Comparison

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG vs Orthanc

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

Orthanc

Embark on an adventure in this faithful recreation of a classic 1970s graphic dungeon crawl RPG. Explore, defeat monsters, and gather treasure using the touchscreen interface. Experience a challenging yet addictive gameplay loop inspired by early computer games.

Highlights
  • Faithful recreation of a 1970s RPG
  • Dungeon crawl gameplay
  • Monster combat and treasure hunting
  • Touchscreen controls
  • Inspired by early computer games
Features
Read full description

This game is a faithful recreation of "Orthanc", one of the first graphic dungeon crawl role-playing games developed for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's PLATO computer in the 1970s. The original was played on a PLATO terminal with a keyboard. (The PLATO version of "Orthanc" was inspired by "pedit5", which you can learn more about in Wikipedia.) The original PLATO terminals used plasma panels only capable of displaying orange and black. There is no sound. This implementation uses the touchscreen for all gameplay. You are an adventurer gaining experience and treasure by defeating monsters. Orthanc is easy to start but hard to put down.

Screenshots

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG4 screens
Orthanc4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG at 4.6 against Orthanc's 4.0. Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Orthanc's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and 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

Both are free to download. Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG sells 18 one-off in-app purchases. Orthanc asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG has 1.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG's written reviews are positive against 67% of Orthanc's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG ships an update every 2 months, Orthanc every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG versus Orthanc: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead Shell・Roguelike RPGOrthanc
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.5K ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews55.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size306 MB2 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHC GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION LIMITEDPaul Resch

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%

Orthanc

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

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

Orthanc

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Orthanc

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG free?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Orthanc free?
Orthanc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG or Orthanc?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG is rated higher. Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Orthanc averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG or Orthanc have ads?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG shows ads; Orthanc does not.
Which is updated more often, Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG or Orthanc?
Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG ships an update every 2 months, and Orthanc every 6 weeks. Most recently, Dead Shell・Roguelike RPG was updated on September 21, 2026 and Orthanc on September 9, 2026.

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