Comparison

Darkball vs Mildly Interesting RTS

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

Head to head
About

Darkball

Test your predictive abilities by tapping the screen at the precise moment a ball enters a target area. This game challenges your brain's capacity to anticipate events based on subtle cues, similar to how athletes predict ball trajectories.

Highlights
  • Predictive ball interception gameplay
  • Tests brain's anticipation skills
  • Simple tap-to-intercept mechanic
  • Challenges timing and prediction
  • Minimalist visual cues
Features
Read full description

Tap the screen when you think the ball will appear in the target. The ball will only flash twice. The first flash happens when the ball drops and the second flash happens on the line. You’re goal is to tap the screen when you think the ball will appear in the orange target area. Cristiano Ronaldo can famously volley a corner kick in total darkness. The magic behind this remarkable feat is hidden in Cristiano’s brain which enables him to use advance cues to plan upcoming actions. Darkball challenges your brain to do the same, distilling that scenario into its simplest form - intercept a ball in the dark. All you see is all you need. One of the brain’s fundamental functions is to use information from the past and present to predict the future. This function is key to how animals, from dragonflies to humans, navigate a dynamic and uncertain world. To make predictions, the brain must have an “internal model” of the system it interacts with. A basic form of this function is at play when we move our body. For example, to reach for a cup, the brain must have a model to predict how the hand would respond to various motor commands. Internal models are also thought to play a crucial role when we mentally predict future states of the environment, for example when we track a ball as it moves behind another object. Here, we have designed a simple task to understand how the nervous system makes such predictions. In this task, subjects have to intercept a ball when it reaches its final position. By changing the speed of the ball, the intervals when it is invisible, and the target position, we will test various hypotheses about the algorithms that are used to integrate information about past and present to make predictions about future.

About

Mildly Interesting RTS

A touch-based real-time strategy game that prioritizes thoughtful planning over rapid actions. Enjoy a complete, unhindered gameplay experience with no ads or manipulative in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Touch-based controls
  • Planning-focused gameplay
  • No ads
  • No loot boxes
  • No energy systems
  • Single unlockable content pack
Features
Read full description

Mildly Interesting RTS (MIRTS) is a touch-based real time strategy game that is mildly interesting. Emphasizes planning over APM. - Built with love by an indie game developer. - No loot boxes. - No ads. Ever. - No energy bars, coins, or other scummy nickel-and-dime IAP. - No crippled gameplay. - One, single, solitary IAP that unlocks all of the Veteran Content (forever and ever). What people are saying about MIRTS: "This doesn't mean he can't do smarter and bigger things, just that a port of A Dark Room is not that, and neither were his other descriptions of projects he did in the meantime (for example, look at the screenshots for Mildly Interesting RTS)." - Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid and The Witness "This RTS is indeed, mildly interesting." - A random person "I was able to play my friend over wifi, during lunch, one-handed. My other hand was holding a delicious sammich." - RTS enthusiast "My significant other beat me. How is this possible?" - Former diamond league Starcraft player "This old guy played against me and he won, but my APM was so high. How did he do that?" - Angsty teen who is inexperienced at RTS's "I don't get this game. What is an APM?" - Someone who doesn't play RTS's and probably shouldn't have downloaded MIRTS "The description of this game is probably better than the game itself. But I'll download it anyways." - Pessimistic viewer "Meh." - Hobby game developer "Wait, are you just quoting anyone that reaches out to you?" - Photographer "I love bamboo." - A panda bear

Screenshots

Darkball2 screens
Mildly Interesting RTS2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mildly Interesting RTS at 95% against Darkball's 0%. Mildly Interesting RTS also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 68 months). Darkball's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Mildly Interesting RTS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Darkball asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mildly Interesting RTS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mildly Interesting RTS has 307 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Darkball's written reviews are positive against 95% of Mildly Interesting RTS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Darkball ships an update every 68 months, Mildly Interesting RTS weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Darkball versus Mildly Interesting RTS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDarkballMildly Interesting RTS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (15 ratings)4.8 (307 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews95.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15307 — better
Update frequencyEvery 68 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCW&TAmirali Rajan

Customer experience

Darkball

All ratings15 ratings
Positive73.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Mildly Interesting RTS

All ratings305 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral0.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.8%

Bugs and requests

Darkball

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Mildly Interesting RTS

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes when AI uses taunt ability
  • Multiplayer mode not working on some devices
  • Random map generation leading to unwinnable scenarios

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to disable timer or set custom time limits
  • Ability to play against other players online
  • Map creator or custom map options
  • Difficulty settings to adjust AI challenge

In-app purchases

None

Darkball

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mildly Interesting RTS

One-time1
  • Veteran Content$1.99

Questions

Is Darkball free?
Darkball is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mildly Interesting RTS free?
Mildly Interesting RTS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Darkball or Mildly Interesting RTS?
Mildly Interesting RTS is rated higher. Darkball averages 4.1 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Mildly Interesting RTS averages 4.8 from 307 ratings.
Do Darkball or Mildly Interesting RTS have ads?
Neither Darkball nor Mildly Interesting RTS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Darkball or Mildly Interesting RTS?
Darkball ships an update every 68 months, and Mildly Interesting RTS weekly. Most recently, Darkball was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mildly Interesting RTS on November 2, 2026.

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