Comparison

FOTONICA vs The Pinball Wizard

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

Head to head
About

FOTONICA

Experience the thrill of high-speed first-person running through complex environments. Master one-handed controls for running, jumping, and diving. Compete with friends in split-screen multiplayer or aim for high scores in endless modes.

Highlights
  • First-person running gameplay
  • One-handed controls
  • 8 distinct levels
  • Procedural endless mode
  • Split-screen multiplayer
  • Unlockable achievements
  • Online leaderboards
Features
Read full description

Ever wondered what running at 140mph feels like? FOTONICA is a first-person game about the thrill of speed and traveling flawlessly through complex environments. One-handed controls: hold your finger down to run, release to jump, hold in mid-air to dive and land. FOTONICA is simple, but is not easy: it follows a tradition of arcade games that are easy to pick up and almost impossible to master. A multi-layered level design across eight different tracks, together with a procedural endless mode make for a game that is incredibly deep. Think you can outrun your friends? Try the split-screen versus challenges. The visuals are a treat for the nostalgic player but also for those hungry for new aesthetics. Every pixel is drawn to convey the maximum sense of speed, an exhilarating journey through light and void. - 8 Levels to explore and master. - Plus 3 different endless levels to compete for high-scores. - Two-player split-screen multiplayer mode on the same device! - 18 Achievements to unlock plus game stats. - Online rankings. - Beautiful, smooth, and unique vector-style graphics. - Electronic music by Michael Manning, Nicolò Sala, and legendary composer Baiyon. - 2 Difficulty settings to let you play an even faster version of FOTONICA. - Play in landscape or portrait mode. - No ads, no in-app purchases. - Record and share replays of your best runs. -OTHER REVIEWS- POCKET GAMER - "As good as competitive, hold-your-breath-every-second, first-person racing gets" Chris Priestman, pocketgamer.co.uk "EUROGAMER - 8/10 “Usain Bolt trapped in a feverish Tron daydream” Kristan Reed, eurogamer.net " "GAMEPRO - 5/5 “This one button game has a lot more mileage than you might expect” Nathan Meunier, gamepro.com " "THE CREATORS PROJECT - “A veritable black hole to lose yourself in” Emerson Rosenthal, thecreatorsproject.com " "ARS TECHNICA - “Striking and instantly impressive” Ben Kuchera, arstechnica.com" "ROCK, PAPER, SHOTGUN - “It’s a remarkable game, and unlike anything else I’ve played” John Walker, rockpapershotgun.com " -AWARDS- “Fantastic Arcade Spotlight Game 2014” “EuroGamer Expo Selection” “54th Biennale of Art in Venice Selection” ** FOTONICA is designed for iPhone 4 and above. It is NOT compatible with iPod Touch 4th Generation.

About

The Pinball Wizard

Experience a unique blend of classic pinball physics and modern roguelite progression. Control a wizard as the ball, navigating dungeon-like tower floors, mastering flippers, and battling enemies. Collect upgrades and perks to enhance your abilities for each subsequent run.

Highlights
  • Classic pinball physics
  • Roguelite progression system
  • Handcrafted tower tables
  • Pattern-driven boss battles
  • Perks and upgrades
  • Quick and deep mastery sessions
Features
Read full description

Pinball—with a twist. Your wizard is the ball. Climb the castle tower one floor at a time, master the flippers, and outplay cunning enemies. Get stronger with perks and upgrades, then come back for “one more” at-bat. If you love classic pinball physics and modern progression, this is your game. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • A Pinball Feel: Snappy flippers, lanes, rails, bumpers—tight, readable physics. • Roguelite Progression: Level up, choose upgrades, and discover shot synergies. • Tower Tables: Handcrafted dungeon floors with hazards, secrets, and shortcuts. • Boss Battle: Pattern-driven arenas that reward precision and timing. • Quick runs, Deep Mastery: perfect for short sessions or longer sessions If you enjoy The Pinball Wizard, please leave a review—it helps more pinball fans discover the tower!

Screenshots

FOTONICA4 screens
The Pinball Wizard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Pinball Wizard at Free against FOTONICA's $4.99. The Pinball Wizard also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). FOTONICA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment 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

The Pinball Wizard is free to download; FOTONICA costs $4.99 up front. The Pinball Wizard sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. FOTONICA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Pinball Wizard holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Pinball Wizard has 1.1K ratings behind it against 71, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of FOTONICA's written reviews are positive against 66% of The Pinball Wizard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FOTONICA ships an update every 6 months, The Pinball Wizard fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
FOTONICA versus The Pinball Wizard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFOTONICAThe Pinball Wizard
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (71 ratings)4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.6% of reviews — better66.2% of reviews
Number of ratings711.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size197 MB309 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperSanta Ragione s.r.l.Frosty Pop

Customer experience

FOTONICA

All ratings71 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral4.2%
Negative14.1%
Written reviews190 reviews
Positive71.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative17.9%

The Pinball Wizard

All ratings1,104 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive66.2%
Neutral11.7%
Negative22.1%

User reviews

FOTONICA

From 71 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Beautifully crafted game
  • 👍 Unique and captivating gameplay
  • 🎨 Stunning visuals and aesthetics
  • 🎶 Relaxing and immersive soundtrack

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🔇 Music not working on some devices
  • 🖥️ Lack of support for newer devices and screen sizes

The Pinball Wizard

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay
  • 👍 Intuitive and responsive controls
  • 🎨 Charming and polished visuals
  • 💰 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 🕹️ Unique RPG-like pinball mechanics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕹️ Unresponsive or awkward controls
  • 🕰️ Short main campaign length
  • 🤕 Difficulty spikes and unfair enemy encounters

Bugs and requests

FOTONICA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Music cutting out during gameplay
  • Jumping and controls not responsive at times
  • Crashes and freezes on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Multiplayer or online features
  • Customization options
  • VR support

The Pinball Wizard

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Stuck on loading screen
  • Freezing when upgrading skills
  • Inconsistent damage and enemy behavior

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Expanded character customization
  • Landscape mode support
  • Improved enemy and level design

In-app purchases

None

FOTONICA

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

The Pinball Wizard

One-time4
  • Gift$0.99
  • Gift$1.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Gift$3.99

Questions

Is FOTONICA free?
FOTONICA costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Pinball Wizard free?
The Pinball Wizard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FOTONICA or The Pinball Wizard?
The Pinball Wizard is rated higher. FOTONICA averages 4.3 out of 5 from 71 ratings, while The Pinball Wizard averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.
Do FOTONICA or The Pinball Wizard have ads?
The Pinball Wizard shows ads; FOTONICA does not.
Which is updated more often, FOTONICA or The Pinball Wizard?
FOTONICA ships an update every 6 months, and The Pinball Wizard fortnightly. Most recently, FOTONICA was updated on November 6, 2026 and The Pinball Wizard on November 4, 2026.

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