Comparison

XCOM® vs Crying Suns

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

Head to head
About

XCOM®

This is a standalone expansion to a critically acclaimed strategy game, offering new soldiers, abilities, enemies, maps, and a multiplayer mode. Players can upgrade their soldiers with genetic modifications and cybersuits, research new weapons, and counter new alien threats.

Highlights
  • New soldier abilities (genetics & cybersuits)
  • New weapons and equipment
  • New enemy types and organization
  • New strategic resource (Meld)
  • New story missions
  • New multiplayer maps, units, and abilities
Read full description

***NOTE: Compatible with iPad 3, iPad mini 2, iPhone 5 and up. WILL NOT be able to run on earlier generations, despite being able to purchase them on those devices*** XCOM®: Enemy Within is a standalone expansion to the 2012 strategy game of the year XCOM: Enemy Unknown and it's now available on iOS devices! Enemy Within features the core gameplay of Enemy Unknown plus more exciting content. Check out the new soldiers, abilities, enemies, maps, missions, and multiplayer mode for the fresh new strategy gaming experience! • New Soldier Abilities: Build new base facilities to unlock unearthly new capabilities for XCOM’s soldiers. The Genetics Lab will allow soldiers to receive powerful genetic modifications, and the Cybernetics Lab allows soldiers to use devastating mechanized cybersuits in battle. • New Weapons and Equipment: Give your operatives an extra tactical edge with new projects from your engineering team and the Foundry. • New Enemy Threats: Adopt new tactics to counter the threats from two new alien types and a deadly new organization known as EXALT. • New Strategic Resource: A valuable new alien resource, known as Meld, has been discovered. Secure it on the battlefield, research a new technology to unlock its power, and use it carefully back at base to unlock new upgrades and weaponry. • New Story Elements: Investigate a terrifying threat in an abandoned fishing village, and defend the XCOM headquarters from alien attack in a series of new plot-driven missions. • New Multiplayer maps, units, and abilities: Create your custom squad from a wider array of options and dominate your opponent in intense, one-on-one, turn-based matches. NOTE: XCOM: Enemy Within is a graphically rich game with advanced features. To OPTIMIZE your playing experience, you may want to turn off other apps before playing. The content of this videogame is fictional and is not intended to represent or depict an actual record of the events, persons, locations, or entities in the game’s setting. The makers and publishers of this videogame do not in any way endorse, condone or encourage engaging in any conduct depicted in this videogame. Follow us on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/xcom Follow us on Twitter: @xcom For more great games visit: http://www.2kgames.com/mobile/ 18+ "запрещено для детей" for Russia Privacy Policy: http://www.take2games.com/privacy/index.html Terms of Service: http://www.take2games.com/legal/ End User License Agreement: http://www.take2games.com/eula/index.html

About

Crying Suns

Command a space fleet in a tactical rogue-lite inspired by classic sci-fi. Explore a procedurally generated universe, engage in strategic ship battles, and uncover a deep storyline across six chapters. Experience a rich narrative and atmospheric gameplay designed for mobile.

Highlights
  • Procedurally-generated space exploration
  • Tactical battleship and squadron fleet combat
  • Over 300 story events
  • Deep, 6-chapter storyline
  • Mobile-optimized interface
Read full description

When FTL meets Foundation and Dune: Crying Suns is a tactical rogue-lite that puts you in the role of a space fleet commander as you explore a mysteriously fallen empire. In this story rich experience inspired by Dune and Foundation, each successful run will uncover the truth about the Empire... and yourself as well. Main Features: - Space exploration in a procedurally-generated universe - Tactical fights between battleships and their squadron fleets - More than 300 possible story events - A deep and dramatic storyline structured in 6 chapters - A dark and disturbing atmosphere inspired by our favorite S-F universes (Foundation, Dune, Battlestar Galactica) First released on PC and Mac, the indie hit Crying Suns was carefully redesigned for mobile and tablets, including a revamped interface and intuitive touchscreen interactions. Pay once to get the full Crying Suns experience! No ads, no F2P mechanics! All future updates included. Supported languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese If you encounter any problem, please contact us at contact@cryingsuns.com with as much information as possible on the issue.

Screenshots

XCOM®4 screens
Crying Suns4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Crying Suns at 4.8 against XCOM®'s 4.3. Crying Suns also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 62%). XCOM®'s advantage is price ($4.99 vs $5.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

XCOM® costs $4.99 and Crying Suns $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Crying Suns holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.6K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of XCOM®'s written reviews are positive against 73% of Crying Suns's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
XCOM® versus Crying Suns: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXCOM®Crying Suns
Price$4.99 — better$5.99
Rating4.3 (5.6K ratings)4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.0% of reviews72.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.6K — better2.1K
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#97#65 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size3.3 GB1014 MB
Age rating17+12+
Developer2KAlternative Shift

Customer experience

XCOM®

All ratings5,601 ratings
Positive83.9%
Neutral2.5%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews442 reviews
Positive62.0%
Neutral7.9%
Negative30.1%

Crying Suns

All ratings2,136 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews283 reviews
Positive72.8%
Neutral9.5%
Negative17.7%

User reviews

XCOM®

From 5.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent port of the PC game
  • 👍 Great gameplay and strategy
  • 💎 Addictive and replayable
  • 🎮 Faithful to the XCOM franchise
  • 🔝 Best strategy game on iOS

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Difficult to control on small screens
  • 🔋 Battery draining
  • 🗺️ Limited map selection compared to PC
  • 🔇 Sound issues and lack of audio options

Crying Suns

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun gameplay
  • 🌟 Amazing atmosphere and story
  • 👍 Engaging combat system
  • 💎 Great value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Small text and UI elements
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and missions

Bugs and requests

XCOM®

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Tutorial getting stuck
  • Crashes when returning to base
  • Inability to move soldiers to elevated positions
  • Unresponsive menus and UI
  • Progression-blocking bugs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Controller support
  • Improved camera controls
  • Full screen support for newer devices
  • Update to fix compatibility issues
  • More customization options

Crying Suns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes when using certain ship abilities
  • Crashes during end-of-chapter cutscenes
  • Progression-blocking bugs preventing access to new content
  • Inability to progress past specific story points due to crashes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Zoom functionality for combat screen
  • Ability to play own music during gameplay
  • Endless mode or sandbox option
  • Improved tutorial to explain key mechanics

In-app purchases

None

XCOM®

No in-app purchases

None

Crying Suns

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is XCOM® free?
XCOM® costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Crying Suns free?
Crying Suns costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, XCOM® or Crying Suns?
Crying Suns is rated higher. XCOM® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Crying Suns averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.
Do XCOM® or Crying Suns have ads?
Neither XCOM® nor Crying Suns shows ads.
Which is updated more often, XCOM® or Crying Suns?
XCOM® ships an update monthly, and Crying Suns monthly. Most recently, XCOM® was updated on October 1, 2026 and Crying Suns on October 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, XCOM® or Crying Suns?
XCOM® currently peaks at #97 in the App Store charts, and Crying Suns at #65. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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