Comparison

Skyward vs Nekosan

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

Head to head
About

Skyward

Embark on a serene journey through Escher-style labyrinths with simple one-tap controls. Test your reflexes in a challenging hardcore mode or aim for high scores to unlock new patterns and compete globally.

Highlights
  • Escher-style labyrinths
  • One-tap controls
  • Endless gameplay
  • Dark hardcore mode
  • Unlockable patterns
  • Leaderboard
Features
Read full description

A great journey to the sky starts with a single step. Through dynamic Escher-style labyrinths you will reach your inner peace in this endless one-tap-one-step game. Or push your patience and reflexes to the limit in a brand new dark hardcore mode! Tap on the screen at the right time, when the circle is above the tile, to make a step. Get higher scores to unlock new patterns and beat everyone in the leaderboard!

About

Nekosan

Guide a cat through challenging dungeons to retrieve stolen stars. Utilize one-finger controls for running, sliding, wall jumping, and flying across numerous levels. Embark on an adventure to reclaim what the mice have taken.

Highlights
  • Run, slide, wall jump, and fly mechanics
  • Dozens of challenging levels
  • One-finger control gameplay
  • Retrieve stolen stars
  • Infiltrate mouse dungeons
Features
Read full description

Oh no… The mice stole all the stars :’( Only a cat can infiltrate their dungeons to get them back! Help Nekosan and his friends to run, slide, wall jump, and fly through dozens of devilish levels. And all of this with one finger! Are you up to the challenge? :3

Screenshots

Skyward4 screens
Nekosan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Skyward at none against Nekosan's shown. Skyward also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 869). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

Both are free to download. Skyward sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nekosan sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nekosan holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.7K and 869 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Skyward's written reviews are positive against 83% of Nekosan's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skyward ships an update every 8 days, Nekosan every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Skyward versus Nekosan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkywardNekosan
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (3.7K ratings)4.6 (869 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.5% of reviews82.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.7K — better869
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS5.1.1 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKetchapp1Button SARL

Customer experience

Skyward

All ratings3,654 ratings
Positive84.3%
Neutral6.2%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews1,012 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral4.9%
Negative13.5%

Nekosan

All ratings869 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews873 reviews
Positive82.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative10.9%

User reviews

Skyward

From 3.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Challenging and addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Simple and relaxing design
  • 💡 Unique 3D perspective mechanic
  • 🎨 Beautiful and dynamic visuals

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Unclear gameplay instructions
  • 🔋 Frequent ads disrupt gameplay
  • 🐛 Reported performance issues and glitches
  • 🤔 Concerns about similarity to Monument Valley

Nekosan

From 869 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 😻 Cute and adorable cat character
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive one-tap controls
  • 🕹️ Challenging and addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Visually pleasing minimalist design

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Unclear controls and lack of tutorial
  • 💰 Frequent ads and intrusive monetization
  • 🤯 Extremely difficult and frustrating levels
  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues after updates

Bugs and requests

Skyward

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezing or crashing on some devices
  • Ads causing lags and disrupting gameplay
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add a pause button
  • Provide an option to remove ads
  • Improve onboarding and tutorial
  • Introduce more gameplay modes and challenges

Nekosan

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes on launch after recent update
  • Inability to exit video ads without watching them
  • Progress not saved after exiting the game

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content updates
  • Better tutorial and control explanation
  • Option to remove ads for a one-time fee
  • Restart button for quick retries

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Skyward

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
5 purchases

Nekosan

One-time5
  • Pack of 9 Lives$0.99
  • Key$0.99
  • Maurice$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Skip a Stage$0.99
  • Remove All Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Skyward free?
Skyward is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nekosan free?
Nekosan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Skyward or Nekosan?
Nekosan is rated higher. Skyward averages 4.4 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Nekosan averages 4.6 from 869 ratings.
Do Skyward or Nekosan have ads?
Nekosan shows ads; Skyward does not.
Which is updated more often, Skyward or Nekosan?
Skyward ships an update every 8 days, and Nekosan every 2 months. Most recently, Skyward was updated on September 13, 2026 and Nekosan on September 22, 2026.

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