Comparison

Dead Cells vs Castlevania

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

Head to head
About

Dead Cells

Explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle as a failed alchemic experiment. Master frantic 2D combat with a variety of weapons and skills against dangerous foes. Death is not the end; learn from each attempt to progress through this roguevania action platformer.

Highlights
  • Roguevania exploration
  • Frantic 2D action combat
  • Nonlinear progression
  • Permadeath with learning
  • Unlockable weapons and skills
  • DLC content packs
Read full description

Death is not the end. Play as a failed alchemic experiment and explore the sprawling, ever-changing castle to find out what happened on this gloomy island…! That is, assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers. Dead Cells is a roguevania action platformer that will require you to master frantic 2D combat with a wide variety of weapons and skills against merciless minions and boss. Kill. Die. Learn. Repeat. First available on PC and consoles, the indie hit Dead Cells is now slaying foes on mobile! Main Features • Roguevania: The progressive exploration of an interconnected world, with the replayability of a rogue-lite and the adrenaline-pumping threat of permadeath • Frantic and Dynamic 2D Action: Learn your enemies’ patterns to stay alive, or prepare to be sent back to your cell before you can say “baguette” • Nonlinear Progression: Unlock new levels with every death, opt for the path that suits your current build, your playstyle or just your mood. Surely, the ramparts can’t be as bad as the sewers, right? • Play at your own pace: Will you explore every nook and cranny of the castle, or rush to the end? *Latest updates are available: Clean Cut & The End is Near* RETURN TO CASTLEVANIA DLC Time for some vampire slaying • New storyline - overcome the Ruler of Darkness alongside Alucard and Richter Belmont, • 2 new biomes - Explore Dracula's Castle and its outskirts • 9 new monsters - Werewolves, haunted armors, and medusas are waiting for you • 14 new weapons - wield the Vampire Killer or the Holy Water to defeat creatures of the night, • 3 new bosses - go fangs to fangs against Death and Dracula himself • 20 new outfits - dress as your favorite Castlevania characters such as Simon and Richter Belmont or Alucard • Alternative soundtracks - play along 51 Castlevania original tracks and 12 tunes reimagined in the style of Dead Cells THE BAD SEED DLC You reap what you sow • New levels to lose your head in the not-so-peaceful Dilapidated Arboretum and the noxious Morass of the Banished • New monsters to rip to pieces: get to know the locals, such as the Jerkshroom and the Yeeter • New weapons to play with: trim sticking-out heads with the Scythe Claw, or make them dance to the sound of the Rhythm n' Bouzouki • New boss to fight against: Mama Tick is dying to meet you FATAL FALLS DLC Ready for a leap of faith? • 3 new biomes - Get some fresh air at the Fractured Shrines, splash around at the Undying Shores and take a picture at the Mausoleum • 8 new monsters - The Cold Blooded Guardians and their friends would love to teach you about their culture. ... Wait, aren't those relatives of yours in the Undying Shores...? • 7 new weapons - Lil' Serenade is perfect for breaking the ice with the locals, although the Snake Fangs would make for a perfect souvenir... • 1 new boss - The Scarecrow is very proud of his gardening skills and won't hesitate to show off QUEEN AND THE SEA DLC Take it to the sea! • 2 new biomes - Battle your way through a rotten shipwreck, or scale a burning lighthouse and confront your deadliest foe yet. • 9 new weapons, including a throwable shark, a trident and a pirate hook hand (eyepatch not included). • 2 new bosses - Don't lose your head before you meet the Queen! This DLC also gives you the usual extras: - A not-so-cute pet. - Loads of new outfits. - New enemies to bash. WARNING: Devices with less than 2 Gb of RAM may not be able to run this content correctly. We recommend not to take this DLC if your device is under 2gb of RAM. Carefully redesigned for mobile with a revamped interface • Two game modes available: Original & Auto-Hit • Custom controls & More touch controls options available: Change the buttons’ position and size to your liking, swipe to dodge… • MFi external controller support • No ads, no F2P mechanics! If you run into a problem, please contact us at support@playdigious.mail.helpshift.com with as much information as possible on the issue.

About

Castlevania

Experience a classic action RPG on mobile. Explore a vast castle, battle unique enemies, and uncover secrets as Alucard. This port features updated controls and achievements.

Highlights
  • Direct port of the console classic
  • Play as Alucard
  • Jump, dash, and slash combat
  • Vast castle exploration
  • Game controller compatibility
  • New continue feature
  • Unlockable achievements
Read full description

The iconic game from the beloved Castlevania series finally comes to mobile. This direct port of the classic console action RPG lets you jump, dash and slash your way through Dracula’s vast castle as Alucard while encountering a unique array of enemies and characters along the way. Rediscover the world of Castlevania with one of its original groundbreaking games and renowned music and graphics. □Features Fully compatible with game controllers New continue feature Unlock achievements with hard-fought battle milestones Available in 6 languages: English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish

Screenshots

Dead Cells4 screens
Castlevania4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dead Cells at 4.8 against Castlevania's 3.9. Dead Cells also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 54%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 29 months). Castlevania's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and price ($2.99 vs $8.99). On ads 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

Dead Cells costs $8.99 and Castlevania $2.99 up front. Dead Cells sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Castlevania asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dead Cells holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Cells has 12K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Dead Cells's written reviews are positive against 54% of Castlevania's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Cells ships an update every 5 weeks, Castlevania every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Dead Cells versus Castlevania: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead CellsCastlevania
Price$8.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.8 (12K ratings) — better3.9 (1.8K ratings)
Positive reviews88.5% of reviews — better53.8% of reviews
Number of ratings12K — better1.8K
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 29 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#6 — better#20
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.8 GB326 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPlaydigiousKONAMI

Customer experience

Dead Cells

All ratings12,164 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews1,780 reviews
Positive88.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.9%

Castlevania

All ratings1,791 ratings
Positive71.0%
Neutral9.3%
Negative19.8%
Written reviews1,103 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral11.5%
Negative34.7%

User reviews

Dead Cells

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Excellent controls
  • 💎 High-quality graphics
  • 🎮 Great controller support
  • 🔥 Addictive and challenging

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Audio glitches and bugs
  • 🤔 Lack of custom mode
  • 📱 Finicky touch controls
  • 🔇 No background music support

Castlevania

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Faithful port of a classic game
  • 🎮 Works well with controllers
  • 💰 Great value for the price

Room to improve

  • 🎮 Unresponsive touch controls
  • 🔍 Small action buttons
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (clock room issue, save system issues)

Bugs and requests

Dead Cells

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Saves not compatible across platforms
  • Texture and graphical issues on some devices
  • Persistent memory leaks causing performance drops

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add Chinese language support
  • Implement cross-save functionality
  • Introduce online multiplayer mode
  • Optimize for older devices

Castlevania

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Clock room not functioning properly
  • Save system issues (not saving, losing progress)
  • Audio issues (no sound, pitch/speed problems)

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable controls and button layout
  • Original voice acting option
  • Improved cutscene quality
  • Cloud save support

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Dead Cells

One-time4
  • The Bad Seed$3.99
  • Fatal Falls$3.99
  • The Queen and the Sea$3.99
Show 1 more
  • Return to Castlevania$6.99
None

Castlevania

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dead Cells free?
Dead Cells costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Castlevania free?
Castlevania costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dead Cells or Castlevania?
Dead Cells is rated higher. Dead Cells averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Castlevania averages 3.9 from 1.8K ratings.
Do Dead Cells or Castlevania have ads?
Neither Dead Cells nor Castlevania shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dead Cells or Castlevania?
Dead Cells ships an update every 5 weeks, and Castlevania every 29 months. Most recently, Dead Cells was updated on September 24, 2026 and Castlevania on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Dead Cells or Castlevania?
Dead Cells currently peaks at #6 in the App Store charts, and Castlevania at #20. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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