Comparison

Pathos vs Text Dungeon

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

Text Dungeon

Features
Read full description

Roguelite A minimalist dungeon crawler built around strategy, choice, and replayability. Descend through a procedurally generated dungeon where every room presents a decision — fight, trade, risk, or retreat. Build your character through perks and items, adapt to enemy mechanics, and push deeper with each run. Every descent is different. Every choice matters. Strategic Turn-Based Combat Manage your energy. Balance attack and defense. Use skills wisely. Enemies have unique mechanics — some split, some scale, some punish hesitation. Survive long enough to reach the deeper floors. Build Your Run Choose a starting class and perk combination. Collect items that modify stats and add powerful effects. Discover synergies and adapt to what the dungeon offers. No run plays the same. Procedural Rooms Each descent generates a different path including: • Combat encounters • Merchant shops • Shrines and events • Rare item discoveries • Boss fights Push your best room record further every time. Progression System Earn Sigils from your runs. Unlock permanent perks. Refine your starting build. Skill and strategy determine how far you go. Sealed Depths Expansion (Optional) Break the seal and descend further. Unlock: • Rogue and Mage classes • 2 new bosses • 5 rare items • Expanded dungeon content One-time purchase. No subscriptions. Designed for Focus No ads. No accounts. No social features. Just a clean roguelite experience. Legal Privacy Policy: https://hipporasy.dev/roguelite/privacy/ This app uses Apple’s Standard End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pathos4 screens
Text Dungeon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pathos at none against Text Dungeon's 5. Pathos also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 18.6). Text Dungeon's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months). On price and ads 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. Text Dungeon sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Pathos asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pathos ships an update every 4 months, Text Dungeon every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Pathos versus Text Dungeon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPathosText Dungeon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (360 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings360 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.2 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size142 MB6 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperCallan HodgskinMarasy Phi

In-app purchases

None

Pathos

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Text Dungeon

One-time5
  • Story Hollow Court - Volume 2$0.99
  • Story Hollow Court - Part 3$0.99
  • Sealed Depths$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Corruptions Edge$3.99
  • Story Hollow Court - Finale$3.99

Questions

Is Pathos free?
Pathos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Text Dungeon free?
Text Dungeon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pathos or Text Dungeon have ads?
Neither Pathos nor Text Dungeon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pathos or Text Dungeon?
Pathos ships an update every 4 months, and Text Dungeon every 10 days. Most recently, Pathos was updated on October 16, 2026 and Text Dungeon on October 15, 2026.

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