Cooped Up vs Stairs
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cooped Up
Navigate a vibrant sanctuary as a new exotic bird, flinging yourself upwards while avoiding obstacles and other quirky birds. Snack on tasty insects along the way and use boosts to ascend further. Compete with friends via Game Center.
- Intuitive twanging fling gameplay
- Simple pick up and play
- Game Centre support
- Collect and eat insects
- In-game boosts
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You are the latest addition in the exotic bird sanctuary. The other older birds have been Cooped Up a little too long and are a branch short of a perch! Ahhemmm... they is a bit crazy! Fling yourself up up and away but watch out, there's more than just birds that you must avoid. However don't be afraid to snack on the way... ...and don't let the other birds laughing at you get you down! Pick yourself up and twang twang twang again! Features: - Intuitive twanging fling gameplay. - Simple pick up and play for all! - Full game centre support to compete with friends and foes - Eat worms, spiders and flies! Hmmm yummy!!! - Boost you way up like a steam train! Important information This game contains third party advertising which can be removed via a one time IAP. This game contains coins which can be collected within the game for free, bought with real money or via earned via promotions. This game contains cross promotion for other Nitrome games and this is not removed with the IAP for removal of ads.
Stairs
Embark on a challenging endless journey, testing your bravery as you climb. Dodge deadly spikes, collect valuable rubies, and aim for insane perfect combos to achieve a high score.
- Endless climbing journey
- Dodge spikes
- Collect rubies
- Perform perfect combos
- High score challenges
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Would YOU be brave enough to climb? Try to pass each stair in this crazy endless journey. Dodge spikes, collect rubies and make insane perfect combos! Started from the bottom now we're here!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stairs at none against Cooped Up's 1. Stairs also leads on ratings volume (24K vs 84) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 17 months). Cooped Up's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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
Both are free to download. Cooped Up sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stairs asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Cooped Up against 4.6 for Stairs. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stairs has 24K ratings behind it against 84, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Cooped Up's written reviews are positive against 68% of Stairs's.
Cooped Up ships an update every 17 months, Stairs every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cooped Up | Stairs |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (84 ratings) | 4.6 (24K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews — better | 67.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 84 | 24K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 174 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nitrome | Ketchapp |
Customer experience
Cooped Up
Stairs
User reviews
Cooped Up
From 84 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Highly addictive gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Charming and unique pixel art style
- 😄 Quirky humor and entertaining animations
- 🎵 Catchy banjo music and sound design
- ⚡ Fast-paced and responsive controls
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 Screen flickering after watching ads
- 🐛 Game incompatibility with iPad
- 🐛 Upside-down screen glitches
- 📺 Excessive and repetitive ads
Stairs
From 24K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun and addictive game
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Creative and challenging
- 👍 Great for stress relief and boredom
- 👍 Enjoyable for all ages
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitches and freezing issues
- 💸 Too many ads that interfere with gameplay
- 🔋 Lags on older devices
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
Bugs and requests
Cooped Up
Reported bugs
13 issues- Game crashes on launch or during gameplay
- Screen flickering and glitching after ads
- Upside-down screen display
- Phone freezing or requiring restart
- Jump mechanics not responding
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- Achievement notifications not displaying
- Trophy/score button unresponsive
- Invincibility frames missing after bug collection
- Screen rotation causing control issues
- Frame rate drops during star animations
- Black screen on startup
- Incompatibility with iPad devices
- Pixelated app icon on iPhone 6
Requested features
12 requests- Unlockable characters and skins
- New maps and backgrounds
- Additional enemy types and difficulty levels
- In-game currency and upgrade system
- Customizable bird options
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- Story mode or narrative elements
- Different game modes (rush mode, challenge mode)
- Tutorial for new players
- Leaderboard functionality improvements
- Power-ups and special abilities
- Bird care mechanics (feeding, washing, growing)
- Mute settings that persist between sessions
Stairs
Reported bugs
3 issues- Ads popping up during gameplay
- Screen freezing and crashing
- Inconsistent ball movement and controls
Requested features
4 requests- More challenging levels and modes
- Ability to remove ads
- Improved controls and responsiveness
- Additional ball/character customization options
In-app purchases
Cooped Up
- Remove Ads$1.99
Stairs
No in-app purchases
