# Cultist Simulator vs HYDRA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HYDRA at none against Cultist Simulator's 5. HYDRA also leads on price ($0.29 vs $6.99) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Cultist Simulator's advantage is chart position (#24 vs #162) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads there is nothing between them.

Cultist Simulator costs $6.99 and HYDRA $0.29 up front. Cultist Simulator sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. HYDRA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cultist Simulator ships an update every 2 months, HYDRA every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cultist Simulator | HYDRA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **$0.29** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cultist-simulator/id1439886655/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#24** | #162 |
| Size | 331 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) | [Sunspear Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478643604) |

## What reviewers say

### Cultist Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cultist-simulator/id1439886655)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Paid · Card, #58 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Dancer | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Priest | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Ghoul | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Exile | $4.99 | one-time |
| Forbidden Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤯 Fascinating and mysterious
- 🎨 Beautiful atmosphere and writing
- 🕰️ Compelling time management gameplay
- 🕵️ Rewarding sense of discovery
- 💡 Unique and innovative concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 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

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes and save file issues
- Disappearing cards and UI elements
- Inability to access certain features like the club

**Requested features**

- 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


### HYDRA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydra-4/id6801179923)

**Currently charting:** #162 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cultist Simulator free?

Cultist Simulator costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is HYDRA free?

HYDRA costs $0.29, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Cultist Simulator or HYDRA have ads?

Neither Cultist Simulator nor HYDRA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cultist Simulator or HYDRA?

Cultist Simulator ships an update every 2 months, and HYDRA every 5 days. Most recently, Cultist Simulator was updated on October 29, 2026 and HYDRA on October 31, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Cultist Simulator or HYDRA?

Cultist Simulator currently peaks at #24 in the App Store charts, and HYDRA at #162. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*