# Dictator 2 vs Exploding Kittens® 2

The clearest difference is ads: Exploding Kittens® 2 at none against Dictator 2's shown. Exploding Kittens® 2 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (60% vs 41%). Dictator 2's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Dictator 2 costs $0.99 and Exploding Kittens® 2 $4.99 up front. Dictator 2 sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Exploding Kittens® 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploding Kittens® 2 has 3.7K 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 60% of Exploding Kittens® 2's.

Dictator 2 ships an update monthly, Exploding Kittens® 2 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictator 2 | Exploding Kittens® 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (228 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictator-2-evolution/id1024953838/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 228 | **3.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **59.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #130 | **#10** |
| Size | 257 MB | 443 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Dmitrii Kuzmenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1438626633) | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) |

## What reviewers say

### Dictator 2

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

**Currently charting:** #130 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


### Exploding Kittens® 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Paid · Card, #17 Top Paid · Board, #163 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Experience the chaotic fun of a popular card game with friends. This digital version features customizable avatars, animated cards, and new ways to play, including the highly requested "Nope" card. Engage in quick rounds of strategy and luck to be the last player standing.

**Highlights:** Customizable avatars, Emoji reactions, Multiple game modes, Animated cards, Online multiplayer, AI opponent

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

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Santa Claws Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Card back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Emoji Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| MysticMayhem Cauldron Creature | $1.99 | one-time |
| Glenn Coco | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sea Rat Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Location | $1.99 | one-time |
| Slice of Heaven Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Yucky Buddy Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Location | $1.99 | one-time |
| Santa Claws Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sun and Spice Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Explosive Expansions Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
- 👍 Charming animations and visuals
- 🤩 Engaging and fun experience
- 🎨 Customizable skins and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow animations and gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤖 Unresponsive AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Nope card not functioning properly
- Leaderboard not updating correctly
- Inability to leave a game after losing
- Forced account creation for online play

**Requested features**

- Add a turn timer to prevent stalling
- Allow custom deck creation and configuration
- Improve online multiplayer stability and matchmaking
- Bring back the original game's sound effects and personality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dictator 2 free?

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

### Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?

Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dictator 2 or Exploding Kittens® 2?

Exploding Kittens® 2 is rated higher. Dictator 2 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 228 ratings, while Exploding Kittens® 2 averages 4.8 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do Dictator 2 or Exploding Kittens® 2 have ads?

Dictator 2 shows ads; Exploding Kittens® 2 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dictator 2 or Exploding Kittens® 2?

Dictator 2 ships an update monthly, and Exploding Kittens® 2 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Dictator 2 was updated on September 29, 2026 and Exploding Kittens® 2 on October 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Dictator 2 or Exploding Kittens® 2?

Dictator 2 currently peaks at #130 in the App Store charts, and Exploding Kittens® 2 at #10. 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.*