# Dead Cells vs Castlevania

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.

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.

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.

Dead Cells ships an update every 5 weeks, Castlevania every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dead Cells | Castlevania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-cells/id1389752090/reviews)** | [3.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | **88.5% of reviews** | 53.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | #24 |
| Size | 1.8 GB | 326 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [KONAMI](https://appshunter.io/developer/299580230) |

## What reviewers say

### Dead Cells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-cells/id1389752090)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Paid · Role Playing, #14 Top Paid · Action, #46 Top Paid · Games, #76 Top Paid (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Bad Seed | $3.99 | one-time |
| Fatal Falls | $3.99 | one-time |
| The Queen and the Sea | $3.99 | one-time |
| Return to Castlevania | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Castlevania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Paid · Adventure, #46 Top Paid · Action, #93 Top Paid, #130 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Customizable controls and button layout
- Original voice acting option
- Improved cutscene quality
- Cloud save support


## Frequently asked 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 25, 2026 and Castlevania on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Dead Cells or Castlevania?

Dead Cells currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Castlevania at #24. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*