Comparison

Arcaea vs DEEMO II

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

Head to head
About

Arcaea

Experience a unique rhythm game that blends challenging gameplay with an immersive story. Progress through a narrative driven by your performance, unlock new difficulties, and compete with others online. Enjoy a vast library of music, with more available through content packs.

Highlights
  • Novel gameplay mechanics
  • Immersive sound and story
  • High difficulty ceiling
  • Over 350 songs
  • 3 rhythm difficulty levels per song
  • Real-time online multiplayer
  • Rich Main Story and Side Stories
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New Dimension Rhythm Game - Experience sound and story unlike ever before. "A harmony of Light awaits you in a lost world of musical Conflict." In a world of white, and surrounded by “memory”, two girls awaken under glass-filled skies. Arcaea is a mobile rhythm game for both experienced and new rhythm game players alike, blending novel gameplay, immersive sound, and a powerful story of wonder and heartache. Experience gameplay that reflects the story’s emotions and events—and progress to unlock more of this unfurling narrative. Challenging trials can be discovered through play, higher difficulties can be unlocked, and a real-time online mode is available to face off against other players. Arcaea does not require an internet connection for play, and is fully playable both on smartphones and tablets. On install the game includes a large library of free playable songs, and more can be made available by acquiring additional songs and content packs. ==Features== - A high difficulty ceiling - experience personal growth as you develop skills in arcade-style progression - Over 350 songs from more than 200 artists famous across other games - 3 rhythm difficulty levels for every song - An expanding music library through regular content updates - Collaborations with other beloved rhythm games - Online friends and scoreboards - Real-time online multiplayer - A Course Mode that tests endurance through gauntlets of songs - A rich Main Story that features two protagonist’s perspectives across a powerful journey - Additional Side and Short Stories of varying styles and perspectives featuring the game’s characters that build upon the world of Arcaea - A vast array of original characters and guest characters from collaborations to accompany you, level up, and alter your play through many game-changing skills - Stunning, never-before-seen connections to storylines via gameplay, challenging the very paradigm of play ==Story== Two girls find themselves in a colorless world full of memory, and with no memory of themselves. Each alone, they set out into places often beautiful, and just as often dangerous. Arcaea’s story is interwoven throughout Main, Side, and Short stories which each focus on individual, playable characters. While separate, they all share the same space: the world of Arcaea. Their reactions to it, and its reactions to them, form an ever-shifting narrative of mystery, sorrow, and bliss. As they explore this heavenly place, follow their steps down paths of glass and grief. --- Follow Arcaea & News: Twitter: http://twitter.com/arcaea_en Facebook: http://facebook.com/arcaeagame

About

DEEMO II

Embark on a musical fantasy adventure in a world threatened by destructive rain. Play rhythm-based music charts to clear the rain and uncover the secrets of a mysterious kingdom. Explore, interact with characters, and enjoy a captivating story with stunning visuals and voice acting.

Highlights
  • Emotional story exploration
  • Rhythm and adventure gameplay
  • 120+ songs including DLC
  • Interact with 50+ characters
  • Storybook graphics and artstyle
  • Movie-quality animated scenes
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Just in time for Rayark's 10th anniversary comes a sequel to their classic IP, DEEMO. A kingdom created through music faces an uncertain future after a monster called 'The Ancestor' plagues the land with a destructive 'Hollow Rain'. This dangerous rain causes anyone it touches to 'bloom', turning into a flurry of white flower petals and ultimately vanishing from existence. DEEMO II follows Echo, a girl who has bloomed but mysteriously re-appeared, and Deemo, an enigmatic station Guardian, as they journey through this rain-soaked world in hopes of finding a way to save it. Features: ▲A Mysterious and Emotional Story: Why did 'The Composer', the elusive being who created this world, suddenly abandon it? Why and how did Echo bloom and then come back to life? Accompany Echo as she uncovers the secrets behind these questions, journeying to uncover the truth and save the world. ▲A Combination of Rhythm and Adventure: Explore Central Station with Echo, interacting with your surroundings as you get to know the many station residents while discovering clues and 'Charts', magical pieces of music with the power to clear away Hollow Rain. As Deemo you'll play those Charts, putting your musical skills to the test in fun and challenging rhythm sections, ultimately moving the story forward. ▲30 Core Songs + DLC Song Packs for a Total of 120+ Tracks: Composers from around the world, including Japan, Korea, Europe and the Americas, have created an eclectic array of tracks for DEEMO II with an emphasis on acoustic instrumentation. Genres include Classical, Jazz, Chill Pop, J-Pop, and more. Infectious, emotive melodies will give music lovers dozens of fast favorites, and creative, syncopated rhythms will make sure rhythm-game aficionados have plenty to sink their teeth into. ▲Make Friends with Over 50 Station Residents: Central Station is full of characters with their own personalities and stories. As Echo, you can chat with them as they walk about Central Station, living their lives, opening paths to different topics depending on the situation. As you talk with them and get to know them, you'll start to feel like you're part of an eccentric new community. ▲Storybook Graphics and Artstyle: DEEMO II marries hand-drawn backgrounds with 3D models and a meticulous attention to detail that will make you feel like you're caught in a storybook, or an anime come to life. ▲Movie-Quality Animated Scenes: DEEMO II is full of high-quality anime cutscenes, fully voiced by professional Japanese voice actors. Pair that with music composed by DEEMO and Sdorica vets, and you've got an audio and visual treat. Rayark is well-versed in rhythm-game production, with popular titles like Cytus, DEEMO, Voez, and Cytus II under their belt. They are well-known for mixing fun and fluid rhythm gameplay with visual flair and deep storylines, providing full, rewarding experiences to get lost in. ***COMPATIBILITY*** Requires iOS 11.0 or later Compatible with Phone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Pro (2nd Generation) 12.9-inch, iPad Pro (2nd Generation) 10.5-inch, iPad Pro (3rd Generation) 11-inch, iPad Pro (3rd Generation) 12.9-inch, iPad Pro (4th Generation) 11-inch, iPad Pro (4th Generation) 12.9-inch, iPad Air (4th Generation), iPad mini (6th Generation)

Screenshots

Arcaea4 screens
DEEMO II4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Arcaea at every 8 days against DEEMO II's every 2 months. Arcaea also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 68%) and ratings volume (25K vs 3.7K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Arcaea sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and DEEMO II sells 43 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 — 4.8 for Arcaea against 4.8 for DEEMO II. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcaea has 25K ratings behind it against 3.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Arcaea's written reviews are positive against 68% of DEEMO II's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, DEEMO II every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Arcaea versus DEEMO II: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcaeaDEEMO II
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (25K ratings)4.8 (3.7K ratings)
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews — better67.8% of reviews
Number of ratings25K — better3.7K
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#85 — better#131
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.2
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB3.5 GB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperlowiroRayark International Limited

Customer experience

Arcaea

All ratings24,557 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,245 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral6.7%
Negative14.9%

DEEMO II

All ratings3,740 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews658 reviews
Positive67.8%
Neutral10.6%
Negative21.6%

User reviews

Arcaea

From 25K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unique gameplay mechanics
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and art
  • 🎶 Excellent music selection
  • 👍 Smooth and responsive controls
  • 💯 Challenging yet rewarding difficulty

Room to improve

  • 💰 Excessive paywall for content
  • 🔁 Repetitive grind in World Mode
  • 🐛 Occasional note registration issues
  • 🔊 Audio desync when multitasking
  • 🤖 Lack of practice mode or tutorial

DEEMO II

From 3.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great mechanics
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and animations
  • 🎶 Captivating music and soundtrack
  • 💡 Engaging story and characters
  • 🤗 Relaxing and immersive experience

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🕰️ Slow progression without spending money
  • 🔒 Limited free content
  • 🐛 Performance issues and crashes
  • 🤔 Confusing monetization model

Bugs and requests

Arcaea

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues and account sync problems
  • Compatibility problems on certain devices
  • Crashes and freezes during gameplay

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer mode to compete with friends
  • Ability to earn premium currency through gameplay
  • More free song options to explore the game
  • Customizable note speed and offset settings
  • Improved story mode and character development

DEEMO II

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and white screen issues
  • Touch input not always recognized
  • Compatibility problems on newer devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free songs and content
  • Improved event system and rewards
  • Better camera controls and navigation
  • Optimization for older devices

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Arcaea

One-time3
  • 100 Memories$0.99
  • 510 Memories$4.99
  • 1020 Memories$9.99
43 purchases

DEEMO II

One-time43
  • Event Bundle E$1.99
  • Event Bundle AZ$2.99
  • Event Bundle CT01$3.99
Show 40 more
  • Event Bundle DT01$3.99
  • Event Bundle IT$4.99
  • Event Bundle IU$4.99
  • Event Bundle IV$4.99
  • Event Bundle ET01$4.99
  • Crystal x 600$5.99
  • Event Bundle CL01$5.99
  • Event Bundle CQ01$5.99
  • Event Bundle IS01$5.99
  • Event Bundle IS02$5.99
  • Event Bundle ITa$5.99
  • Event Bundle IUa$5.99
  • Event Bundle IVa$5.99
  • Event Bundle IC01$5.99
  • Event Bundle HW012$5.99
  • Event Bundle GJ01$5.99
  • Event Bundle FO012$5.99
  • Event Bundle FI012$5.99
  • Event Bundle FD01$5.99
  • Event Bundle EY01$5.99
  • Event Bundle EQ01$5.99
  • Event Bundle EL01$5.99
  • Event Bundle EH01$5.99
  • Event Bundle EB01$5.99
  • Event Bundle DI01$5.99
  • Event Bundle DN01$5.99
  • Event Bundle A$9.99
  • Crystal x 1200$11.99
  • Event Bundle CB08$11.99
  • Event Bundle CC01$11.99
  • Event Bundle CF15$11.99
  • Mountain Arcanum$14.99
  • Soaring Arcanum$14.99
  • Devotion Arcanum$14.99
  • Echo Pass$19.99
  • Crystal x 2400$23.99
  • Event Bundle IS01a$25.99
  • Event Bundle IS02a$25.99
  • Event Bundle U$29.99
  • Crystal x 6000$59.99

Questions

Is Arcaea free?
Arcaea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DEEMO II free?
DEEMO II is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Arcaea or DEEMO II?
Arcaea and DEEMO II are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 25K and 3.7K ratings respectively.
Do Arcaea or DEEMO II have ads?
Neither Arcaea nor DEEMO II shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Arcaea or DEEMO II?
Arcaea ships an update every 8 days, and DEEMO II every 2 months. Most recently, Arcaea was updated on September 25, 2026 and DEEMO II on September 22, 2026.
Which is more popular, Arcaea or DEEMO II?
Arcaea currently peaks at #85 in the App Store charts, and DEEMO II at #131. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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