Cultist Simulator vs Monster Train
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cultist Simulator
A challenging roguelike narrative card game where you play as a seeker of forbidden knowledge. Experiment with rituals, summon entities, and ascend to become a herald of a new age in a Lovecraftian 1920s setting.
- Challenging roguelike gameplay
- Story-driven legacy system
- Intense, immersive narrative
- Choice-based storytelling
- Lovecraftian world
- Card combination mechanics
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SEIZE FORBIDDEN TREASURES. SUMMON ALIEN GODS. FEED ON YOUR DISCIPLES. BE WARNED. This game has no tutorial - part of the challenge is figuring out how to play. It's hard, but keep trying, and you'll master it. Good luck! In this infamous roguelike narrative card game, play as a seeker after unholy mysteries in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories. Become a scholar of the unseen arts. Craft tools and summon spirits. Indoctrinate innocents. Seize your place as the herald of a new age. Cultist Simulator was first released on PC and has more than 200,000 players all over the world. Now we’re bringing the cosmic mysteries of Cultist Simulator to mobile. • Challenging roguelike gameplay - There is never only one history. Cultist Simulator doesn’t hold your hand. Experiment, expire and transcend death with a story-driven legacy system. Over time you’ll learn enough to wrestle the game to its knees. • Intense, immersive narrative – Combine cards to tell your own story. A hefty novel’s worth of choice-based storytelling, from the creator of Fallen London and Sunless Sea. There are many paths through this game of ambition, appetite and abomination, and many ways your tale can end. • A rich Lovecraftian world – Corrupt your friends and consume your enemies. Search your dreams for sanity-twisting rituals. Translate grimoires and glean their lore. Penetrate the realm of the Hours and win a place in their service. Cultist Simulator brings the peripheral horror of Lovecraft’s tales to an entirely new setting. Expand your knowledge with the DLCs: New Legacies, New Ascensions, New Mechanics... • The Dancer - Join the Bacchanal • The Priest - Knock, and Ye Shall Be Opened • The Ghoul - Taste of the graveyard's fruit • The Exile - Some there are who will not yield If you encounter any issue with the game, please click on “Contact us” at the bottom of this page and give us as many details as possible regarding the issue and your device: https://playdigious.helpshift.com/hc/en/11-cultist-simulator/?p=ios
Monster Train
Defend the last burning pyre from Heaven's forces in this strategic deckbuilding roguelike. Build unique decks with over 250 cards from five distinct monster clans, upgrade champions, and explore powerful locations to restore the Inferno. Enjoy ultimate replayability with daily and custom challenges.
- Unlock over 250 cards
- 5 distinct Monster Clans
- Upgrade powerful Champions
- Explore powerful locations
- Daily & Custom challenges
- Includes Wild Mutations & Friends & Foes updates
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Hell has frozen over. Only you can protect the final burning pyre from the forces of Heaven and restore the Inferno. Monster Train brings a new strategic layer to Roguelite Deck Building, with three vertical playing fields to defend. Features: * Unlock over 250 cards * Discover 5 Monster Clans, each with their own distinct gameplay * Each clan has 10 levels to unlock, bringing new cards to your deck * Upgrade your powerful Champions multiple times * Challenge your friends to beat your score * Includes the released updates Wild Mutations and Friends & Foes! Ultimate Replayability No playthrough is ever the same, it’s a fresh challenge every time. You’ll really never play the same deck twice! Perfect entertainment for your mobile device! Explore powerful locations To take back hell, you’ll need to power up. Choose your route carefully, different locations yield different benefits; upgrade your Champion, recruit powerful units, upgrade cards, gain passive bonuses or duplicate any card in your deck. Strategize to fit your playstyle With five clans to choose from, each has its own unique and surprising gameplay. Pick your primary and supporting clan to gain access to all cards from both. Build your deck and perfect your strategy to defeat your enemies! Daily & Custom challenges Take on a new challenge every day with a hugely modified run due to gameplay mutators or play with your own selection of buffs and nerfs to tailor to your playstyle! Compete globally and against friends, and climb the leaderboards with a skill-focused scoring system. The Last Divinity DLC Epic new content expansion for Monster Train bringing new challenges, more replayability, and a new clan! * A new clan, the Wurmkin *Note: the Wurmkin clan unlocks upon completing Covenant level 1.* * Pact Shards; the new currency bringing benefits at a cost * New endboss: The Last Divinity Available for purchase in-game!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Monster Train at every 3 weeks against Cultist Simulator's every 2 months. Monster Train also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 73%). Cultist Simulator's advantage is price ($6.99 vs $7.99). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Cultist Simulator costs $6.99 and Monster Train $7.99 up front. Cultist Simulator sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Monster Train sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Cultist Simulator against 4.9 for Monster Train. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.3K and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Cultist Simulator's written reviews are positive against 89% of Monster Train's.
Cultist Simulator ships an update every 2 months, Monster Train every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cultist Simulator | Monster Train |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 — better | $7.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (4.3K ratings) | 4.9 (1.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | 88.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K — better | 1.8K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #23 | #12 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 331 MB | 533 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Playdigious | Good Shepherd Entertainment |
Customer experience
Cultist Simulator
Monster Train
User reviews
Cultist Simulator
From 4.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤯 Fascinating and mysterious
- 🎨 Beautiful atmosphere and writing
- 🕰️ Compelling time management gameplay
- 🕵️ Rewarding sense of discovery
- 💡 Unique and innovative concept
Room to improve
- 🤯 Steep learning curve with no tutorial
- 🕰️ Intense time pressure and resource management
- 🧠 Confusing mechanics and unclear objectives
- 🧭 Frustrating lack of progress and repeated failures
- 🔍 Difficult to keep track of cards and game state
Monster Train
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Outstanding soundtrack
- 🚀 Lots of discovery and relatability
- 👍 Great deck builder with deep mechanics
- 👍 Excellent value for money
- 👍 Addictive and replayable gameplay
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional issues with cloud saves and device switching
- 🐛 Difficulty targeting off-screen bosses on mobile
- 🐛 Finicky card selection and play controls
- 🔋 Can drain phone battery quickly
Bugs and requests
Cultist Simulator
Reported bugs
3 issues- Occasional crashes and save file issues
- Disappearing cards and UI elements
- Inability to access certain features like the club
Requested features
5 requests- Add tutorial or in-game hints
- Provide more accessibility options for text size
- Implement save/load system to avoid losing progress
- Add DLC content like the Dancer storyline
- Improve card organization and UI layout
Monster Train
Reported bugs
3 issues- Cloud save issues causing lost progress
- Inability to target off-screen bosses
- Occasional crashes and performance issues
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to view deck during card selection
- Customizable UI and graphics options
- Swipe gestures for floor switching
- 60fps support
In-app purchases
Cultist Simulator
- The Dancer$1.99
- The Priest$1.99
- The Ghoul$1.99
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- The Exile$4.99
- Forbidden Bundle$6.99
Monster Train
- The Last Divinity DLC$3.99
Questions
Is Cultist Simulator free?
Is Monster Train free?
Which has better reviews, Cultist Simulator or Monster Train?
Do Cultist Simulator or Monster Train have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cultist Simulator or Monster Train?
Which is more popular, Cultist Simulator or Monster Train?
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