Comparison

Explodey vs DERE EVIL EXE

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

Head to head
About

Explodey

Pilot a fighter through exotic planets, battling enemies and solving puzzles to save the galaxy. Customize your ship with a variety of weapons and face challenging bosses. Engage in multiplayer battles with friends and unlock cosmetic hats.

Highlights
  • AAA side-scroller gameplay
  • Battle across 5 exotic planets
  • Customize fighter with diverse weaponry
  • Conquer ground and air units
  • Solve challenging puzzles
  • LAN multiplayer battles
  • Unlock cosmetic hats
Features
Read full description

The galaxy is in peril. Equipped with the latest weaponry, pilot your heavily armed fighter through 5 exotic planets to destroy the evil Dr Grag and save the Life Spark. Joining you on your journey is The Engineer, a silicon being capable of building anything you need. Unfortunately, he's also a bit of a jackass... ENGAGE THE ENEMY AND BLOW THEM TO BITS * AAA side scroller * Battle across 5 exotic planets * Conquer a large variety of ground and air units * Deliver precision strikes with an advanced dual joystick configuration * Solve challenging puzzles CUSTOMIZE YOUR FIGHTER WITH EXPLOSIVE WEAPONRY * 5 Ship Bodies - Each improving in destructive power as you progress * 5 Blasters - Normal, Spread, Heal, Cannon, and Sniper * 4 Rockets - Normal, Rapid Fire, Fire Ball, BIG ONE * 4 Bombs - Normal, Mini, Napalm, Fast Drop * 2 Special Weapons - Floating Mine, Shield BATTLE 5 CHALLENGING BOSSES * Battle The Ice Elemental, Mega Tank, Xenogiger, Zargbots, and Dr Grag - the evil mastermind who is holding the galaxy hostage * Recover each of 5 powerful crystals to re-ignite the Life Spark and save the galaxy * Follow along with a riveting story and cast of characters, including you (The Soldier), The Engineer, Dr Grag, and General Goat (The Leader of Resistance, Leader of The Knights of Galadorn, Defender of the Universe, and our pet). DESTROY YOUR FRIENDS IN MULTIPLAYER * Engage in LAN battles with friends. Show them who's boss by exploding them. INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL STATUS WITH HATS * Yeah, they don't do anything special except make you look awesome * Complete all levels and earn The General's Hat, complete with Cigar * Complete all achievements and earn The Mighty Beanie of Galderon. MAKE TRIPS TO THE TOILET LAST 4x LONGER * Forget sending email and browsing Instagram on the toilet - what a waste of time. Play Explodey for hours and hours and when your boss asks what's been going on, you can say EXPLODEY JERK. MORE INFO * Works with just the touch screen, but you can also use a gamepad (must be MFi compatible) * Headphones recommended to soak up the sound * The game is free to play the first world and to play LAN multiplayer. $2.99 unlocks the rest of the galaxy. You can also buy hats on the cheap or you can find them during missions. All proceeds go to tacos, coffee, the kids' college fund, and my next insane project. * iMessage stickers include a dancing engineer, for your dancing engineer convenience. Come chat on our Discord channel! https://discord.gg/7cRKNqD

About

DERE EVIL EXE

This is a retro platformer with a gripping meta-horror story. Navigate a pixel art world, solve puzzles, and survive against creatures born from fear. Enjoy a unique blend of catchy chiptune and ominous orchestral music.

Highlights
  • Meta horror story
  • Retro pixel platformer
  • Unique puzzles and obstacles
  • Survive against corruptions
  • 80s/90s 16-bit aesthetics
  • Catchy retro chiptune music
  • Ominous orchestral music
Features
Read full description

DERE EVIL EXE is both a terrifying thriller with a gripping story and an unorthodox retro platformer with unique puzzles and obstacles. In DERE EVIL EXE, you step into the tiny shoes of a silent hero named 'Knightly'. Knightly must jump, run, and manipulate environments in order to survive the heart-racing journey through a stunning pixel art world. Within surreal structures lurk dangerous creatures known as 'corruptions'. They take the form of their creator's greatest fears. Their creepy creator, sporting a cunning visage of cheerfulness, hides in plain sight as she watches her prey fall deeper into her traps. Will Knightly be able to escape these pixelated nightmares? ===== “Take the challenge, and wade in, DERE EVIL EXE is unquestionably worth your time... 5/5” - Touch Arcade “An indie title that shifts from retro platformer to meta-horror, it pokes fun at and toys with its influences along the way.” - Rock Paper Shotgun “DERE EVIL EXE is yet another great game from AppSir we really enjoyed... 95/100” - Edamame Reviews ===== EERIE AND EXCEPTIONAL Finalist in the 15th annual International Mobile Gaming Awards and nominated for Best Storytelling in the 2019 Mobile Games Awards. A GAME LOST IN TIME Modern 2d side-scrolling horror game with levels inspired by the simplicity and aesthetics of 16-bit arcade classics of the 80s and 90s. MELODIC MADNESS The game plays either catchy retro chiptune music or ominous orchestral music, depending on the situation. IMMERSIVE TALE OF HORROR A completely new meta story that bends the creepypasta genre in ways unseen in the video game world. A STANDALONE SEQUEL Users do not need to play the prequel game to enjoy the story. NOT SO EVIL STICKER PACK Liven up your conversations with iMessage stickers featuring cute and quirky characters of DERE EVIL EXE! ===== This game contains one optional in-app purchase to permanently disable ads. We recommend that users purchase this feature for a truly immersive experience.

Screenshots

Explodey4 screens
DERE EVIL EXE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DERE EVIL EXE at 4.8 against Explodey's 3.9. DERE EVIL EXE also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 67%) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 9). Explodey's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Explodey sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and DERE EVIL EXE sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DERE EVIL EXE holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DERE EVIL EXE has 4.3K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Explodey's written reviews are positive against 92% of DERE EVIL EXE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explodey ships an update every 3 days, DERE EVIL EXE every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Explodey versus DERE EVIL EXE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplodeyDERE EVIL EXE
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (9 ratings)4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews91.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings94.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.1 GB133 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperYitYat StudiosDarius Immanuel Guerrero

Customer experience

Explodey

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

DERE EVIL EXE

All ratings4,290 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews1,178 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.7%

Bugs and requests

Explodey

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

DERE EVIL EXE

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Jump button not responding at times
  • Inconsistent collision detection
  • Freezing and unresponsiveness on certain levels

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Controller support
  • Customizable controls
  • Difficulty settings

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Explodey

One-time12
  • VR Goggles$0.99
  • Mohawk$0.99
  • Pirate Hat$0.99
Show 9 more
  • Plain Hat$0.99
  • Top Hat$0.99
  • Wizarding Hat$0.99
  • Hair Bow$0.99
  • Hard Hat$0.99
  • Elf Hat$0.99
  • Viking Hat$0.99
  • Cheese$0.99
  • Unlock All Worlds$2.99
1 purchases

DERE EVIL EXE

One-time1
  • Remove Ads for DERE EVIL EXE$1.99

Questions

Is Explodey free?
Explodey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DERE EVIL EXE free?
DERE EVIL EXE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Explodey or DERE EVIL EXE?
DERE EVIL EXE is rated higher. Explodey averages 3.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while DERE EVIL EXE averages 4.8 from 4.3K ratings.
Do Explodey or DERE EVIL EXE have ads?
DERE EVIL EXE shows ads; Explodey does not.
Which is updated more often, Explodey or DERE EVIL EXE?
Explodey ships an update every 3 days, and DERE EVIL EXE every 4 months. Most recently, Explodey was updated on September 16, 2026 and DERE EVIL EXE on October 12, 2026.

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