Comparison

Dwarf Fortress Remote vs Crying Suns

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dwarf Fortress Remote

Control your fantasy world simulation game remotely on your mobile device. Manage a group of dwarves, build a thriving fortress, and explore a procedurally generated world with complex systems. Requires the original game and a server connection.

Highlights
  • Remote Fortress Mode control
  • Complex world simulation
  • Dwarf management
  • Fortress construction
  • Procedurally generated worlds
  • Detailed geology and weather
Features
Read full description

Dwarf Fortress is a famous fantasy world simulation/management game from Bay 12 Games. This app allows you to play Fortress Mode remotely on your mobile device. Dwarf Fortress is an open-ended fantasy world simulation/management game from Bay 12 Games, which is in constant development since 2002. In Fortress mode, player indirectly controls a group of dwarves, attempting to construct a successful and wealthy fortress. The game features a highly detailed procedurally generated fantasy world with multiple civilizations and wildlife, realistic geology, weather effects. You will have dozens of different building and items to construct, hundreds of materials, advanced military system, agriculture, sieges and underground monsters, diplomacy and trading. ATTENTION: Internet connection is required to play. The original game with a plugin (both free) running at your home or on a cloud server will be required, visit mifki.com/df/setup for details. Alternatively, you can purchase a server subscription from within the app, in which case we will manage a server for you, visit mifki.com/df/subscription for details. Supported Dwarf Fortress version is 0.47.05. Visit bay12games.com/dwarves for full information about Dwarf Fortress. However, please report any issues with this application to mifki.com/df/support and NOT to the original game authors.

About

Crying Suns

Command a space fleet in a tactical rogue-lite inspired by classic sci-fi. Explore a procedurally generated universe, engage in strategic ship battles, and uncover a deep storyline across six chapters. Experience a rich narrative and atmospheric gameplay designed for mobile.

Highlights
  • Procedurally-generated space exploration
  • Tactical battleship and squadron fleet combat
  • Over 300 story events
  • Deep, 6-chapter storyline
  • Mobile-optimized interface
Read full description

When FTL meets Foundation and Dune: Crying Suns is a tactical rogue-lite that puts you in the role of a space fleet commander as you explore a mysteriously fallen empire. In this story rich experience inspired by Dune and Foundation, each successful run will uncover the truth about the Empire... and yourself as well. Main Features: - Space exploration in a procedurally-generated universe - Tactical fights between battleships and their squadron fleets - More than 300 possible story events - A deep and dramatic storyline structured in 6 chapters - A dark and disturbing atmosphere inspired by our favorite S-F universes (Foundation, Dune, Battlestar Galactica) First released on PC and Mac, the indie hit Crying Suns was carefully redesigned for mobile and tablets, including a revamped interface and intuitive touchscreen interactions. Pay once to get the full Crying Suns experience! No ads, no F2P mechanics! All future updates included. Supported languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese If you encounter any problem, please contact us at contact@cryingsuns.com with as much information as possible on the issue.

Screenshots

Dwarf Fortress Remote4 screens
Crying Suns4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dwarf Fortress Remote at Free against Crying Suns's $8.99. Crying Suns's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Dwarf Fortress Remote is free to download; Crying Suns costs $8.99 up front. Dwarf Fortress Remote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Crying Suns asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Crying Suns holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crying Suns has 2.2K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Dwarf Fortress Remote's written reviews are positive against 73% of Crying Suns's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Dwarf Fortress Remote versus Crying Suns: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDwarf Fortress RemoteCrying Suns
PriceFree — better$8.99
Rating3.3 (143 ratings)4.8 (2.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.8% of reviews72.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1432.2K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#64 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB1014 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperMIFKI PTY LTDAlternative Shift

Customer experience

Dwarf Fortress Remote

All ratings142 ratings
Positive56.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative39.4%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive59.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative35.7%

Crying Suns

All ratings2,136 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews285 reviews
Positive72.6%
Neutral9.5%
Negative17.9%

User reviews

Dwarf Fortress Remote

From 143 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive touch interface superior to PC controls
  • 💡 Innovative remote play solution for complex game
  • 🎮 Enables playing Dwarf Fortress on mobile devices
  • ⚙️ Works smoothly with home network setup
  • 🔧 Free option available with self-hosted server

Room to improve

  • 💳 Requires paid subscription or PC setup (confusing to users)
  • 🐛 Frequent server connection errors and failures
  • ⚠️ App abandoned/outdated for extended periods
  • 📦 Missing tilesets causing functionality issues
  • 🔌 Inconsistent server reliability

Crying Suns

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun gameplay
  • 🌟 Amazing atmosphere and story
  • 👍 Engaging combat system
  • 💎 Great value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Small text and UI elements
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and missions

Bugs and requests

Dwarf Fortress Remote

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Server subscription errors preventing gameplay
  • App crashes when opening squad command menus
  • Endless initialization loops on server subscription
  • Connection failures when connecting to home PC
  • Black screen on map load (tileset issue)
Show 5 more
  • Password invalid errors during server setup
  • Permanent server lockout errors
  • World generation crashes mid-process
  • Inconsistent connection drops
  • Limited location search options during new game setup

Requested features

14 requests
  • Adventure mode support
  • Custom embark location selection
  • DFHack plugin support (workflow, autolabor, digvein)
  • World map visualization
  • Sound effects
Show 9 more
  • iPad keyboard support
  • Finger-drawing for mining designation
  • Select-all functionality for storage yards
  • Bedroom zone creation
  • Status and announcements quick access
  • Legends viewer
  • 3D graphics support
  • UI customization options
  • Donation option in app menu

Crying Suns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes when using certain ship abilities
  • Crashes during end-of-chapter cutscenes
  • Progression-blocking bugs preventing access to new content
  • Inability to progress past specific story points due to crashes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Zoom functionality for combat screen
  • Ability to play own music during gameplay
  • Endless mode or sandbox option
  • Improved tutorial to explain key mechanics

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dwarf Fortress Remote

Subscriptions1
  • Server Subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Month
None

Crying Suns

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dwarf Fortress Remote free?
Dwarf Fortress Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Crying Suns free?
Crying Suns costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dwarf Fortress Remote or Crying Suns?
Crying Suns is rated higher. Dwarf Fortress Remote averages 3.3 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Crying Suns averages 4.8 from 2.2K ratings.
Do Dwarf Fortress Remote or Crying Suns have ads?
Neither Dwarf Fortress Remote nor Crying Suns shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dwarf Fortress Remote or Crying Suns?
Dwarf Fortress Remote ships an update monthly, and Crying Suns monthly. Most recently, Dwarf Fortress Remote was updated on November 1, 2026 and Crying Suns on November 3, 2026.

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