# Bleak Sword vs Hot Lava

The clearest difference is rating: Bleak Sword at 4.5 against Hot Lava's 4.1. Bleak Sword also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 68%). Hot Lava's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (3.1K vs 903). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Bleak Sword holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 903 and 3.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Bleak Sword's written reviews are positive against 68% of Hot Lava's.

Bleak Sword ships an update every 8 months, Hot Lava every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bleak Sword | Hot Lava |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (903 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleak-sword/id1403554793/reviews)** | [4.1 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-lava/id1469252166/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 903 | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.9% of reviews** | 67.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 467 MB | 2.6 GB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Devolver Digital, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/457410262) | [Klei](https://appshunter.io/developer/534603952) |

## What reviewers say

### Bleak Sword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleak-sword/id1403554793)

Embark on a dark fantasy adventure across cursed diorama battlefields. Battle creatures through nine chapters, lifting a legendary curse by upgrading your hero with magic and items. Challenge yourself further in Arena Mode with unlockable achievements.

**Highlights:** Diorama battlefields, Nine tense chapters, Powerful magic invocation, Item discovery, Character leveling and stat upgrades, Arena Mode, Unlockable achievements

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and responsive controls
- 👍 Satisfying combat mechanics
- 🎨 Unique and atmospheric pixel art style
- 🕹️ Challenging but fair gameplay
- 🕰️ Suitable for short play sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional save data loss issues
- 🔍 Difficulty in tracking character on screen
- 🤕 Overly punishing difficulty curve
- 🧠 Lack of progression and upgrade systems
- 🔍 Blurry visuals on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Controls becoming unresponsive after app switch
- Inconsistent blocking mechanics

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support for tablets
- Ability to skip credits after first completion
- More enemy and boss variety
- Customizable controls
- Expanded story and lore


### Hot Lava

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-lava/id1469252166)

Experience the thrill of childhood imagination in this first-person adventure game. Run, jump, and climb through nostalgic environments, avoiding molten lava and other hazards. Play solo or with friends in a game of skill and ingenuity.

**Highlights:** First-person parkour gameplay, Nostalgic environments, Multiplayer with friends, Leaderboards for speedruns, Obstacle avoidance challenges

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 🚀 Awesome graphics
- 👍 Fun gameplay
- 👍 Nostalgic vibes
- 👍 Good for speedrunning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Glitchy controls
- 🐛 Difficulty issues
- 🔋 Drains device battery
- 👎 Lacking multiplayer features

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Freezing and performance issues
- Disappearing save data
- Unresponsive controls
- Gyroscope problems

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode
- Improve controls and sensitivity
- Add more levels and content
- Provide controller support
- Allow custom music playback


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bleak Sword free?

Bleak Sword is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hot Lava free?

Hot Lava is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bleak Sword or Hot Lava?

Bleak Sword is rated higher. Bleak Sword averages 4.5 out of 5 from 903 ratings, while Hot Lava averages 4.1 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do Bleak Sword or Hot Lava have ads?

Neither Bleak Sword nor Hot Lava shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bleak Sword or Hot Lava?

Bleak Sword ships an update every 8 months, and Hot Lava every 3 months. Most recently, Bleak Sword was updated on October 29, 2026 and Hot Lava on October 29, 2026.

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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.*