# Punch Kidd vs Stranger Things

The clearest difference is price: Stranger Things at Free against Punch Kidd's $1.99. Stranger Things also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 16 months) and ratings volume (884 vs 130). Punch Kidd's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (66% vs 46%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Stranger Things is free to download; Punch Kidd costs $1.99 up front. Punch Kidd sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Stranger Things sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Punch Kidd holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stranger Things has 884 ratings behind it against 130, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Punch Kidd's written reviews are positive against 46% of Stranger Things's.

Punch Kidd ships an update every 16 months, Stranger Things every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Punch Kidd | Stranger Things |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (130 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/punch-kidd/id945837394/reviews)** | [3.9 (884 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stranger-things-1984/id1574739824/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 130 | **884** |
| Positive reviews | **66.1% of reviews** | 46.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 517 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tim Webster](https://appshunter.io/developer/945837393) | [Netflix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054) |

## What reviewers say

### Punch Kidd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/punch-kidd/id945837394)

Experience a retro 8-bit platformer with frantic action, challenging puzzles, and ghostly enemies. Explore 16 epic levels with blocky pixel art and chiptune soundtracks, designed for a nostalgic gaming experience without interruptions or ads.

**Highlights:** Frantic air punches, Ghostly enemies, Miracle puzzles, 16 epic levels, Blocky pixel-art, Chirpy chiptune soundtracks, No ads or popups

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Five Hundred Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Stage 2 Levels | $1.99 | one-time |
| Thousand Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 10,000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Nostalgic retro game experience
- 👍 Faithful recreation of the original Alex Kidd game
- 🎮 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🕹️ Responsive controls (for some users)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches, crashes, and freezing issues
- 🎮 Unresponsive or inaccurate controls
- 💰 Requirement to pay for extra levels/coins
- 🔇 Lack of original soundtrack

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing or crashing
- Inability to turn around or move backwards
- Inconsistent behavior on different devices

**Requested features**

- Save game progress feature
- Option to adjust sound/music volume
- Inclusion of original Janken (rock-paper-scissors) mini-game
- Controller support


### Stranger Things

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stranger-things-1984/id1574739824)

Embark on a retro-inspired adventure set in the world of Stranger Things. Explore familiar locations, solve puzzles using character-specific abilities, and collect hidden items to unlock new content. Relive the magic of 80s action-adventure games.

**Highlights:** 80s-inspired retro adventure gameplay, Explore Hawkins and surrounding areas, Solve puzzles with unique character abilities, Collectibles like Eggos and gnomes, Discover new and familiar locations

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netflix Standard Plan | $19.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun retro gameplay
- 🎨 Nostalgic pixel art style
- 🎯 Challenging but rewarding
- 💯 100% completion is satisfying
- 🔍 Lots of hidden details to discover

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires Netflix account to play
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💾 Inconsistent save progress
- 🎮 Lack of controller support
- 🧭 Unhelpful in-game map

**Reported bugs**

- Levels/areas resetting after exiting game
- Character movement/collision issues
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
- Inability to progress past certain points

**Requested features**

- Add support for newer Stranger Things seasons
- Improve save/load functionality
- Implement controller compatibility
- Provide more detailed in-game map


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Punch Kidd free?

Punch Kidd costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Stranger Things free?

Stranger Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Punch Kidd or Stranger Things?

Punch Kidd is rated higher. Punch Kidd averages 4.5 out of 5 from 130 ratings, while Stranger Things averages 3.9 from 884 ratings.

### Do Punch Kidd or Stranger Things have ads?

Neither Punch Kidd nor Stranger Things shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Punch Kidd or Stranger Things?

Punch Kidd ships an update every 16 months, and Stranger Things every 3 months. Most recently, Punch Kidd was updated on October 24, 2026 and Stranger Things on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*