Comparison

Hot Lava vs Dead Cells+

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

Head to head
About

Hot Lava

Experience the thrill of childhood imagination in this first-person adventure game. Run, jump, and climb through nostalgic environments, avoiding molten lava and other hazards. Play solo or with friends in a game of skill and ingenuity.

Highlights
  • First-person parkour gameplay
  • Nostalgic environments
  • Multiplayer with friends
  • Leaderboards for speedruns
  • Obstacle avoidance challenges
Features
Read full description

Hot Lava transports you back to your childhood imagination. Relive those moments of excitement, joy, and chaos. Run, jump, climb, and surf in first person across nostalgia-packed environments flooded with hot molten lava. Explore alone, or join your friends. This is a game of dexterity and ingenuity, you will have to use all your skills to complete the treacherous obstacles that await. But whatever you do… Don’t Touch The Floor FEATURES Together: Conquer challenging worlds with up to four of your friends with drop in-drop out multiplayer. Traverse: Run, jump, climb, swing, boost, and surf in first person across lava filled worlds. Mastering execution will take dedication and skill. Explore: Detailed environments jam packed with childhood nostalgia. Compete: To find the fastest route using shortcuts and expert execution on the friends leaderboard. Avoid: Lava, toxic waste, bottomless pits, and crushers. Danger is around every corner.

About

Dead Cells+

Embark on a challenging 2D action platformer adventure as a failed alchemic experiment. Explore a dynamic, interconnected world, master combat, and unlock new paths with each playthrough. This version includes extensive DLC content with new storylines, biomes, enemies, weapons, and bosses.

Highlights
  • Roguevania exploration
  • Frantic 2D combat
  • Nonlinear progression
  • Daily leaderboards
  • Return to Castlevania DLC
  • The Bad Seed DLC
  • Fatal Falls DLC
Features
Read full description

Play as a failed alchemic experiment and explore the sprawling, ever-changing castle to find out what happened on this gloomy island…! That is, assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers. Dead Cells+ is a roguevania action platformer that will require you to master frantic 2D combat with a wide variety of weapons and skills against merciless minions and boss. The indie hit Dead Cells+ is now slaying foes on Apple Arcade! Main Features • ONLY ON APPLE ARCADE - New daily leaderboards : Test your skills against players all over the world! • Roguevania: The progressive exploration of an interconnected world, with the replayability of a rogue-lite and the adrenaline pumping threat of permadeath • Frantic and Dynamic 2D Action: Learn your enemies’ patterns to stay alive, or prepare to be sent back to your cell before you can say “baguette” • Nonlinear Progression: Unlock new levels with every death, opt for the path that suits your current build, your playstyle or just your mood. Surely, the ramparts can’t be as bad the sewers, right? • Play at your own pace: Will you explore every nook and cranny of the castle, or rush to the end? [THIS VERSION ALSO INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONTENT] *Latest updates are available: Clean Cut & The End is Near* RETURN TO CASTLEVANIA DLC • New storyline - overcome the Ruler of Darkness alongside Alucard and Richter Belmont, • 2 new biomes - Explore Dracula's Castle and its outskirts • 9 new monsters - Werewolves, haunted armors, and medusas are waiting for you • 14 new weapons - wield the Vampire Killer or the Holy Water to defeat creatures of the night, • 3 new bosses - go fangs to fangs against Death and Dracula himself • 20 new outfits - dress as your favorite Castlevania characters such as Simon and Richter Belmont or Alucard • Alternative soundtracks - play along 51 Castlevania original tracks and 12 tunes reimagined in the style of Dead Cells THE BAD SEED DLC You reap what you sow • New levels to lose your head in: the not-so-peaceful Dilapidated Arboretum and the noxious Morass of the Banished • New monsters to rip to pieces: get to know the locals, such as the Jerkshroom and the Yeeter • New weapons to play with: trim sticking out heads with the Scythe Claw, or make them dance to the sound of the Rhythm n' Bouzouki • New boss to fight against: Mama Tick is dying to meet you FATAL FALLS DLC Ready for a leap of faith? • 3 new biomes - Get some fresh air at the Fractured Shrines, splash around at the Undying Shores and take a picture at the Mausoleum • 8 new monsters - The Cold Blooded Guardians and their friends would love to teach you about their culture. ... Wait, aren't those relatives of yours in the Undying Shores...? • 7 new weapons - lil' Serenade is perfect for breaking the ice with the locals, although the Snake Fangs would make for a perfect souvenir... • 1 new boss - The Scarecrow is very proud of his gardening skills and won't hesitate to show off QUEEN AND THE SEA DLC Take it to the sea! • 2 new biomes - Battle your way through a rotten shipwreck, or scale a burning lighthouse and confront your deadliest foe yet. • 9 new weapons, including a throwable shark, a trident and a pirate hook hand (eyepatch not included). • 2 new bosses - Don't lose your head before you meet the Queen! This DLC also gives you the usual extras: - A not-so-cute pet. - Loads of new outfits. - New enemies to bash. Carefully redesigned for Apple Arcade with a revamped interface • Two game modes available: Original & Auto-Hit • Custom controls & More touch controls options available: Change the buttons’ position and size to your liking, swipe to dodge… • MFi external controller support • Game Center achievements If you run into a problem, please contact us at support@playdigious.mail.helpshift.com u with as much information as possible on the issue.

Screenshots

Hot Lava4 screens
Dead Cells+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dead Cells+ at 4.9 against Hot Lava's 4.1. Dead Cells+ also leads on monetization model (free vs paid) and review sentiment (90% vs 68%). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dead Cells+ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.1K and 14K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Hot Lava's written reviews are positive against 90% of Dead Cells+'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Hot Lava versus Dead Cells+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHot LavaDead Cells+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (3.1K ratings)4.9 (14K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.9% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.1K14K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.6 GB1.8 GB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKleiPlaydigious

Customer experience

Hot Lava

All ratings3,103 ratings
Positive74.8%
Neutral7.9%
Negative17.4%
Written reviews773 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral12.4%
Negative19.7%

Dead Cells+

All ratings13,598 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews698 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.7%

User reviews

Hot Lava

From 3.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great game
  • 🚀 Awesome graphics
  • 👍 Fun gameplay
  • 👍 Nostalgic vibes
  • 👍 Good for speedrunning

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Glitchy controls
  • 🐛 Difficulty issues
  • 🔋 Drains device battery
  • 👎 Lacking multiplayer features

Dead Cells+

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Excellent controls
  • 🎨 Beautiful pixel art
  • 🔍 Engaging exploration
  • 💡 Helpful accessibility options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional audio issues
  • 🔋 Performance drops on some devices
  • 🤔 Lack of cloud save sync across devices
  • 🕹️ Touchscreen controls can be finicky

Bugs and requests

Hot Lava

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Freezing and performance issues
  • Disappearing save data
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Gyroscope problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add multiplayer mode
  • Improve controls and sensitivity
  • Add more levels and content
  • Provide controller support
  • Allow custom music playback

Dead Cells+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes during boss battles
  • Map not updating properly after teleporting
  • Controller buttons not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to listen to own music/podcasts while playing
  • More customization options for button layout
  • Multiplayer or co-op mode
  • Improved save/progress sync across devices

In-app purchases

None

Hot Lava

No in-app purchases

None

Dead Cells+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hot Lava free?
Hot Lava is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dead Cells+ free?
Dead Cells+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hot Lava or Dead Cells+?
Dead Cells+ is rated higher. Hot Lava averages 4.1 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while Dead Cells+ averages 4.9 from 14K ratings.
Do Hot Lava or Dead Cells+ have ads?
Neither Hot Lava nor Dead Cells+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hot Lava or Dead Cells+?
Hot Lava ships an update every 3 months, and Dead Cells+ every 3 months. Most recently, Hot Lava was updated on October 24, 2026 and Dead Cells+ on October 24, 2026.

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