# Dark Ascension — Dark Fantasy Idle RPG

> Dark fantasy idle RPG with deep progression, automation, and offline play. (iPhone/iPad app by Michael Calvert.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-ascension/id6759624526 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Michael Calvert](https://appshunter.io/developer/938912531)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Role Playing, Simulation
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 6 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-03-03
- Data updated: 2026-06-01
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-ascension/id6759624526/reviews.md

## What is Dark Ascension?

Embrace the darkness and ascend to ultimate power in Dark Ascension, an idle/incremental RPG set in a world of shadow and sorcery.



Begin as a fledgling dark mage and harness the flow of mana to fuel your rise through 12 stages of power — from The Awakening to Primordial Darkness. Unlock powerful upgrades, cast devastating spells, command loyal minions, and collect rare artifacts as you build an unstoppable engine of dark energy.



FEATURES:

- 12 Stages of Ascension — Progress through increasingly powerful tiers of darkness, each with unique pixel art backgrounds and cinematic stage transitions.

- Deep Upgrade System — 9 core upgrades with auto-buyer automation, 6 prestige upgrades, 5 challenge upgrades, and 6 transcendence upgrades offer meaningful choices at every stage.

- 7 Active Spells — Cast Mana Surge, Dark Harvest, Void Pulse, and more. Set up the auto-caster to manage spells for you, or take direct control for maximum impact.

- 6 Minion Companions — Recruit and level minions from the Shadow Imp to the Abyssal Herald, each providing unique passive bonuses to production, clicks, costs, and prestige rewards.

- 5 Boss Encounters — Challenge powerful bosses from the Shadow Warden to the Primordial Darkness in real-time DPS battles. Earn exclusive boss artifacts and retry tokens.

- Synergy System — Discover 6 upgrade synergy combos that reward smart upgrade pairing with powerful bonus multipliers.

- Artifact Collection — Discover 8 artifacts across 4 rarity tiers. Complete 3 artifact sets for massive set bonuses. Enhance artifacts for greater power, or reroll their rarity for a guaranteed upgrade.

- Challenge Dungeons — Test your skill in 5 restricted challenge runs that strip away your power and reward you with permanent upgrades.

- Dual Prestige System — Rebirth to earn Shadow Shards for permanent bonuses, then transcend to earn Void Crystals for an even deeper layer of power.

- Full Automation — Unlock the Shadow Automaton to enable auto-buyers, auto-caster, and auto-prestige with a configurable shard threshold. Let your dark empire run itself.

- Seasonal Events — Rotating seasonal events with tiered rewards. Earn bonus resources during Shadow Tide, Ember Harvest, Frost Convergence, and Bloom of Decay.

- 5 Premium Themes — Customize your experience with Dark Abyss, Crimson Abyss, Astral, Emerald Depths, and Golden Ascension visual themes.

- 25 Achievements — Track your accomplishments and earn permanent bonuses for reaching milestones.

- Offline Progress — Your dark empire continues to grow even when you're away, with up to 8 hours of offline progress (extendable through upgrades and the shop).

- No Ads — Enjoy a clean, ad-free experience. Optional in-app purchases provide boosts and cosmetics, but everything is earnable through gameplay. No exclusive content locked behind purchases.



How far will you ascend?

## Key features

- 12 Stages of Ascension
- Deep Upgrade System
- 7 Active Spells
- 6 Minion Companions
- Offline Progress
- Seasonal Events
- Dual Prestige System

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent 2x Mana | $3.99 | one-time |
| Dark Essence Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Boss Retry Token | $0.99 | one-time |
| Golden Ascension Theme | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mana Surge (Small) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Prestige Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Legendary Crate | $4.99 | one-time |
| Void Crystal Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |



## Frequently asked questions about Dark Ascension

### What is Dark Ascension?

Dark Ascension is an idle/incremental RPG set in a dark fantasy world. Players progress through stages of power, unlock upgrades, cast spells, and collect minions and artifacts.

### Does Dark Ascension have ads?

No, Dark Ascension offers a clean, ad-free experience. Optional in-app purchases are available for boosts and cosmetics, but all content is earnable through gameplay.

### Can I play Dark Ascension offline?

Yes, Dark Ascension supports offline progress for up to 8 hours, which can be extended through in-game upgrades and shop purchases. Your dark empire continues to grow even when you're away.

### What kind of upgrades are available in Dark Ascension?

Dark Ascension features a deep upgrade system with 9 core upgrades, 6 prestige upgrades, 5 challenge upgrades, and 6 transcendence upgrades. There are also synergy combos that offer powerful bonus multipliers.

### How does the prestige system work in Dark Ascension?

Dark Ascension has a dual prestige system. You can rebirth to earn Shadow Shards for permanent bonuses, and then transcend to earn Void Crystals for an even deeper layer of power.

### Are there any seasonal events in Dark Ascension?

Yes, Dark Ascension features rotating seasonal events with tiered rewards. These events allow you to earn bonus resources during specific periods like Shadow Tide or Ember Harvest.

### What age rating does Dark Ascension have?

Dark Ascension is rated 9+ and is suitable for a younger audience. It is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

### How often is Dark Ascension updated?

The latest version of Dark Ascension is 1.9.8, and it was last updated on March 16, 2026. This indicates a relatively frequent update schedule.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.9.8 — 2026-03-16

v1.9.8 — Bug Fixes & Balance

  Boss Encounters:
  - Boss fights now properly cancel on prestige and challenge start
  - Bosses blocked during active challenges to prevent conflicts
  - 5-minute cooldown after boss fail/retreat prevents exploits
  - Boss cooldown timers now update live in the UI
  - Transcendence correctly resets boss state

  Spells & Artifacts:
  - Time Warp and Dark Pact refund if there's no production to boost
  - Artifact cooldown reduction now applies to spell cooldowns
  - Dark Lantern cost reduction applies to upgrade costs
  - Cosmic Forge multiplier now boosts click mana

  Seasons & Events:
  - Season points now track the correct resource per event type
  - Pending and active events persist across save/load

  Quality of Life:
  - Background tabs process excess time as offline progress
  - Stats display properly formats large numbers
  - Lore text shows ??? for locked stages
  - IAP-only crates hidden from the Dark Essence shop
  - Imported saves block achievements and strip purchases
  - Offline Dark Essence generation now deducts mana cost
  - CSS and UI polish throughout

### 1.9.6 — 2026-03-10

In-app purchases are now live! 24 items available in the Shop:

  - Permanent boosts: 2x Mana, 2x Dark Essence, Endgame Accelerator, Boss Hunter Pass, Extended Offline, VIP Pass
  - Resource packs: Mana Surge, Dark Essence, Shadow Shards, Void Crystals, Mega Time Warp, Prestige Pack
  - Boss items: Retry Tokens, Premium & Legendary Crates
  - Cosmetics: Astral, Emerald Depths, Golden Ascension themes + Theme Bundle
  - Support the Dev: Patron badge + golden particles

  Plus: Seasonal event boosts, real-time localized pricing, and purchase restoration. Everything in the shop is also earnable through gameplay — no paywalls.

### 1.5.3 — 2026-03-03

No release notes.

## More apps by Michael Calvert

- [Macroline](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macroline/id6765770579)

All apps by Michael Calvert: https://appshunter.io/developer/938912531

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*