Comparison

Dead Cells vs ZedZapper

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

ZedZapper

Features
Read full description

Climb. Time it. Survive the zeds. ZedZapper is a one-tap arcade climber. Ten red lines stand between you and the top — and the only way up is through the gaps sliding across them. Tap at the right moment to leap through; mistime it and you're stunned. But you're not alone up there. The zeds patrol the lines, and one touch leaves you frozen while the gaps drift away beneath you. Tilt your phone to slide left and right, line up your jump, and punch through to the next line. Every level adds more gaps, more zeds, and more speed. How high can you climb? • Pure one-tap + tilt controls — easy to pick up, tough to master • 10 lines of escalating chaos per level • Dodge the zeds, ride the gaps, beat your best • Quick runs, perfect for one more try

Screenshots

Dead Cells4 screens
ZedZapper3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ZedZapper at Free against Dead Cells's $8.99. ZedZapper also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Dead Cells's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#7 vs unranked). On in-app purchases 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

ZedZapper is free to download; Dead Cells costs $8.99 up front. Dead Cells sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and ZedZapper sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Cells ships an update every 2 months, ZedZapper fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Dead Cells versus ZedZapper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead CellsZedZapper
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (12K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings12K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#7 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS1515.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.8 GB126 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPlaydigiousFilipe Santos

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

ZedZapper

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
2 purchases

ZedZapper

One-time2
  • Go to level$0.29
  • Remove ads$8.99

Questions

Is Dead Cells free?
Dead Cells costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ZedZapper free?
ZedZapper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dead Cells or ZedZapper have ads?
ZedZapper shows ads; Dead Cells does not.
Which is updated more often, Dead Cells or ZedZapper?
Dead Cells ships an update every 2 months, and ZedZapper fortnightly. Most recently, Dead Cells was updated on October 14, 2026 and ZedZapper on October 1, 2026.

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