Cooped Up vs Shadow Trick
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.
Shadow Trick
Transform into a shadow to navigate a castle filled with challenges. Solve puzzles, overcome enemies, and defeat bosses in this unique platformer. Master your shadow form to progress through over 20 levels.
- Shadow transformation gameplay
- Castle-themed levels
- Enemy encounters
- Boss battles
- 20+ challenging levels
- Charming music
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Turn into a shadow to solve the puzzles and clear the level. This platformer game is taking place in a castle full of enemies, traps, and boss fights. Keep an eye on your shadow and don't let your eyes trick you! Features: • Clever gameplay • 20+ levels • Boss fights • Charming music tracks Important information: • This game comes with no ads and features a paywall to unlock the full game.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cooped Up at 4.5 against Shadow Trick's 4.0. Shadow Trick's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Cooped Up sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shadow Trick sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Cooped Up holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 32 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 71% and 70% positive.
| Parameter | Cooped Up | Shadow Trick |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (85 ratings) — better | 4.0 (32 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews — better | 70.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 85 — better | 32 |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | — |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nitrome | Gionathan Pesaresi |
Customer experience
Cooped Up
Shadow Trick
User reviews
Cooped Up
From 85 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
Shadow Trick
From 32 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Unique shadow transformation mechanic
- 👍 Visually charming 16-bit aesthetic
- 🚀 Clever puzzle platforming challenges
- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Control issues with the controller getting stuck
- 🐛 Bugs in specific levels causing screen shaking
- 🐛 Bugs with boss battles not triggering rewards
- 🐛 Lag spikes on iOS
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
Shadow Trick
No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.
In-app purchases
Cooped Up
- Remove Ads$1.99
Shadow Trick
- Premium$3.99









