# Monomals vs Bleak Sword

The clearest difference is monetization model: Monomals at free against Bleak Sword's paid. Monomals also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Monomals holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.5K and 899 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Monomals's written reviews are positive against 80% of Bleak Sword's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Monomals ships an update every 3 months, Bleak Sword every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monomals | Bleak Sword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monomals/id1030010370/reviews)** | [4.5 (899 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleak-sword/id1403554793/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 899 |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews | **79.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 925 MB | 467 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [PICOMY](https://appshunter.io/developer/883602036) | [Devolver](https://appshunter.io/developer/457410262) |

## What reviewers say

### Monomals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monomals/id1030010370)

Embark on a musical adventure by fishing for unique creatures that help you compose original music. Explore vibrant underwater worlds, battle rivals, and share your creations with a global community.

**Highlights:** Catch unique Monomals, Compose music in MonoMaker, Explore 28 oceanic courses, Compete in music charts, Share music creations online, Console-quality graphics

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🎨 Gorgeous graphics
- 🎶 Awesome music
- 🕹️ Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🎮 Smooth controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Challenging and frustrating at times
- 🎶 Music creation tool is too complex
- 🔍 Progression issues (unable to revisit older levels)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes at specific levels/bosses
- Glitches that prevent progression
- Issues with saving/loading custom music
- Control problems (unresponsive, fling issues)

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Improved music creation tools (more instruments, layering, automation)
- Better save/progress system
- Difficulty options (easy mode)
- Controller support improvements


### Bleak Sword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleak-sword/id1403554793)

Embark on a dark fantasy adventure across cursed diorama battlefields. Battle creatures through nine chapters, lifting a legendary curse by upgrading your hero with magic and items. Challenge yourself further in Arena Mode with unlockable achievements.

**Highlights:** Diorama battlefields, Nine tense chapters, Powerful magic invocation, Item discovery, Character leveling and stat upgrades, Arena Mode, Unlockable achievements

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and responsive controls
- 👍 Satisfying combat mechanics
- 🎨 Unique and atmospheric pixel art style
- 🕹️ Challenging but fair gameplay
- 🕰️ Suitable for short play sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional save data loss issues
- 🔍 Difficulty in tracking character on screen
- 🤕 Overly punishing difficulty curve
- 🧠 Lack of progression and upgrade systems
- 🔍 Blurry visuals on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Controls becoming unresponsive after app switch
- Inconsistent blocking mechanics

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support for tablets
- Ability to skip credits after first completion
- More enemy and boss variety
- Customizable controls
- Expanded story and lore


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monomals free?

Monomals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bleak Sword free?

Bleak Sword is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Monomals or Bleak Sword?

Monomals is rated higher. Monomals averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Bleak Sword averages 4.5 from 899 ratings.

### Do Monomals or Bleak Sword have ads?

Neither Monomals nor Bleak Sword shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monomals or Bleak Sword?

Monomals ships an update every 3 months, and Bleak Sword every 8 months. Most recently, Monomals was updated on October 17, 2026 and Bleak Sword on October 13, 2026.

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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.*