. The black-and-white art style and immersive sound design enhance the emotional journey.

Highlights
  • Narrative-driven story
  • Puzzle solving
  • Item collection
  • Black-and-white art style
  • Immersive sound design
  • Emotional themes
Features
Read full description

Dad's Monster House tells the story of Carlos' journey after he receives a distress call from his father, pleading for him to return to his old home and rescue his dad. As he continues exploring the house, Carlos encounters many terrifying yet 'cute' monsters. As he solves the puzzles before him, he draws ever closer to the truth... Freud once said: "Love and work, work and love...that's all there is." But what of the pain, the struggles that arise when we're forced to choose between our ambitions and love? In dealing with such conundrums, we’ve all likely hurt those we hold dearest to us. For it's often in the darkness that we feel most safe. With Dad's Monster House, I wish to provide those kinds of heartrending memories a chance at redemption. I dedicate it to scientists, to my childhood dreams; to those I love, and to faded memories. I hope that within you'll find the greatest of answers, be they for your love, for science, or dreams. [Gameplay] A sudden call in the deep of night has you return to a house you haven't visited for many a year. You must unravel one puzzle after another: to from within scenes intertwined with memories find clues and get to the bottom of your father's secret. The choice of whether to redeem or ultimately end this sad story lies in your hands. [Features] Instead of going for bright and vivid colors, I have opted for a black-and-white art style. The fragmented narration, plentiful puzzles, and delicate sound designs create an immersive experience where you as the player get to truly feel the ups and downs of the protagonist's emotions. Continue to unravel the story as you collect more items...

Screenshots

Botanicula4 screens
Dad's Monster House4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dad's Monster House at Free against Botanicula's $6.99. Botanicula's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (541 vs 155). On rating, review sentiment, 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

Dad's Monster House is free to download; Botanicula costs $6.99 up front. Dad's Monster House sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Botanicula asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Botanicula against 4.7 for Dad's Monster House. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 541 and 155 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 83% and 84% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Botanicula versus Dad's Monster House: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBotaniculaDad's Monster House
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (541 ratings)4.7 (155 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.8% of reviews83.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings541 — better155
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better16
Further details — not scored
Size610 MB2.3 GB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperAmanita Design s.r.o.COTTONGAME Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Botanicula

All ratings541 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews319 reviews
Positive82.8%
Neutral4.7%
Negative12.5%

Dad's Monster House

All ratings155 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive83.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative12.1%

User reviews

Botanicula

From 541 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Charming and quirky characters
  • 💎 Beautiful, imaginative visuals
  • 🎨 Unique and creative art style
  • 🎶 Fitting and soothing soundtrack
  • 🕹️ Engaging and challenging puzzles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs, especially on older devices
  • 🤯 Lack of clear instructions or guidance
  • 🕰️ Some levels can feel tedious or repetitive
  • 🧭 Difficulty navigating and getting lost in the world

Dad's Monster House

From 155 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful art/graphics
  • 🤔 Challenging puzzles
  • 📖 Engaging story
  • 💡 Creative/clever puzzles
  • ✨ Atmospheric/immersive

Room to improve

  • 🚶 Tedious backtracking/walking
  • ❓ Puzzles can be obscure/frustrating
  • 🤔 Lack of hints
  • 🐌 Slow screen transitions
  • 🖱️ Difficult to use stylus/finger for notes

Bugs and requests

Botanicula

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on certain levels, especially towards the end
  • Inability to interact with key elements on some devices
  • Save data loss or progress reset issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content to extend the experience
  • Ability to save progress and resume games
  • Inclusion of a map or navigation system
  • Difficulty options or accessibility features

Dad's Monster House

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Buttons on signs not working
  • Game won't reopen after closing
  • Game crashes on iPad
  • Game crashes when entering elevator
  • Game crashes after clicking 'new game'
Show 2 more
  • Unable to cook fish or dig treasure
  • Screen cuts off on iPhone 12

Requested features

9 requests
  • Progress sharing between Apple devices
  • Add Thai language support
  • Teleportation feature on the map
  • Interactive map with clickable locations
  • In-game hints
Show 4 more
  • Ability to skip between scenes
  • Optional music and sounds
  • Camera function for clues
  • More character interaction/side quests

In-app purchases

None

Botanicula

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dad's Monster House

One-time1
  • Purchase game$1.99

Questions

Is Botanicula free?
Botanicula costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dad's Monster House free?
Dad's Monster House is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Botanicula or Dad's Monster House?
Dad's Monster House is rated higher. Botanicula averages 4.6 out of 5 from 541 ratings, while Dad's Monster House averages 4.7 from 155 ratings.
Do Botanicula or Dad's Monster House have ads?
Neither Botanicula nor Dad's Monster House shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Botanicula or Dad's Monster House?
Botanicula ships an update every 2 months, and Dad's Monster House every 2 months. Most recently, Botanicula was updated on September 24, 2026 and Dad's Monster House on August 31, 2026.

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