Botanicula vs Dad's Monster House
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Humorous adventure gameplay
- Explore over 150 detailed locations
- Hundreds of funny animations
- Hidden bonuses
- Award-winning music
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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
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.
- Narrative-driven story
- Puzzle solving
- Item collection
- Black-and-white art style
- Immersive sound design
- Emotional themes
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Botanicula | Dad's Monster House |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (541 ratings) | 4.7 (155 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.8% of reviews | 83.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 541 — better | 155 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 16 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 610 MB | 2.3 GB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Amanita Design s.r.o. | COTTONGAME Network Technology Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
Botanicula
Dad's Monster House
User reviews
Botanicula
From 541 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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'
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- 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
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- Ability to skip between scenes
- Optional music and sounds
- Camera function for clues
- More character interaction/side quests
In-app purchases
Botanicula
No in-app purchases
Dad's Monster House
- Purchase game$1.99






