# The Dark Book vs Bugborne

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bugborne at every 4 days against The Dark Book's every 3 weeks. Bugborne also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). The Dark Book's advantage is ratings volume (327 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Dark Book sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Bugborne sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bugborne holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Dark Book has 327 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of The Dark Book's written reviews are positive against 100% of Bugborne's.

The Dark Book ships an update every 3 weeks, Bugborne every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Dark Book | Bugborne |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (327 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-dark-book/id1374018080/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bugborne/id6752551048/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **327** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 322 MB | 311 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Bunetto Michele Salvatore](https://appshunter.io/developer/1374018079) | [Lemmy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797446231) |

## What reviewers say

### The Dark Book

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-dark-book/id1374018080)

Embark on a dark fantasy adventure as a resurrected hero in a world of magic and monsters. Explore diverse environments, battle creatures, and uncover the mystery of a powerful artifact. This offline RPG offers hours of engaging gameplay with customizable controls and settings.

**Highlights:** Dark fantasy storyline, Variety of enemies and equipment, Customizable controls (touch, keyboard, mouse, joystick), Old-school hack and slash gameplay, Character leveling and upgrades, Multilingual support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gem Pack 1 | $1.19 | one-time |
| Magic Shield | $1.19 | one-time |
| Soul Sword | $1.19 | one-time |
| Magic Armor | $1.19 | one-time |
| Magic Bull Helmet | $1.19 | one-time |
| Devouring Sword | $1.19 | one-time |
| Gold Pack 1 | $1.19 | one-time |
| HP and MP Charging Ring | $1.99 | one-time |
| Skeleton Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Infinity Hammer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack 4 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent classic offline RPG gameplay
- 💰 Completely free to play with optional purchases
- 🎨 Dark fantasy theme and atmosphere
- ⚔️ Engaging combat and hack-and-slash mechanics
- 📖 Good storyline and lore

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent save file corruption issues
- 💳 In-app purchases not always delivered
- 🎵 Insufficient background music variety
- 🎮 Clunky UI and control placement
- ⚙️ Multiple game-breaking bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Save file corruption and loss of progress
- In-app purchases not appearing in inventory
- Game crashes after purchase prompts
- Infinite dialogue loops with merchants
- Locked doors not opening (Gnowak Mountains)

**Requested features**

- Sequel or continuation of the story
- Multiplayer mode
- Open world gameplay
- More diverse music and sound design
- Additional equipment slots for character customization


### Bugborne

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bugborne/id6752551048)

Experience intense, challenging combat with precise timing and discipline. This soulslike mobile game offers visceral knife fights and strategic dashes for skilled players.

**Highlights:** Intense soulslike combat, Precise timing and discipline, Visceral knife fights, Strategic dashes, Challenging gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Dark Book free?

The Dark Book is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bugborne free?

Bugborne is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Dark Book or Bugborne?

Bugborne is rated higher. The Dark Book averages 4.7 out of 5 from 327 ratings, while Bugborne averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do The Dark Book or Bugborne have ads?

Both The Dark Book and Bugborne show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Dark Book or Bugborne?

The Dark Book ships an update every 3 weeks, and Bugborne every 4 days. Most recently, The Dark Book was updated on September 23, 2026 and Bugborne on September 8, 2026.

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