Shift Shaft vs Dungeon Tracer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shift Shaft
This puzzle game challenges players to match three or more rocks by rotating the entire game board. Upgrade your character's stats and unlock items as you explore an underground world and battle unique enemies. Enjoy an uninterrupted gaming experience with no ads or in-app purchases.
- Rotate the game board
- Match 3 or more rocks
- Upgrade player stats
- Unlock over 30 items
- Battle 5 unique enemies
- Explore underground world
Read full descriptionHide full description
“What really blew my mind with Shift Shaft and the main thing that makes it feel unlike any other game out there is your ability to rotate the entire board at will. It sounds simple but this changes everything… This is truly a thinking person’s matching game.” - Jared Nelson, TouchArcade.com A match & rotate puzzle Manipulate your player and the board by rotating it and clearing groups of 3 or more rocks. Build up your player Collect and spend gems to upgrade your stats and unlock over 30 different items during each run. Explore the underground world Go up against 5 unique enemies and the gem-eating spider to uncover the world beneath the mines. No ads & no in-app purchases Play for as long you'd like with no ads or pay walls.
Dungeon Tracer
Engage in a strategic puzzle RPG where you connect tiles to battle enemies and survive challenging dungeons. Master equipment and abilities to overcome obstacles and climb the global leaderboard. Offers multiple difficulty levels and extensive customization options for endless replayability.
- Tile-connecting puzzle combat
- Roguelike dungeon exploration
- Item collection and upgrades
- Diverse character abilities
- Multiple difficulty levels
- Global leaderboard competition
- Persistent save system
Read full descriptionHide full description
Survive in endless dungeons by connecting blocks to attack, defend, and heal. Dungeon Tracer is a roguelike puzzle RPG that combines strategic turn-based combat with dungeon exploration. Connect identical blocks to unleash powerful sword attacks, shield defenses, and life-saving potions. Your decisions each turn shape the outcome of battles and your survival. ■ Recommended for - Players who enjoy puzzle RPGs and roguelikes - Fans of turn-based strategy combat - Those seeking offline dungeon adventures - Gamers who love crafting new builds and strategies through replay ■ Core Gameplay - Connect blocks to attack, defend, and heal - Every turn's choice impacts your strategy - Combo effects grow stronger with longer connections - Embrace the roguelike challenge where death means starting anew - Develop survival strategies in ever-changing scenarios ■ In-Depth Strategic Combat Experience the blend of intuitive block connection puzzles and the tactical depth of roguelike RPGs. Your play style varies with block placements, enemy types, skill selections, and item combinations. ■ 10 Classes and 10 Races Each class features unique skills and traits. Combine these with racial traits for diverse builds. Experiment to find your ideal strategy. ■ Diverse Skills and Builds Mix over 40 active skills and growth elements to create your unique combat style. Each skill and item choice leads to different outcomes. ■ Special Monsters and Block Debuffs Face 43 unique monsters, including liches, avengers, kamikazes, and assassins. Block debuffs like freeze, fire, poison, and lock can turn the tide of battle. Simply connecting blocks won't guarantee victory. ■ Fair Roguelike Challenge A seed-based deterministic random system ensures consistent results in each run. Enjoy a challenge where strategy and judgment outweigh luck. ■ More Fun with Repeated Growth Skill choices evolve with each level-up Builds focus on upgrades and items Dungeons reconfigure with each playthrough A structure where a single mistake heightens the tension ■ Global Leaderboard Compete with players worldwide. Test your skills against global rankings and showcase your best scores. ■ 4 Difficulty Levels Choose from Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard Enjoyable challenges for both newcomers and veterans. ■ Premium Offline RPG - No ads - No in-app purchases - Enjoy offline play Once purchased, access all content fully. ■ Support for Multiple Languages and Cloud Save Supports 22 languages, ensuring you can continue your adventure seamlessly across devices. Endless dungeons await, filled with powerful monsters and strategic choices. How long can you survive? Experience the depth of puzzle roguelike RPGs in Dungeon Tracer today!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shift Shaft at none against Dungeon Tracer's 1. Shift Shaft also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). Dungeon Tracer's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On ratings volume, ads, 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
Shift Shaft costs $2.99 and Dungeon Tracer $4.99 up front. Dungeon Tracer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shift Shaft asks for nothing beyond the download.
Shift Shaft holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 143 and 81 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Shift Shaft's written reviews are positive against 76% of Dungeon Tracer's.
Shift Shaft ships an update fortnightly, Dungeon Tracer every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shift Shaft | Dungeon Tracer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (143 ratings) — better | 4.5 (81 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 75.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 143 — better | 81 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 431 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | William Katz | sang wook Jang |
Customer experience
Shift Shaft
Dungeon Tracer
User reviews
Shift Shaft
From 143 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Innovative rotate screen mechanic
- 👍 Easy to learn, hard to master
- 💎 Rare hidden gem
- 🧠 Clever and entertaining design
- ✨ Adds a breath of fresh air
Room to improve
- 📉 Graphics could be less pixelated
- 🤔 Difficult to pick up strategies
- ⏳ Mid-run save feature missing
Dungeon Tracer
From 81 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Entertaining gameplay
- 🎨 Fantasy/RPG lore
- 🏃♂️ Smooth performance
- 🕹️ Identical to Dungeon Raid, if not better
- 🕰️ Slow pace suitable for players with disabilities
Room to improve
- 🤔 Unclear progression and lack of unlocks
- ⏱️ Overly long battles with no sense of progress
- 🔒 Inability to level up classes after unlocking them
- 🔍 Unclear usage of item abilities
- 🤯 Overtuned difficulty in 'very hard' mode
Bugs and requests
Shift Shaft
Requested features
2 requests- Non-pixelated graphics
- Mid-run save option
Dungeon Tracer
No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.
In-app purchases
Shift Shaft
No in-app purchases
Dungeon Tracer
- All Classes Unlocked$9.99
Questions
Is Shift Shaft free?
Is Dungeon Tracer free?
Which has better reviews, Shift Shaft or Dungeon Tracer?
Do Shift Shaft or Dungeon Tracer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shift Shaft or Dungeon Tracer?
Other comparisons















