Comparison

Micro Battles vs 12 orbits

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

Head to head
About

Micro Battles

Challenge friends to quick, head-to-head mini-games on a single device, inspired by retro 8-bit video games. Daily challenges keep the fun fresh, with an optional upgrade for unlimited access to all games.

Highlights
  • Head-to-head mini-games
  • Single device multiplayer
  • Retro 8-bit inspired
  • Daily changing challenges
  • Optional premium upgrade
Features
Read full description

Battle your friends in a series of HEAD TO HEAD mini-games, inspired by the fun simplicity and quirkiness of classic 8-BIT VIDEO GAMES. Using two buttons (one for each player) on a single device, you can place your portable battleground practically anywhere and challenge any friend you'd like. Battles are changed on a daily basis, so be sure to open the app every day for another fun challenge. Let the Micro Battles begin! - - - - - - - - - - - - Grab It Magazine says: - "By the end of half a dozen games of the cowboy shootout and axe throwing - with my opponent being my wife - WE WERE LAUGHING AND YELLING HYSTERICALLY AND LOUDLY" Featured in "Best New Games" by Apple - - - - - - - - - - - - * Micro Battles is free from ads and playable at no cost. A premium upgrade is provided as an optional one-time in-app purchase, allowing players to access mini-games outside the daily scheme. * Friend not included

About

12 orbits

This app offers a unique local multiplayer experience for 2 to 12 players on a single device. It features four distinct game modes, simple controls, and adjustable difficulty for any group size. Enjoy competitive or team-based play with quick setup and easy learning curves.

Highlights
  • Local multiplayer for 2-12 players
  • Four distinct game modes
  • Single-screen gameplay
  • Simple one-button controls
  • Adjusts to any player count
  • Quick setup
Read full description

The only local multiplayer game that lets you challenge 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... up to 12 players at once on just one screen. One smartphone or tablet is all you need. • Competitive local multiplayer for everyone at once. Anywhere. On anything. • 4 vastly different game modes to choose from • Setup takes seconds, even for 12 players at once • The basic mechanics are simple and can be taught to a group quickly • ...yet they provide you with a lot of room for mastery and competition • Works just as well for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… players as it does for 12 You can choose from 4 very different game modes: ○ Arena Fill the arena with spheres of your own color and avoid those of your opponents. A bullet hell game that constantly grows more intense. ○ Multiball (Teams) Kind of like football, but with exploding goals and multiple balls at once, which change color all the time. Teamplay is more important than mastery. ○ Trails Collect spheres to grow longer than your opponents. Then block their path and pay attention to your own. And should the other players try to keep their distance, just fling your spheres at them. ○ Blizzard (Teams) Think tennis. But you have to defend against a whole shower of spheres at once, and send them right back where they came from. Whether you prefer playing local multiplayer versus or as a team, defensively or offensively, competitively or in utter chaos, anything is possible. Even so, 12 orbits requires only one button per player. This makes it easy to learn and teach others how to play it, yet it still provides a surprising amount of control for perfectionists. 12 orbits is a local multiplayer game for many players at once. But of course, you can also start off with a smaller group. All game modes automatically adjust to 2 players just as well as to any other number: 3 players, 4 players, 5 players, 6 players, 7 players, 8 players, 9 players, 10 players, 11 players, and of course 12 players can all easily compete with each other. Just try it out! The free version comes with all of the features and no more than a few ads. No micro transactions, no sharing of your data, and no unnecessary permissions. If you enjoy 12 orbits and would like to support me in its development, you can buy an ad-free version right here, in the Store. Thank you.

Screenshots

Micro Battles4 screens
12 orbits4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: 12 orbits at 4.7 against Micro Battles's 4.0. 12 orbits also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 56%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 9 months). Micro Battles's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Micro Battles sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and 12 orbits 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

12 orbits holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 96 and 41 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Micro Battles's written reviews are positive against 91% of 12 orbits's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Micro Battles ships an update every 9 months, 12 orbits every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Micro Battles versus 12 orbits: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMicro Battles12 orbits
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (96 ratings)4.7 (41 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.7% of reviews90.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings96 — better41
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB112 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDonut GamesRoman Uhlig

Customer experience

Micro Battles

All ratings96 ratings
Positive71.9%
Neutral5.2%
Negative22.9%
Written reviews201 reviews
Positive55.7%
Neutral10.4%
Negative33.8%

12 orbits

All ratings41 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive90.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.3%

Bugs and requests

Micro Battles

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Broken RNG leading to repeated games
  • Occasional crashes and glitches
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add more game modes
  • Implement single-player and online multiplayer options
  • Allow players to choose which game to play

12 orbits

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Micro Battles

One-time1
  • Premium$1.99
1 purchases

12 orbits

One-time1
  • “Remove all ads from 12 orbits, forever”$1.99

Questions

Is Micro Battles free?
Micro Battles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 12 orbits free?
12 orbits is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Micro Battles or 12 orbits?
12 orbits is rated higher. Micro Battles averages 4.0 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while 12 orbits averages 4.7 from 41 ratings.
Do Micro Battles or 12 orbits have ads?
12 orbits shows ads; Micro Battles does not.
Which is updated more often, Micro Battles or 12 orbits?
Micro Battles ships an update every 9 months, and 12 orbits every 5 weeks. Most recently, Micro Battles was updated on October 16, 2026 and 12 orbits on October 4, 2026.

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