Swap Sword vs Blacken Slash
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Swap Sword
Engage in a tactical puzzle battle by matching gems and collecting coins. Outsmart enemies on a dynamic battlefield, utilizing spells and strategic swaps to defeat monsters and progress through diverse worlds. Collect rewards and compare scores with friends in this challenging adventure.
- Gem matching and coin collection
- Strategic sword swapping
- Customizable spell arsenal
- World exploration with unique features
- Score comparison with friends
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It’s Swap Sword! A knife-sharp puzzle battle from the creators of Stellar Smooch and Sunburn! Match gems and snatch up coins, but watch out for angry frogs!! In Swap Sword, you’ll need to out-smart and out-slice your enemies on a battlefield that changes with every step. It’s the right mix of tactics, spells, and match-3 madness. Will you be able to draw your sword before you draw your last breath? UNSHEATH YOUR WITS - Swap to kill, match to dispatch, but don’t get caught with your sword down. CAST AWAY FEAR - Build a custom arsenal of spells to defeat your monstrous opponents and march toward victory. TRAVEL THE WORLD - Journey through mines, valleys, and beyond — each space filled with unique features and clever opponents waiting to strike you down. REAP GOLDEN REWARDS - Collect treasure, amass points, and compare your score with friends. Swap Sword was created by AP Thomson and Diego Garcia. --- Praise for Swap Sword! --- “This game is packed with the good stuff.” - App Advice “I’ve played this game more than any other this year. Please send help.” - Bennett Foddy, Creator of QWOP and Professor of Game Design at NYU.
Blacken Slash
Engage in turn-based tactical combat with roguelike elements. Craft unique character builds with a vast array of items and skills. Enjoy a story-driven experience with a retro soundtrack and compete on an online ladder.
- Turn-based tactical combat
- Roguelike elements
- Item-based build crafting
- Carry favorite items between runs
- Online ladder competition
- Challenging achievements
- Story-driven experience
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A tactical RPG fusing the best of roguelikes, turn-based tactics and hack and slash games – made by a solo developer with a penchant for minimalist designs. - Fight through bite-sized tactical puzzles - Create powerful builds from a plethora of items which grant you skills and can change gameplay mechanics - Carry on your favorite items between runs in normal mode - Start from scratch each week and compete with other players in the online ladder mode - Try various playstyles and hunt for challenging achievements - Enjoy a lovingly crafted story of ridiculous computer nostalgia and a blast of a retro soundtrack
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Blacken Slash at 96% against Swap Sword's 69%. Blacken Slash also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Swap Sword's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 11.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Swap Sword costs $2.99 and Blacken Slash $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Blacken Slash holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 87 and 60 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Swap Sword's written reviews are positive against 96% of Blacken Slash's.
Swap Sword ships an update every 11 days, Blacken Slash fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Swap Sword | Blacken Slash |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.4 (87 ratings) | 4.8 (60 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | 95.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 87 — better | 60 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 161 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Alec Thomson | Sonderland Games UG haftungsbeschrankt |
Customer experience
Swap Sword
Blacken Slash
User reviews
Swap Sword
From 87 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Innovative match-3 twist
- 👍 User-friendly UI
- ✨ Beautiful pixel art
- 🤩 Addictive gameplay
- 🧠 Deep strategy
Room to improve
- 💰 Overpriced for content
- ⏳ Too short
- 🤷 Lacks replayability
- 😔 Frustrating grind
- 😕 Not rewarding
Blacken Slash
From 60 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Addictive gameplay loop
- 💡 Innovative mechanics
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing visuals
- 🧠 Strategic depth
- 💰 Worth the price, no ads/IAPs
Room to improve
- 🤔 Lacks strategic depth (for some)
- 😴 Combat can be boring
- 📉 Can become trivially easy
- 🔋 Drains battery significantly
- 🔄 Early levels can be repetitive
Bugs and requests
Swap Sword
Reported bugs
1 issue- Fire enemies not counting for matching
Requested features
12 requests- More levels
- More content
- Character progression
- Unlockable characters/levels
- Rewards for matching
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Boosts or power-ups
- Endless mode
- Cosmetic upgrades
- Haptic feedback option
- Skip tutorials option
- More game modes
- Add updates
Blacken Slash
Reported bugs
2 issues- Insane battery drainage
- iPad getting super hot
Requested features
2 requests- Consider adding two or more units for more interesting gameplay
- More content for future updates
In-app purchases
Swap Sword
No in-app purchases
Blacken Slash
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Swap Sword free?
Is Blacken Slash free?
Which has better reviews, Swap Sword or Blacken Slash?
Do Swap Sword or Blacken Slash have ads?
Which is updated more often, Swap Sword or Blacken Slash?
Other comparisons
