Comparison

Bastion vs Cassette Beasts

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

Head to head
About

Bastion

Explore a beautifully hand-painted world shattered by catastrophe. Wield upgradeable weapons in action-packed combat, with a reactive narrator guiding you through a deep story. Unlock new challenges and continue your adventure in New Game Plus mode.

Highlights
  • Hand-painted artwork
  • Original music score
  • Reactive narration
  • Intuitive touch controls
  • Upgradeable weapons
  • New Game Plus mode
Features
Read full description

*NOTICE* Play the beginning for free. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full game. * * * AWARDS - App Store BEST of 2012 Pick - App Store EDITORS' CHOICE The original version of Bastion earned more than 100 industry accolades, including: - BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME and BEST DEBUT, Game Developers Choice Awards - DOWNLOADABLE TITLE of the YEAR, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences - BEST VIDEOGAME of the YEAR, Paste Magazine - BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME and BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, SpikeTV - BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME and BEST INDIE GAME, Inside Gaming Awards * * * Bastion for iOS features all the highly acclaimed artwork, music, and narration that Bastion is known for, along with intuitive touch controls. Explore more than 40 lush hand-painted environments as you discover the secrets of the Calamity, a surreal catastrophe that shattered the world to pieces. Wield a huge arsenal of upgradeable weapons and battle savage beasts adapted to their new habitat. Finish the main story to unlock New Game Plus mode and continue your journey! KEY FEATURES - Stunning hand-painted artwork - Critically-acclaimed original music score - Hours of reactive narration deliver a deep story - Intuitive touch controls created exclusively for iOS - Universal App optimized for iPhone and iPad - Variable difficulty for players of all skill levels - Action-packed combat rewards playing with finesse - 10+ unique upgradeable weapons to be used - 6 powerful Bastion structures to be discovered - 'New Game Plus' mode unlocked after finishing the story - Game Center achievements and leaderboards - Sync saved data seamlessly via iCloud Bastion is the first title from Supergiant Games. We're a small developer with big ambitions: to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. Follow @SupergiantGames on Twitter or visit us at www.supergiantgames.com. * * * LANGUAGES - Voice-over narration: English - Text and subtitles: English, Simplified Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Italian (based on region setting)

About

Cassette Beasts

Explore a mysterious island, collect and fuse monsters using cassette tapes to transform for turn-based battles. Solve puzzles and uncover secrets with human companions in this open-world RPG.

Highlights
  • Monster collection
  • Monster fusion system
  • Turn-based battles
  • Open-world exploration
  • Transform into monsters
  • Elemental chemistry system
Features
Read full description

*NOTICE* Play the beginning for free. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full game. No ads. PLEASE NOTE: Due to RAM restrictions on older devices, you may experience game crashes on: Standard model iPhone 12 and 13, iPhone XS, XR, iPhone SE 2nd gen, iPad 7th, 8th and 9th generations and iPad mini 5th gen. All iPhone Pro versions and iPad Pro versions are supported in full. Adventure. Battle. Transform. Collect awesome monsters to use during turn-based battles in this open-world RPG. Combine any two monster forms using Cassette Beasts’ Fusion System to create unique and powerful new ones! Welcome to New Wirral, a remote island inhabited by strange creatures you’ve only dreamed of, nightmares you hopefully haven’t, and a cast of brave folks who use cassette tapes to transform for battle. To find a way home you’ll need to explore every inch of the island, and record monsters to your trusty cassette tapes to gain their abilities! Transform into monsters...using retro cassette tapes?! Faced with the constant threat of monster attacks, the residents of Harbourtown, New Wirral choose to fight fire with fire. Record a monster to tape, then play it back to take on its form for battle! Fuse monster forms! Getting close to your companion has benefits–while transformed you can combine your strengths to gain the upper hand in battle! Any two monster forms can be fused to produce unique, fully-animated new fusion forms. Explore a rich open world Certain monster abilities can be used in human form. You’ll need these to help you get around, solve puzzles, and locate dungeons. Glide, fly, swim, climb, dash, or turn magnetic! Travel alongside a diverse cast of human companions Never fight alone! Form bonds, spend time together, and help your selected partner complete personal goals to become a better team. The strength of your relationship determines how well you’re able to fuse! Master a deep battle system Take advantage of elemental chemistry to apply extra buffs or debuffs alongside your attack, or even alter your opponent’s elemental type!

Screenshots

Bastion4 screens
Cassette Beasts3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bastion at 4.6 against Cassette Beasts's 3.8. Bastion also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 51%) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 462). Cassette Beasts's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Bastion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cassette Beasts sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bastion holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 462 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Bastion's written reviews are positive against 51% of Cassette Beasts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bastion ships an update every 3 months, Cassette Beasts monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Bastion versus Cassette Beasts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBastionCassette Beasts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.5K ratings) — better3.8 (462 ratings)
Positive reviews59.1% of reviews — better51.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better462
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB741 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperSupergiant Games, LLCRaw Fury

Customer experience

Bastion

All ratings1,527 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral2.0%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews408 reviews
Positive59.1%
Neutral6.9%
Negative34.1%

Cassette Beasts

All ratings462 ratings
Positive66.2%
Neutral10.4%
Negative23.4%
Written reviews486 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral14.6%
Negative34.4%

User reviews

Bastion

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent gameplay and story
  • 👍 Captivating narration and soundtrack
  • 🎨 Beautiful art style and visuals
  • 💰 Worth the one-time purchase

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and performance issues
  • 🔁 Forced to repurchase after previous purchase
  • 🎮 Subpar controller support
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

Cassette Beasts

From 462 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Unique styling
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 💡 Interesting fusion mechanics
  • 👍 Great soundtrack and visuals
  • 👍 Well-made mobile port

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues on older devices
  • 🐛 Buggy controller support
  • 🔒 No cloud save/cross-device support
  • 💰 Paid full version after demo

Bugs and requests

Bastion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • In-app purchase not unlocking full game
  • Inability to restore previous purchases
  • Frequent frame rate drops and stuttering

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to remap controls
  • Option to disable on-screen controls when using controller
  • Improved save system and auto-save functionality

Cassette Beasts

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes after battles
  • Crashes when exiting demo
  • Stickers not working as intended
  • Bootleg monsters not changing colors
  • Teleportation issues in certain areas

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add cloud save/cross-device support
  • Improve controller support and customization
  • Add more post-game content and replayability
  • Optimize for older/lower-end devices
  • Add Russian language localization

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bastion

One-time1
  • Bastion - Full Game$4.99
3 purchases

Cassette Beasts

One-time3
  • Cosplay Pack$0.99
  • Pier of the Unknown$2.99
  • Unlock the full game$6.99

Questions

Is Bastion free?
Bastion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cassette Beasts free?
Cassette Beasts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bastion or Cassette Beasts?
Bastion is rated higher. Bastion averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Cassette Beasts averages 3.8 from 462 ratings.
Do Bastion or Cassette Beasts have ads?
Neither Bastion nor Cassette Beasts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bastion or Cassette Beasts?
Bastion ships an update every 3 months, and Cassette Beasts monthly. Most recently, Bastion was updated on October 25, 2026 and Cassette Beasts on October 28, 2026.

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