Despotism 3k vs Magic Research 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Despotism 3k
Manage enslaved humans to extract power and build your empire in this dark humor resource management sim. Features rogue-lite elements with unique playthroughs and a dramatic plot filled with pop culture references.
- Dark humor and satirical plot
- Intense resource management
- Rogue-lite gameplay with random events
- Procedurally generated maps
- Unique playthroughs with permadeath
- Expedition and raid mechanics
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Humanity is enslaved by an AI… which is awesome, because we’re on the right side of the conflict. Exploit puny humans to extract power and build your own empire! You’ll have to keep track of them to make sure they don’t succumb to exhaustion and hunger… although the weakest ones can always be thrown to the Bioreactor. In other words, this is a resource management sim with rogue-lite elements, dramatic plot, and an abundance of pop culture references. Also, jokes. Slaughter has never been so fun! Key features: 1) Humor as dark as your ex’s heart. Immerse yourself in the life of a merciless tyrant!! 2) Resource management on steroids. Think fast, to the point, and abandon pity! 3) Rogue-lite (Almost roguelike) Every walkthrough is unique due to randomly generated events. And every failure is fatal — you’ll have to start over! 4) Easy to learn, hard to master. It only takes a couple minutes to figure out the game’s mechanics, but using them optimally is no small feat! Core gameplay consists of transporting puny humans between various facilities using mechanical claws. They rest in one of the facilities and work in all the others. Puny humans are to produce energy for us (which is leaking constantly), they also have to reproduce and feed themselves. You need to plan your strategy and tactics in advance and track all your humans so that they don't die of exhaustion. The foremost roguelike element is that you can't save the game - you have to start from scratch every time. Besides that, a random event happens after every five feedings in the form of a text quest. A correct choice may provide some bonus, an incorrect one - well, you'll see! Many of the modifiers that you get due to the random events change the game's look significantly. In the second campaign besides resource management you get a totally new "raid" mechanic. Send your humans on expeditions around a procedurally generated map and earn resources without any limits. Come on, you have to find the Time Machine lost in the wastelands of 3k-land!
Magic Research 2
Embark on a magical quest as a rookie wizard to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Utilize over 120 spells, transmute hundreds of items, and lead a team of wizards in a semi-automated combat system. Explore dozens of areas, uncover secrets, and experience over 60 hours of gameplay.
- Over 120 distinct spells
- Transmute over 250 items
- Control a team of wizards
- Semi-automated combat system
- Explore dozens of areas
- Discover secrets and storylines
- Retirement bonuses for faster progress
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Experience the long-awaited sequel to Magic Research! In Magic Research 2, you are a rookie wizard with a single ambition: to find or create the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary magical item that is said to be able to cure any illness. As you do so, you will learn more than you ever imagined about Magic and about the world around you. What kinds of adventures await you? * Use your arsenal of more than 120 distinct spells to make progress * Study the Elements! Learn new ways to use Magic in your path to mastery * Transmute (magically craft) over 250 different items to help you on your journey * Control a team of Wizards that will cast Spells for you * Enjoy a deep, semi-automated combat system as you make your way through dozens of areas to explore * Discover tons of secrets - many of which will change the way you play the game! * Encounter over a hundred distinct Storylines with powerful bonuses along your journey * Restart the game and make progress faster each time with retirement bonuses * Over 60 hours of addictive gameplay - with a clear ending! (Or perhaps more than one...?) * Optimized both for phones and tablet devices You do not need to have played Magic Research in order to enjoy Magic Research 2!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Magic Research 2 at every 3 days against Despotism 3k's every 2 months. Magic Research 2 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and chart position (#18 vs unranked). Despotism 3k's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.69) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Despotism 3k costs $2.99 and Magic Research 2 $4.69 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Magic Research 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 118 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Despotism 3k's written reviews are positive against 82% of Magic Research 2's.
Despotism 3k ships an update every 2 months, Magic Research 2 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Despotism 3k | Magic Research 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $4.69 |
| Rating | 4.4 (32 ratings) | 4.8 (118 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.2% of reviews | 82.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 32 | 118 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #18 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 202 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Nikolai Kuznetsov | Matias Ezequiel Colotto |
Customer experience
Despotism 3k
Magic Research 2
Bugs and requests
Despotism 3k
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Magic Research 2
Reported bugs
6 issues- App instantly crashes on open
- Game crashes on startup
- App started rapidly pushing buttons on its own
- Overheating phone
- Lags and gets choppy in the late game
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Compendium doesn't unlock for bosses unless already beat
Requested features
9 requests- DLC or sequel news
- macOS version
- Better automation and convenience features
- Tweak familiar search time down
- Release the next one
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- More Please
- Auto fight boss button
- Compendium unlocks bosses before beating them
- Less dialogue and descriptions, more functional text
In-app purchases
Despotism 3k
No in-app purchases
Magic Research 2
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Despotism 3k free?
Is Magic Research 2 free?
Which has better reviews, Despotism 3k or Magic Research 2?
Do Despotism 3k or Magic Research 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Despotism 3k or Magic Research 2?
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