Comparison

Mindustry vs Protocell Defender

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

Head to head
About

Mindustry

Build complex factories, manage supply chains, and defend your base from enemy waves in this real-time strategy game. Conquer planets, research new technologies, and engage in multiplayer battles with friends.

Highlights
  • Factory building and supply chains
  • Tower defense against enemy waves
  • Cross-platform multiplayer co-op and PvP
  • Conquer planets with campaign and procedural sectors
  • Research new blocks and technologies
  • Map editor with scripting support
Features
Read full description

Mindustry is a factory-building game with tower defense and RTS elements. Create elaborate supply chains to feed ammo into your turrets, produce materials to use for building, and construct units. Command units to capture enemy bases, and expand your production. Defend your core from waves of enemies. Gameplay Features: - Use production blocks to create a wide variety of advanced materials - Defend your structures from waves of enemies - Play with your friends in cross-platform multiplayer co-op games, or challenge them in team-based PvP matches - Distribute liquids and fight constant challenges, like outbreaks of fire or enemy flier raids - Get the most out of your production by supplying optional coolant and lubricant - Produce a wide variety of units for automatic management of your base or assault on enemy bases - Set up assembly lines to construct armies of mechanized units - Use your units to square up against fully functional enemy bases Campaign: - Conquer the planets Serpulo and Erekir as you advance through 35 hand-made maps and 250+ procedurally generated sectors - Capture territory and set up factories to produce resources while you play other sectors - Defend your sectors from periodic invasions - Coordinate resource distribution between sectors via launch pads - Research new blocks to fuel progress - Invite your friends to complete missions together - 250+ technology blocks to master - 50+ different types of drones, mechs and ships Custom Games & Cross-Platform Multiplayer: - 16+ built in maps for custom games, in addition to two entire campaigns - Play co-op, PvP or sandbox - Join a public dedicated server, or invite friends to your own private session - Customizable game rules: Change block costs, enemy stats, starting items, wave timing and more - Full functional map editor with scripting support

About

Protocell Defender

Features
Read full description

Protocell Defender - Cellular Tower Defense Zoom in to the microscopic scale and defend your cellular nucleus against waves of pathogens: bacteria, viruses, camouflaged prions, life-stealing parasites, and worse. GAMEPLAY • 12 unique maps, from simple gut paths to the 3-lane final stand • 7 specialized towers: Spike Cell, Membrane Wall, Mitochondria, Lysosome, Ribosome, Flagellum, Antibody • Each tower evolves on 2 distinct paths (Path A / Path B) with cross-path mutations • 20 waves per game, boss every 4 waves • 3 difficulty modes: Normal, Hard, Impossible ENEMIES 16+ types with unique mechanics: regenerating armor, camouflage, death-split, tower disabling, life-stealing, damage-reduction auras. STRATEGY • Synergies between adjacent towers (Supercharged, Acid Trap, Hunter, Efficient) • 4 targeting modes per tower: First, Closest, Strongest, Weakest • Punishing ATP economy: every placement counts IN-APP PURCHASES (optional) • ATP Boost +50%, +5 Starting Lives, Quick Save, 5x Speed • All toggleable in-game and disabled in Impossible mode to preserve the challenge No ads. No pay-to-win. Just a demanding tower defense that respects your time.

Screenshots

Mindustry4 screens
Protocell Defender4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Protocell Defender at Free against Mindustry's $1.99. Mindustry's advantage is chart position (#29 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Protocell Defender is free to download; Mindustry costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Mindustry versus Protocell Defender: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindustryProtocell Defender
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews74.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#29 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size150 MB66 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperAnton KramskoiPierre-Julien AVRIL

Bugs and requests

Mindustry

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes on launch
  • Freezing and performance issues
  • Save data corruption and loss
  • Incompatibility with newer devices

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to save/load custom maps
  • More campaign levels and content
  • Improved tutorial and onboarding
  • Expanded tech tree and upgrades
  • Better UI scaling for larger screens
Show 3 more
  • Ability to queue/fast-forward waves
  • Improved pathfinding and unit AI
  • More diverse enemy types and mechanics

Protocell Defender

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Mindustry

No in-app purchases

None

Protocell Defender

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mindustry free?
Mindustry costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Protocell Defender free?
Protocell Defender is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mindustry or Protocell Defender have ads?
Neither Mindustry nor Protocell Defender shows ads.

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