Comparison

aa vs Stack Islands

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

Head to head
About

aa

A minimalist, one-tap puzzle game that tests your timing and focus. Shoot dots into a spinning circle without collision across over 1,300 handcrafted levels. It's easy to learn but incredibly challenging to master.

Highlights
  • Over 1,300 handcrafted levels
  • One-tap gameplay
  • Offline play
  • Challenge friends
  • Daily streaks
  • Minimalist design
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

aa – The Original One-Tap Timing Puzzle Game. Simple, addictive, and timeless. Like Snake on an old flip phone, aa is a pure test of skill, focus, and timing. Over 50 million players have tapped, missed, and tapped again. Tap to shoot dots into the spinning circle without hitting the others. Easy to play. Very hard to master. One mistake and it's game over. Can you beat level 31? Most players can't. Level 35 is even harder. + Over 1,300 handcrafted levels + One-tap gameplay, no tutorials needed + Play offline, anywhere, anytime + Challenge friends and share your progress + Daily streaks to keep you coming back + Minimalist design, maximum addiction Whether you're on level 1 or level 1,300, aa keeps pulling you back. Handmade in Australia by General Adaptive Apps. If it's not published by us, it's not the real aa. Support indie devs. Loved in the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, India and all around the world. A top game for over 10 years. Download aa now — see how far you can get. Tip: Restore old high scores via Menu > Help > Restore Scores (Game Center) Terms: generaladaptive.com/terms-privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Stack Islands

Build towering structures by stacking blocks to create unique islands. Enjoy a relaxing experience with charming visuals and challenge yourself with fun activities. Discover a hidden mystery while competing for the top global score.

Highlights
  • Stack blocks to create islands
  • Relaxing and charming design
  • Compete for global high scores
  • Engage in fun activities
  • Discover a hidden mystery
  • No personal data tracking
Features
Read full description

Stack up blocks as high as you can! See your creation come to life as a unique and beautiful island. ◮ Relaxing and beautiful, with charming design ◮ Compete for the best score in the world ◮ Challenge yourself with fun activities ◮ Discover a hidden mystery ◮ Safe and ethical, no tracking your personal info

Screenshots

aa3 screens
Stack Islands4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: aa at 3.9 against Stack Islands's 2.5. aa also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (11K vs 2). Stack Islands's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 56%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. aa sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Stack Islands sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

aa holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: aa has 11K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of aa's written reviews are positive against 80% of Stack Islands's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

aa ships an update every 10 days, Stack Islands every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
aa versus Stack Islands: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraaStack Islands
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (11K ratings) — better2.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews56.1% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#174 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size231 MB145 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGeneral Adaptive Apps Pty LtdDean Longmore

Customer experience

aa

All ratings11,022 ratings
Positive69.1%
Neutral7.9%
Negative23.0%
Written reviews1,672 reviews
Positive56.1%
Neutral9.2%
Negative34.7%

Stack Islands

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

aa

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Incorrect ball size on newer devices
  • Persistent issues with level 7 and 8
  • Glitchy end-of-level screens

Requested features

4 requests
  • Skip level option
  • Hint system
  • Daily challenges
  • Music/sound options

Stack Islands

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

aa

Subscriptions2
  • aa Legend$2.991 Month
  • aa Legend$19.991 Year
One-time6
  • Skip Level$0.49
  • Skip 3 Levels$1.19
  • Skip 5 Levels$1.79
Show 3 more
  • Remove Ads$5.99
  • Unlock All Levels$9.99
  • Complete aa$14.99
1 purchases

Stack Islands

One-time1
  • Complete Game Unlock$0.99

Questions

Is aa free?
aa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stack Islands free?
Stack Islands is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, aa or Stack Islands?
aa is rated higher. aa averages 3.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Stack Islands averages 2.5 from 2 ratings.
Do aa or Stack Islands have ads?
aa shows ads; Stack Islands does not.
Which is updated more often, aa or Stack Islands?
aa ships an update every 10 days, and Stack Islands every 2 months. Most recently, aa was updated on November 8, 2026 and Stack Islands on November 2, 2026.

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