# Dictator 2 vs Cultist Simulator

The clearest difference is ads: Cultist Simulator at none against Dictator 2's shown. Cultist Simulator also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 41%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Dictator 2's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $6.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Dictator 2 costs $0.99 and Cultist Simulator $6.99 up front. Dictator 2 sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Cultist Simulator sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cultist Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cultist Simulator has 4.2K ratings behind it against 228, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Dictator 2's written reviews are positive against 73% of Cultist Simulator's.

Dictator 2 ships an update monthly, Cultist Simulator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictator 2 | Cultist Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (228 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictator-2-evolution/id1024953838/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cultist-simulator/id1439886655/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 228 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **72.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #147 | **#25** |
| Size | 257 MB | 331 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dmitrii Kuzmenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1438626633) | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) |

## What reviewers say

### Dictator 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictator-2-evolution/id1024953838)

**Currently charting:** #147 Top Paid · Card (US App Store)

Assume the role of a young dictator in a fledgling republic. Make critical decisions, manage factions, build your army, and conquer territories to expand your influence globally. Your goal is to maintain power and seize as much land as possible.

**Highlights:** Make over 2,000 critical decisions, Manage 6 distinct factions, Build your own army, Conquer and develop territories, Weave plots and unravel conspiracies, Prevent revolutions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Tyrants | $0.99 | one-time |
| 250 Tyrants | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cards bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Scenario - The Threat from Great Asia | $1.99 | one-time |
| 700 Tyrants | $2.99 | one-time |
| Cards bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| 700 Tyrants | $4.99 | one-time |
| 3500 Tyrants | $24.99 | one-time |
| 8000 Tyrants | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging and fun gameplay mechanics
- 🧠 Challenging strategy-based gameplay
- 🌍 World domination concept is addictive
- 🎨 Good visual design and presentation
- ♻️ High replayability value

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive pay-to-win mechanics despite paid purchase
- ⏱️ Extremely slow progression without spending money
- 😤 Unfair difficulty balance favoring spending players
- 🔄 Unbalanced card mechanics and gameplay
- 📱 Poor UI/UX design and unintuitive menus

**Reported bugs**

- Integer overflow causing negative cash values
- Cards cannot be used during war battles
- Game crashes on startup for some devices
- Incompatibility with iPhone 12 and newer models
- Card purchase menu glitches requiring game restart

**Requested features**

- Skip tutorial button for returning players
- Difficulty settings for new and veteran players
- Ability to use in-game currency for card upgrades
- Negotiation mechanics to prevent attacks
- Game continuation after losing home territory


### Cultist Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cultist-simulator/id1439886655)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Card, #53 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

A challenging roguelike narrative card game where you play as a seeker of forbidden knowledge. Experiment with rituals, summon entities, and ascend to become a herald of a new age in a Lovecraftian 1920s setting.

**Highlights:** Challenging roguelike gameplay, Story-driven legacy system, Intense, immersive narrative, Choice-based storytelling, Lovecraftian world, Card combination mechanics

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Dancer | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Priest | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Ghoul | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Exile | $4.99 | one-time |
| Forbidden Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤯 Fascinating and mysterious
- 🎨 Beautiful atmosphere and writing
- 🕰️ Compelling time management gameplay
- 🕵️ Rewarding sense of discovery
- 💡 Unique and innovative concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Steep learning curve with no tutorial
- 🕰️ Intense time pressure and resource management
- 🧠 Confusing mechanics and unclear objectives
- 🧭 Frustrating lack of progress and repeated failures
- 🔍 Difficult to keep track of cards and game state

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes and save file issues
- Disappearing cards and UI elements
- Inability to access certain features like the club

**Requested features**

- Add tutorial or in-game hints
- Provide more accessibility options for text size
- Implement save/load system to avoid losing progress
- Add DLC content like the Dancer storyline
- Improve card organization and UI layout


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dictator 2 free?

Dictator 2 costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Cultist Simulator free?

Cultist Simulator costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dictator 2 or Cultist Simulator?

Cultist Simulator is rated higher. Dictator 2 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 228 ratings, while Cultist Simulator averages 4.8 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Dictator 2 or Cultist Simulator have ads?

Dictator 2 shows ads; Cultist Simulator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dictator 2 or Cultist Simulator?

Dictator 2 ships an update monthly, and Cultist Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, Dictator 2 was updated on September 29, 2026 and Cultist Simulator on October 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Dictator 2 or Cultist Simulator?

Dictator 2 currently peaks at #147 in the App Store charts, and Cultist Simulator at #25. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*