XenoShyft vs Eclipse
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
XenoShyft
Defend your base from relentless alien waves in this cooperative deck-building strategy game. Coordinate with up to three other players to outfit your troops, plan your defenses, and survive nine rounds of intense combat.
- 1-4 player cooperative gameplay
- Deck-building mechanics
- Base defense strategy
- Strategic planning and coordination
- Inventive armor and weapon upgrades
- Beautifully illustrated universe
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The hit Kickstarter boardgame, now available on mobile! IMPORTANT: This app requires iPhone 5 or newer, iPad 3 or newer, iPad Mini or iPod Touch 5th generation or newer! Defend against waves of horrific aliens in this beautifully illustrated, base defense, deck-building game for 1 to 4 players! "One of the most fun co-op games I have played in a long time!" - Tom Vasel (The Dice Tower) "The enemies are just monstrous and difficult!" - Rodney Smith (Watch it Played) In XenoShyft Onslaught players take on the role of a commander in the NorTec Corporation. You're tasked with defending your division of the NorTec base as wave after wave of horrific aliens attempt to destroy the base and end NorTec's strip mining operation. Gameplay Features 1 - 4 players - Single player compatible, fully cooperative gameplay. Strong focus on coordination and strategic planning - to overcome the game's intense difficulty players will need to work together. Base-Defense with deck-building elements Incredible art - Illustrated by three amazing artists, XenoShyft features beautiful and consistent art. All of which creates one cohesive and frightening universe. Inventive and exciting armor and weapon upgrade cards - You'll need to outfit your troops with the best equipment if you hope to survive. Xenoshyft is a game for 1-4 players, with each player controlling one of the divisions of the Nortec military: The Science Labs, Med Bay, Armory, Weapon's Research, Barracks and Command Center. Each of these divisions represents one part of the overall Nortec base, and it is your job as Commander of these divisions to protect the base while its field operations are completed. You and your teammates will have to work together to survive the continuous onslaught of powerful alien threats and horrors – the goal of the mission is not to wipe out these threats, it is merely to outlast them! Survive through nine rounds of combat with these horrors and the base will have succeeded in its mission, and you and your allies will have survived to fight another day!
Eclipse
Lead a vast interstellar civilization in a strategic 4X game. Explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate your rivals to achieve galactic domination. Features customizable species, technologies, and ship designs for a unique experience.
- Official board game adaptation
- Deep 4X gameplay
- Customizable species, tech, and ships
- Up to 6 players (human/AI)
- Asynchronous multiplayer
- In-game tutorial
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The galaxy has been a peaceful place for many years. After the ruthless Terran–Hegemony War, much effort has been employed by all major spacefaring species to prevent the terrifying events from repeating themselves. The Galactic Council was formed to enforce precious peace, and it has taken many courageous efforts to prevent the escalation of malicious acts. Nevertheless, tension and discord are growing among the seven major species and in the Council itself. Old alliances are shattering, and hasty diplomatic treaties are made in secrecy. A confrontation of the superpowers seems inevitable—only the outcome of the galactic conflict remains to be seen. Which faction will emerge victorious and lead the galaxy under its rule? The shadows of the great civilizations are about to eclipse the galaxy. A game of Eclipse Second Dawn places you in control of a vast interstellar civilization, competing for success with its rivals. You will explore new star systems, research technologies, and build mighty spaceships. There are many potential paths to victory, so you need to plan your strategy considering the strengths and weaknesses of your species, while paying attention to the other civilizations' endeavors. Eclipse other civilizations and lead your people to victory! Exciting Gameplay: Challenge AI opponents or play against friends in real-time or turn-based. Tutorial & Help: Whether you're an experienced Eclipse player or a beginner, the game features a detailed tutorial that walks you through the basics step-by-step. Online Domination: The Eclipse app allows you to compete against friends or rivals from around the world. The app gives you the opportunity to compete with players from all over the world. The "Eclipse-2nd Dawn" app has been carefully designed to seamlessly bring the charm of the board game to your device. The intuitive interface ensures a smooth gaming experience for both experienced players and novices. This is the new version, which corresponds to the original board game "Eclipse - 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy" that makes the gameplay even more diverse and challenging. FEATURES * Official iOS version of the 'Eclipse - Second Dawn for the Galaxy' boardgame * Deep and challenging 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) gameplay * 7 species with different strengths and weaknesses * Customizable star systems, technology tree and ship designs * Up to 6 players (human or AI) * Asynchronous multiplayer with push notifications * 3 AI difficulty levels * In-game tutorial & manual Eclipse received multiple awards: Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 2021 Geek Media Awards Game of the Year for Experienced Gamers Winner 2021 Geek Media Awards Game of the Year for Experienced Gamers Nominee 2020 Charles S. Roberts Best SciFi Fantasy Board Wargame Winner 2020 Charles S. Roberts Best SciFi Fantasy Board Wargame Nominee Eclipse base game * 2011 Charles S. Roberts Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Board Wargame Nominee * 2011 Jogo do Ano Nominee * 2012 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner * 2012 Golden Geek Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Winner * 2012 International Gamers Award - General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee * 2012 JoTa Best Gamer Game Audience Award * 2012 JUG Game of the Year Winner * 2012 Ludoteca Ideale Winner * 2012 Lys Passioné Winner * 2012 Tric Trac Nominee
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Eclipse at none against XenoShyft's 6. Eclipse also leads on chart position (#127 vs unranked). XenoShyft's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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
XenoShyft costs $4.99 and Eclipse $9.99 up front. XenoShyft sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Eclipse asks for nothing beyond the download.
XenoShyft holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of XenoShyft's written reviews are positive against 36% of Eclipse's.
XenoShyft ships an update monthly, Eclipse every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | XenoShyft | Eclipse |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 3.4 (27 ratings) — better | 3.2 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 45.8% of reviews — better | 36.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 27 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #127 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 504 MB | 157 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Twin Sails Interactive | BrettspielWelt |
Customer experience
XenoShyft
Eclipse
In-app purchases
XenoShyft
- Grafting Lab$0.99
- Psychogenics Lab$0.99
- The Hive Expansion$0.99
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- NorTec Elite$1.99
- Forbidden Sciences$2.99
- Dreadmire$3.99
Eclipse
No in-app purchases








