# Swamp Castle vs Hosted Games

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hosted Games at every 10 days against Swamp Castle's every 18 months. Hosted Games also leads on ratings volume (1K vs 85). Swamp Castle's advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 77%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Swamp Castle sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Hosted Games sells 33 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Swamp Castle against 4.7 for Hosted Games. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hosted Games has 1K ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Swamp Castle's written reviews are positive against 77% of Hosted Games's.

Swamp Castle ships an update every 18 months, Hosted Games every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swamp Castle | Hosted Games |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swamp-castle/id1123717683/reviews) | **[4.7 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hosted-games/id1302297731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 85 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.8% of reviews** | 77.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hosted Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/482415564) | [Hosted Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/482415564) |

## What reviewers say

### Swamp Castle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swamp-castle/id1123717683)

Become a Lord managing your castle's economy, resolving peasant conflicts, and expanding your influence. Your text-based choices shape the narrative and determine your realm's fate through war, diplomacy, or stealth.

**Highlights:** Castle economy management, Peasant conflict resolution, Troop hiring and combat, Diplomacy and stealth options, Choice-driven narrative, Text-based gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Restart the Game Once | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Advertising | $4.99 | one-time |


### Hosted Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hosted-games/id1302297731)

Explore a vast library of text-based interactive novels where your choices shape the narrative. Engage in diverse genres from horror and fantasy to romance and sci-fi, all powered by your imagination. Create your own stories using a simple scripting language.

**Highlights:** Vast library of interactive novels, Text-based storytelling, Choice-driven narratives, Multiple genres available, Create your own games, ChoiceScript programming language

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

**In-app purchases (33)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dragon of Steelthorne | $2.99 | one-time |
| Side Stories 21-30 | $2.99 | one-time |
| First Bull Run | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tokyo Wizard | $2.99 | one-time |
| It Takes Three to Tango | $3.99 | one-time |
| Divine Ascension | $4.99 | one-time |
| Samurai of Hyuga | $4.99 | one-time |
| Keeper's Vigil | $5.99 | one-time |
| World War II Armored Recon | $5.99 | one-time |
| Life as a Lich | $5.99 | one-time |
| Velocity: The Race Begins | $6.99 | one-time |
| Keeper of the Sun and Moon | $6.99 | one-time |
| Samurai of Hyuga Book 6 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Fallen Hero: Rebirth | $6.99 | one-time |
| Hero or Villain: Genesis | $6.99 | one-time |
| A Kiss from Death | $6.99 | one-time |
| Kitsune | $6.99 | one-time |
| Whiskey-Four | $6.99 | one-time |
| Wayhaven Chronicles: Book One | $7.99 | one-time |
| The Soul Stone War | $7.99 | one-time |
| Leas: City of the Sun | $7.99 | one-time |
| The People's House | $7.99 | one-time |
| Scales of Justice | $7.99 | one-time |
| Tale of Two Cranes | $8.99 | one-time |
| Breach: The Archangel Job | $8.99 | one-time |
| Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Two | $8.99 | one-time |
| Saturnine | $8.99 | one-time |
| The Golden Rose: Book One | $11.99 | one-time |
| Diaspora | $11.99 | one-time |
| Wayhaven Chronicles Three | $11.99 | one-time |
| Fallen Hero: Retribution | $11.99 | one-time |
| An Unexpectedly Green Journey | $11.99 | one-time |
| Fields of Asphodel | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swamp Castle free?

Swamp Castle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hosted Games free?

Hosted Games is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Swamp Castle or Hosted Games?

Hosted Games is rated higher. Swamp Castle averages 4.6 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Hosted Games averages 4.7 from 1K ratings.

### Do Swamp Castle or Hosted Games have ads?

Both Swamp Castle and Hosted Games show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Swamp Castle or Hosted Games?

Swamp Castle ships an update every 18 months, and Hosted Games every 10 days. Most recently, Swamp Castle was updated on October 26, 2026 and Hosted Games on October 26, 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.*
