Comparison

LONER vs The Elder Scrolls

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

Head to head
About

LONER

Experience a tranquil and solitary journey as a pilot navigating through a visually minimalist world. This game offers a unique, immersive experience with its simple mechanics, atmospheric music, and procedurally generated challenges that sync with the soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Unique two-hand sliding and gravity sensing controls
  • Visually simple yet varied color palettes
  • Original, atmospheric background music
  • Randomly generated obstacles synced to music
  • Story of a pilot's lonely journey
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

LONER is a very simple game, no attributes, no upgrade, or even no score, what it wants to bring you, is only purely tranquillity and loneliness. LONER tells the story of a lonely journey of a pilot, in the journey, you would understand his past and his pursuit. Features **Unique Game Mode It has two modes of operation, two-hand-sliding and gravity sensing, the unique design brings a deeper sense of immersion. **Very Simple but Various Pictures There is no complicated shape and brilliant appearance, but you would set foot on a different kind of color trip. **The Right Original Music Several sad, or quiet background music makes you completely immerse in the game. **Random and Rich Barriers Level barriers are completely random and there is the strong vs strong level. It takes the different levels of players into account; obstacles are based on the music beat, which deepen your inner resonance. Director Profile Before making LONER, I was a game programmer, and really wanted to make a game with my own style. The original idea is to make a 3D version "Flappy Bird" with a different perspective, but in the production process, I suddenly found that the game has a quiet loneliness: A plane flies slowly alone in the dark channel by passing one after another obstacle, but seems never reach the end of channel, which is slight shiny in the distance. In the influence of some literary and artistic works, I have been very interested in loneliness, and there are rarely games which express mainly the lonely sense in the market, so that the game topic is decided as this. As a programmer who begins to learn art, I understand that to create roles and environment with rich details in short time is unrealistic, so I decide to pay a tribute to the art style of the "2001: A Space Odyssey”, and this style features "Loner" that the entire scene tones can be arbitrarily transformed. BGM List 1.Deepsea 2.Sea Sand 3.Time 4.Tunnel 5.Voices 6.Void

About

The Elder Scrolls

Build and manage your own castle and dynasty across generations. Make crucial decisions, customize your stronghold, and send heroes on quests to protect your kingdom. Your choices shape your legacy.

Highlights
  • Build and customize your castle
  • Manage your dynasty across generations
  • Make impactful kingdom decisions
  • Train subjects and assign workstations
  • Complete epic quests with heroes
  • Equip heroes with epic gear
Features
Read full description

From Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning developer behind Skyrim and Fallout Shelter, comes The Elder Scrolls: Castles – a new mobile game that puts you in control of your very own castle and dynasty. Oversee your subjects as the years come and go, families grow, and new rulers take the throne. BUILD YOUR DYNASTY Tell your story for generations - each day in real life covers the span of an entire year in The Elder Scrolls: Castles. Train your subjects, name heirs, and maintain order to help your kingdom flourish. Will you keep your subjects happy and ensure a long life for their ruler? Or will they grow discontent and plot assassination? MANAGE YOUR CASTLE Customize your castle from the ground up, adding and expanding rooms, placing lavish decorations and inspirational monuments, and even assign subjects to workstations to ensure your castle has the resources to thrive for years to come! RULE YOUR KINGDOM Make key decisions that impact your legacy. Will you risk a limited supply of food to aid a neighboring kingdom? How should a heated spat between your subjects be settled? Your choices determine if your rule will inspire prosperity or lead your castle to peril. COMPLETE EPIC QUESTS Create heroes, equip them with epic gear, and send them to battle against classic Elder Scrolls foes to collect valuable items and keep your kingdom growing.

Screenshots

LONER4 screens
The Elder Scrolls4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Elder Scrolls at Free against LONER's $1.99. The Elder Scrolls also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (13K vs 86). LONER's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 39) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

The Elder Scrolls is free to download; LONER costs $1.99 up front. The Elder Scrolls sells 39 one-off in-app purchases. LONER asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Elder Scrolls holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Elder Scrolls has 13K ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of LONER's written reviews are positive against 49% of The Elder Scrolls's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LONER ships an update every 5 weeks, The Elder Scrolls every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
LONER versus The Elder Scrolls: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLONERThe Elder Scrolls
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (86 ratings)4.6 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.3% of reviews — better49.2% of reviews
Number of ratings8613K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#52 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size279 MB686 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKunpoBethesda

Customer experience

LONER

All ratings86 ratings
Positive82.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative16.3%
Written reviews150 reviews
Positive77.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative20.0%

The Elder Scrolls

All ratings13,152 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews1,182 reviews
Positive49.2%
Neutral18.1%
Negative32.7%

User reviews

LONER

From 86 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎶 Beautiful music and soundtrack
  • 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing and calming gameplay
  • 🎨 Visually appealing and simple graphics
  • 📖 Engaging story and narrative
  • ✨ Unique and immersive experience

Room to improve

  • 📍 Requires location data to play
  • 🚫 Game refuses to load without location access
  • ❓ Unclear why location data is needed
  • 🇨🇳 Settings and menus in Chinese (or other non-English languages)
  • 🔊 Music cannot be turned off

The Elder Scrolls

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Unique Elder Scrolls-themed mechanics
  • 💡 Interesting character relationships and decision-making
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and music

Room to improve

  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywall-locked content
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and sync issues
  • 🕹️ Clunky controls and UI

Bugs and requests

LONER

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes
  • Game does not load without location access
  • Settings/menus in non-English languages
  • Incomplete sentences or missing parts in story text
  • Grammar issues in story, especially towards the end
Show 7 more
  • Unexpected charges or billing issues
  • Plane can go through walls without exploding
  • Visual glitches with light effects obscuring the screen
  • Issues with plane models/textures
  • Difficulty with English language option
  • Game not loading after purchase
  • App crashes on launch

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add more stories/chapters
  • Option to turn off music
  • Add more aircraft/landscapes
  • Add tactile feedback for obstacles
  • Improve English translation of story
Show 8 more
  • Add more game modes
  • Add Russian language support
  • Option to use own music
  • Add achievements
  • Improve difficulty balancing
  • Add PC version
  • Add more visual customization options
  • Allow continuing after crashing instead of returning to start

The Elder Scrolls

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to select rooms without selecting characters
  • Accidental character movement due to poor UI
  • Inconsistent resource collection when game is closed

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiple save files or restart option
  • More customization options for castle and characters
  • Improved character management tools
  • Deeper integration with Elder Scrolls lore and characters

In-app purchases

None

LONER

No in-app purchases

39 purchases

The Elder Scrolls

One-time39
  • Event Bundle$0.99
  • Pouch of Gems - 50% discount$0.99
  • Imperial Decoration: Discount$1.99
Show 36 more
  • Legendary Shield Spellbreaker$1.99
  • Legendary Axe: Warlock Butcher$1.99
  • Pouch of Gems$1.99
  • Event Bundle$2.99
  • Potions and Scrolls$2.99
  • Imperial Decoration$3.99
  • Witch-Hunting Reinforcements$4.99
  • Small Starter Bundle$4.99
  • Emperor's Pass (7 days)$4.99
  • Sack of Gems$4.99
  • Magical Craftsmen$5.99
  • Legendary Event Subject Bundle$6.99
  • Redguard Bundle: New Blood$7.99
  • Holiday Feast Bundle$9.99
  • Satchel of Gems$9.99
  • Potions and Scrolls$9.99
  • Dwemer Furnace Bundle$9.99
  • Emperor's Pass (14 days)$9.99
  • Magical Craftsmen$9.99
  • Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$11.99
  • Put Your Dukes Up - Discount$11.99
  • A Bit of Everything$11.99
  • Decoration Pack$12.99
  • But make it fashion - discount$13.99
  • Emperor's Pass (30 days)$13.99
  • Large Starter Bundle$14.99
  • Weekly Bundle: It's Adore-able$17.99
  • Imperial Coffer of Gems$19.99
  • Weekly Bundle : A Noble Path$19.99
  • Weekly Bundle: A Mage's Touch$19.99
  • Biggest Bundle (Big Discount)$19.99
  • Emperor's Pass (1 year)$19.99
  • Strongbox of Gems$19.99
  • Put Your Dukes Up$29.99
  • Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$29.99
  • Imperial Coffer of Gems$99.99

Questions

Is LONER free?
LONER costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Elder Scrolls free?
The Elder Scrolls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LONER or The Elder Scrolls?
The Elder Scrolls is rated higher. LONER averages 4.2 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while The Elder Scrolls averages 4.6 from 13K ratings.
Do LONER or The Elder Scrolls have ads?
The Elder Scrolls shows ads; LONER does not.
Which is updated more often, LONER or The Elder Scrolls?
LONER ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Elder Scrolls every 2 weeks. Most recently, LONER was updated on September 29, 2026 and The Elder Scrolls on September 30, 2026.

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