Comparison

Pathos vs Moonshades

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

Head to head
About

Pathos

Embark on a challenging roguelike adventure inspired by Nethack's rule set. Select from 13 distinct classes and delve into a perilous dungeon. Your mission is to confront your nemesis in hell and escape with as much treasure as possible.

Highlights
  • Nethack-inspired gameplay
  • 13 playable classes
  • Deep dungeon exploration
  • Defeat nemesis in hell
  • Loot collection and escape
Features
Read full description

Pathos is a roguelike adventure game inspired by the rule set from Nethack. Choose from 13 classes and journey deep into the dungeon. Descend to hell to defeat your nemesis before escaping the dungeon with all the loot you can carry! Email mailto:hodgskin.callan@gmail.com Twitter https://twitter.com/callan_hodgskin Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/pathos_nethack Discord https://discord.gg/TRhRZhX Made with Invention https://gitlab.com/hodgskin-callan/Invention

About

Moonshades

Embark on an epic dungeon-crawling adventure reminiscent of classic RPGs. Explore a dark fantasy realm, battle mythical beasts, and uncover ancient magic. Upgrade your gear, master spells, and solve riddles to restore lost wisdom and glory.

Highlights
  • Dungeon crawling adventure
  • Deep, captivating story
  • Mythical beasts and fantasy creatures
  • Thousands of upgradable items
  • Real-time combat
  • Devastating spells and skills
  • Magic Forge for crafting and enchanting
Features
Read full description

Moonshades is a dungeon crawler RPG to restore the immersive atmosphere and experience of the old-school role playing games. Recall the fun of the genuine adventure games inspired by D&D - embedded in 3D surroundings with a deep, captivating story. Discover an enigmatic realm loaded with ancient magic and myths - grand legends are reborn as you venture into the epic journey! The conquer's tale leads you beneath the ruined towns - toward grim, eerie dungeons and nesting monsters in the ghostly light. Some descendants of Harten still resist with all their might, enshrining the secrets of the ancestors' magic. Join the mission to bring the liberty and the radiant, lost wisdom back for these rich and mystic lands! The Crown's glory and treasures are buried, many kingdoms of darkness has invaded the realm, but the hope for changing the threads of the history has not been forlorn in the deepness of the dungeons. Finally, the reward for your efforts will be fabulous! Essences of the Moonshades RPG: - Mythic beasts and other fantasy creatures come to life in a massive, cryptic dungeon environment. - Armour yourself for the battles, and find your best strategy to attack their enemies' weaknesses. - The adventures provide you thousands of upgradable items (weapons, armors, accessories); use miraculous artifacts to make them stronger! - Action and story-telling both play vital roles during achieving quests and puzzles. - Fight in real-time combats for fabulous loots, magical items and otherworldly abilities! - Learn plenty of devastating, protective or remedial spells & skills, and master the status effects for advance! - Roam around the fantasy RPG realm, follow your insight, and keep an observing attitude - the help would arise sometimes by surprising sources to solve the riddles and puzzles - don't leave a path unexplored! - Discover other wanderers traces; talk and trade with NPC's through your quests; search for meaningful hints to find out the puzzles. - Envision the fairy past by the haunting memories of the fallen heroes! Find the scrolls of Harten and Aesthirya to unearth legendary episodes from the greatest empires' history. - Be aware of the crafty & deadly traps! - Experiment the wonder of Magic Forge: make powerful potions, craft epic, legendary or even relic items, and enchant your gear! - Dive into the challenge of Arcane Dungeon's grim labyrinth for marvelous treasures, when the hallowed Moons let you enter! - Try your luck: dicey deals await you with the vendor of the bewitched chests. Join the community: https://www.facebook.com/moonshadesgame/ Step into the teleport, and have a lots of fun in this nostalgic fantasy rpg!

Screenshots

Pathos4 screens
Moonshades4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pathos at none against Moonshades's 13. Pathos also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.0). Moonshades's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (11K vs 362). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support 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

Both are free to download. Moonshades sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Pathos asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Pathos against 4.8 for Moonshades. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Moonshades has 11K ratings behind it against 362, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Pathos's written reviews are positive against 91% of Moonshades's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pathos ships an update every 4 months, Moonshades fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pathos versus Moonshades: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPathosMoonshades
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (362 ratings)4.8 (11K ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.6% of reviews90.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36211K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.2 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size142 MB635 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperCallan HodgskinViktor Domonyi

Customer experience

Pathos

All ratings360 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews220 reviews
Positive88.6%
Neutral4.5%
Negative6.8%

Moonshades

All ratings10,686 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.8%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews378 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative5.3%

Bugs and requests

Pathos

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Moonshades

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Quests resetting progress
  • Detect skill not functioning properly
  • Crashes after recent updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • More detailed map system
  • Ability to mark/annotate the map
  • Expanded character customization options
  • Clearer quest tracking and objectives

In-app purchases

None

Pathos

No in-app purchases

13 purchases

Moonshades

One-time13
  • Moonshades Pack$0.99
  • Moonshades Pack$1.99
  • Remove Ads$1.99
Show 10 more
  • 200 gems$2.99
  • 600 gems$5.99
  • Moonshades Pack$5.99
  • Seasons Tier 2 Pass$5.99
  • 1300 gems$11.99
  • Moonshades Pack$11.99
  • 3000 gems$22.99
  • Moonshades Pack$22.99
  • 7000 gems$35.99
  • 16000 gems$69.99

Questions

Is Pathos free?
Pathos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Moonshades free?
Moonshades is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pathos or Moonshades?
Moonshades is rated higher. Pathos averages 4.7 out of 5 from 362 ratings, while Moonshades averages 4.8 from 11K ratings.
Do Pathos or Moonshades have ads?
Moonshades shows ads; Pathos does not.
Which is updated more often, Pathos or Moonshades?
Pathos ships an update every 4 months, and Moonshades fortnightly. Most recently, Pathos was updated on October 21, 2026 and Moonshades on October 26, 2026.

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