# Castlevania vs Shattered Pixel Dungeon

The clearest difference is rating: Shattered Pixel Dungeon at 4.9 against Castlevania's 3.9. Shattered Pixel Dungeon also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 54%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 29 months). Castlevania's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

Castlevania costs $2.99 and Shattered Pixel Dungeon $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shattered Pixel Dungeon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 4.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Castlevania's written reviews are positive against 93% of Shattered Pixel Dungeon's.

Castlevania ships an update every 29 months, Shattered Pixel Dungeon fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castlevania | Shattered Pixel Dungeon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830/reviews) | **[4.9 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shattered-pixel-dungeon/id1563121109/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 53.7% of reviews | **92.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #14 | **#12** |
| Size | 326 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [KONAMI](https://appshunter.io/developer/299580230) | [Evan Debenham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562920988) |

## What reviewers say

### Castlevania

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

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Paid · Adventure, #37 Top Paid · Action, #100 Top Paid · Games, #171 Top Paid (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


### Shattered Pixel Dungeon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shattered-pixel-dungeon/id1563121109)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Role Playing, #20 Top Paid · Adventure, #119 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Embark on a challenging roguelike dungeon crawl with six unique heroes. Explore procedurally generated levels, collect hundreds of items, and battle diverse enemies and bosses. Master unique hero mechanics and unlock powerful abilities to survive the depths.

**Highlights:** Six unique heroes with distinct playstyles, Procedurally generated dungeons and randomized enemies, Hundreds of items to collect, upgrade, and craft, Talent trees and subclass progression for heroes, Challenging bosses and optional achievements, Regular content updates

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Endless replayability
- 👍 Polished and well-designed
- 🎨 Excellent pixel art and aesthetics
- 💡 Innovative mechanics and depth
- 🕹️ Challenging yet rewarding gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely challenging and punishing
- 🕰️ Runs can feel too long
- 🤖 Overpowered enemy mechanics (e.g. evasion)

**Reported bugs**

- Sound effects not working on iOS
- Occasional crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Permadeath optional mode
- Ability to continue progress across devices
- More character classes and customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castlevania free?

Castlevania costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shattered Pixel Dungeon free?

Shattered Pixel Dungeon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Castlevania or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?

Shattered Pixel Dungeon is rated higher. Castlevania averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Shattered Pixel Dungeon averages 4.9 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Castlevania or Shattered Pixel Dungeon have ads?

Neither Castlevania nor Shattered Pixel Dungeon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Castlevania or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?

Castlevania ships an update every 29 months, and Shattered Pixel Dungeon fortnightly. Most recently, Castlevania was updated on November 5, 2026 and Shattered Pixel Dungeon on November 6, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Castlevania or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?

Castlevania currently peaks at #14 in the App Store charts, and Shattered Pixel Dungeon at #12. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*