Comparison

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG vs Gladiator Rising

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

Head to head
About

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG

Command an assault squad of mercenaries against monstrous creatures on a remote, abandoned planet. Explore procedurally generated dungeons, utilize a vast arsenal of weapons, and level up your elite team to survive the infernal abyss. This challenging pixelart RPG blends dark sci-fi with roguelike elements for an intense combat experience.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated dungeons
  • Diverse bestiary of enemies
  • Full range of lethal weapons
  • Elite mercenary squads
  • Squad leveling system
Features
Read full description

“9 \ 10 If you enjoy dark sci-fi themes and like a challenging RPG with some roguelike elements, then look no further than Dead Shell. ” Christine Chan, appadvice.com Blaster-wielding mercenaries vs beasts from the labyrinth: who will win? You're commanding a die-hard assault squad. Destination: Plutonia, a settlement on a Doom-4 class planet. Shuttle cargo: a range of lethal weapons, from axes and chainsaws to blasters and BFGs. Anything might come in handy in Plutonia, the Federation's most remote colony. Scientists, miners, guards – all sorts of civilian personnel worked there until recently. A week ago, the Center received a mayday signal from the settlement. Demonic roars and screams of terror filled the comm channel, and then it fell dead silent. It's time to descend into the infernal abyss and show the demons who's the boss here. Fight your way through all the circles of hell to reach the very bottom. Look cosmic evil in the face and emerge victorious. Game Features - A new dungeon every time - Hellish bestiary - Full range of weapons - Elite mercenaries - Level up your squad -------------------------------- Subscription terms Premium Medpacks offers two subscription options: - 7 days ($6.99) - 30 days ($24.99) A 3-day free trial is available. The prices are set for US customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency. Upon purchase of either subscription, you will receive: - Enhanced medkits that restore 50% HP instead of the standard 30% - 10 free enhanced medkits every 24 hours Additionally, the 30-day subscription grants: - +25% experience for mercenaries after each battle All subscriptions are auto-renewable. We charge your iTunes account right after a purchase confirmation. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings on the device. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. See the links below for more details. Cancelling the subscription https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 Our Privacy Policy https://hcglobaldistribution.com/privacy.html Our Terms of Service https://hcglobaldistribution.com/terms.html Support: https://hcglobaldistribution.com/#contacts

About

Gladiator Rising

Engage in strategic turn-based combat against procedurally generated opponents across five chapters. Equip and utilize a variety of items to hone your warrior skills and achieve ultimate victory in this challenging roguelike RPG.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated gladiators
  • Five chapters of progression
  • Item buying and equipping
  • Turn-based RPG combat
  • Strategic gameplay
Features
Read full description

Fight through five Chapters of constantly changing, randomly generated gladiators. Buy, equip and use items as you compete to become the ultimate warrior. Strategy is key to success in this mix of rogue-like and turn-based RPG mix.

Screenshots

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG4 screens
Gladiator Rising4 screens

Verdict

The call

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG and Gladiator Rising both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Gladiator Rising's written reviews are positive against 55% of Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG sells 18 one-off in-app purchases and Gladiator Rising sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG against 4.6 for Gladiator Rising. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 2.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG's written reviews are positive against 65% of Gladiator Rising's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG ships an update every 2 months, Gladiator Rising every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG versus Gladiator Rising: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead Shell・Roguelike RPGGladiator Rising
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.5K ratings)4.6 (2.6K ratings)
Positive reviews55.0% of reviews65.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K2.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size306 MB99 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperHC GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION LIMITEDHappii Gamer Studios Inc.

Customer experience

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG

All ratings1,508 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews160 reviews
Positive55.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative30.0%

Gladiator Rising

All ratings2,570 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews317 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral13.2%
Negative21.8%

User reviews

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple and addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Great pixel art and synthwave music
  • 👍 Easy to pick up and play
  • 🕹️ Fun dungeon crawler experience

Room to improve

  • 🔫 Scarce ammo and resource management issues
  • 💰 Excessive monetization and pay-to-win elements
  • 🐛 Bugs, crashes, and audio issues
  • 🕰️ Repetitive and grindy gameplay

Gladiator Rising

From 2.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun gameplay
  • 👍 Challenging and addictive
  • 🤺 Gladiator theme
  • 💎 Good value for a free game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔨 Progression-blocking issues
  • 🕹️ Unresponsive controls
  • 🤯 Frustrating difficulty spikes

Bugs and requests

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Soft-locking issues when levels don't reveal the exit
  • Achievements not tracking properly
  • Audio cutting out or being too low
  • Disconnection from headphones during gameplay

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to replay previous levels
  • More enemy and level variety
  • Improved character progression system
  • Option to disable ads for a one-time fee

Gladiator Rising

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes when opening ad chests
  • Unable to progress past 3rd or 4th fight
  • Character instantly dying when sleeping
  • Inventory and skill issues on reloading

Requested features

4 requests
  • More character classes and abilities
  • Improved save/load system
  • Better in-app purchase options
  • Expanded post-game content

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG

One-time18
  • Galactic Supply Cargo Set #2$1.99
  • 50 DNA$2.59
  • Hero Value Pack #2$2.59
Show 15 more
  • 100 DNA$4.49
  • Galactic Gunsmith Set #6$5.99
  • Hero Value Pack #5$7.79
  • 5 cases$7.79
  • Starter Pack - scout$7.99
  • Starter Pack - medic$7.99
  • Hero Value Pack #7$9.79
  • No Ads + DNA$9.99
  • 10 cases$11.49
  • Starter Pack - trooper$11.49
  • Starter Pack - commandos$11.49
  • Hero Value Pack #9$12.49
  • No Ads + DNA$14.49
  • 15 cases$14.49
  • 25 cases$20.99
4 purchases

Gladiator Rising

One-time4
  • Small Donation$0.99
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • Medium Donation$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Large Donation$8.99

Questions

Is Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG free?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gladiator Rising free?
Gladiator Rising is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG or Gladiator Rising?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG and Gladiator Rising are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.5K and 2.6K ratings respectively.
Do Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG or Gladiator Rising have ads?
Both Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG and Gladiator Rising show ads.
Which is updated more often, Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG or Gladiator Rising?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG ships an update every 2 months, and Gladiator Rising every 4 months. Most recently, Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG was updated on September 21, 2026 and Gladiator Rising on September 18, 2026.

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