# Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG vs Gladiator Rising

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG | Gladiator Rising |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-shellroguelike-rpg/id1198990999/reviews) | [4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gladiator-rising/id1333928862/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 55.0% of reviews | **65.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [HC GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/482544510) | [Happii Gamer Studios Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1331663692) |

## What reviewers say

### Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-shellroguelike-rpg/id1198990999)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Galactic Supply Cargo Set #2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 50 DNA | $2.59 | one-time |
| Hero Value Pack #2 | $2.59 | one-time |
| 100 DNA | $4.49 | one-time |
| Galactic Gunsmith Set #6 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Hero Value Pack #5 | $7.79 | one-time |
| 5 cases | $7.79 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - scout | $7.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - medic | $7.99 | one-time |
| Hero Value Pack #7 | $9.79 | one-time |
| No Ads + DNA | $9.99 | one-time |
| 10 cases | $11.49 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - trooper | $11.49 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - commandos | $11.49 | one-time |
| Hero Value Pack #9 | $12.49 | one-time |
| No Ads + DNA | $14.49 | one-time |
| 15 cases | $14.49 | one-time |
| 25 cases | $20.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gladiator-rising/id1333928862)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Donation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Donation | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Donation | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*