Desert Golfing vs Idle Acorns
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Desert Golfing
Experience an endless desert golf course with unique challenges. Navigate sandy landscapes and discover new holes with every play. This game offers a relaxing yet engaging golfing adventure.
- Infinite procedurally generated courses
- Unique desert environments
- Relaxing gameplay
- Simple controls
- Score tracking
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To see a world in a bunker of sand And a heaven in a wild cactus, Hold infinity in the pocket of your shorts, And eternity in Desert Golfing.
Idle Acorns
A classic idle clicker game with a charming narrative. Explore diverse environments, gather resources, craft items, and play mini-games. Enjoy a pure, ad-free experience with no in-app purchases or data mining.
- Resource gathering and upgrades
- Crafting over 24 items
- Fishing and cooking mini-game
- Gardening and tree growing
- Campfire for inviting characters
- iCloud backup support
- Game Center integration
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Inspired by the classics, Idle Acorns is a fun mobile clicker game that features no advertisements, no in-app purchases, and no data-mining. Inspired by the clicker games of the old internet, Idle Acorns brings a fun narrative to the mobile clicker arena but without getting weighed down by advertisements, in-app purchases or data mining. Explore the forest and ocean with Benny the squirrel and enjoy everything from fishing, to gardening. Unlock the campfire to invite new characters, collect resources, and craft items. Featuring 4 mini-games, iCloud backup support, Game Center support, iMessage sticker pack, and more! Like classic Idle games, Idle Acorns respects time travel. Please note that time travel will disable Game Center features. Shake the tree to gather acorns. Purchase upgrades and enlist scavengers to collect acorns while you are away! Sell your acorns, and unlock new areas in the shop. Speak with Benny the squirrel to navigate your adventure. Cast your line, and catch fish in the ocean. Open the map to visit your acres of land, or upgrade your offline collection. Unlock the campfire and invite all new characters. Trade resources and buy recipes to craft over 24 new items. - Forge diamonds and buy upgrades - Go fishing and cook fish - Buy land and grow trees - Unlock the campfire and trade resources - Buy recipes and craft items - 4 Mini-Games - Share resources with friends - Lots of character dialogue - Seasonal events - iCloud backup support - Game Center leaderboards and achievements - iMessage sticker pack IMPORTANT: iPhone SE (2016 First Generation) and iPod touch are not supported.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Idle Acorns at free against Desert Golfing's paid. Idle Acorns also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Desert Golfing's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ratings volume, 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
Desert Golfing costs $1.99 and Idle Acorns $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Idle Acorns holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 649 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Desert Golfing's written reviews are positive against 60% of Idle Acorns's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Desert Golfing ships an update every 2 weeks, Idle Acorns every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Desert Golfing | Idle Acorns |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (649 ratings) | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews — better | 60.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 649 | 1.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #93 | #75 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 149 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Captain Games Inc. | aleros.io LLC |
Customer experience
Desert Golfing
Idle Acorns
User reviews
Desert Golfing
From 649 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Delightfully simple
- 🚀 Relaxing, soothing gameplay
- 🚀 Addictive and endlessly playable
- 👍 Perfect for passing time
- 👍 Minimalist design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Impossible holes due to level design
- 🐛 Lack of reset/restart option
- 🐛 Inconsistent ball behavior
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Repetitive and monotonous after a while
Idle Acorns
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Charming and relaxing
- 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🎨 Pleasant aesthetics
- 🕹️ Satisfying gameplay loop
- 💰 Good value for money
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Slow progression and pacing
- 🔍 Unclear mechanics and lack of explanation
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔌 Limited offline progress
- 🔢 Inconsistent upgrade costs
Bugs and requests
Desert Golfing
Reported bugs
3 issues- Certain holes are physically impossible to complete
- Ball behavior can be inconsistent and unpredictable
- Game freezes or crashes on some devices
Requested features
5 requests- Add a reset/restart option
- Introduce more varied obstacles and hazards
- Provide statistics and progress tracking
- Add support for syncing progress across devices
- Implement a night mode or color customization
Idle Acorns
Reported bugs
4 issues- Tree disappearing issue
- Bat not recognizing feather purchases
- Zoom and UI issues on certain devices
- Negative acorn balance after time manipulation
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- More late-game content
- Improved UI and navigation
- Better explanation of game mechanics
- Increased offline progress
In-app purchases
Desert Golfing
No in-app purchases
Idle Acorns
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Desert Golfing free?
Is Idle Acorns free?
Which has better reviews, Desert Golfing or Idle Acorns?
Do Desert Golfing or Idle Acorns have ads?
Which is updated more often, Desert Golfing or Idle Acorns?
Which is more popular, Desert Golfing or Idle Acorns?
Other comparisons
