Comparison

Cultist Simulator vs Monster Train

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Challenging roguelike gameplay
  • Story-driven legacy system
  • Intense, immersive narrative
  • Choice-based storytelling
  • Lovecraftian world
  • Card combination mechanics
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • Unlock over 250 cards
  • 5 distinct Monster Clans
  • Upgrade powerful Champions
  • Explore powerful locations
  • Daily & Custom challenges
  • Includes Wild Mutations & Friends & Foes updates
Features
Read full description

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

Cultist Simulator4 screens
Monster Train4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Cultist Simulator versus Monster Train: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCultist SimulatorMonster Train
Price$6.99 — better$7.99
Rating4.8 (4.3K ratings)4.9 (1.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.8% of reviews88.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.3K — better1.8K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#23#12 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size331 MB533 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperPlaydigiousGood Shepherd Entertainment

Customer experience

Cultist Simulator

All ratings4,221 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews371 reviews
Positive72.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative17.8%

Monster Train

All ratings1,812 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews358 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral5.9%
Negative5.3%

User reviews

Cultist Simulator

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

5 purchases

Cultist Simulator

One-time5
  • The Dancer$1.99
  • The Priest$1.99
  • The Ghoul$1.99
Show 2 more
  • The Exile$4.99
  • Forbidden Bundle$6.99
1 purchases

Monster Train

One-time1
  • The Last Divinity DLC$3.99

Questions

Is Cultist Simulator free?
Cultist Simulator costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Monster Train free?
Monster Train costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cultist Simulator or Monster Train?
Monster Train is rated higher. Cultist Simulator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Monster Train averages 4.9 from 1.8K ratings.
Do Cultist Simulator or Monster Train have ads?
Neither Cultist Simulator nor Monster Train shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cultist Simulator or Monster Train?
Cultist Simulator ships an update every 2 months, and Monster Train every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cultist Simulator was updated on November 2, 2026 and Monster Train on November 3, 2026.
Which is more popular, Cultist Simulator or Monster Train?
Cultist Simulator currently peaks at #23 in the App Store charts, and Monster Train at #12. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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