Comparison

Hell and Back vs Ember Knight

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

Head to head
About

Hell and Back

Embark on a sci-fi roguelike RPG adventure to close a portal to hell on Mars. Fight, loot, and upgrade your gear in turn-based combat, recruiting mercenaries and making critical decisions to survive.

Highlights
  • Procedural and handcrafted levels
  • Weapon and armor upgrades
  • Mercenary recruitment
  • Challenging quests and bosses
  • Deep RPG progression
  • Turn-based combat
Features
Read full description

A sci‑fi roguelike RPG where you descend into hell to close the portal. A portal to hell has opened on Mars Base - and you’re the only one left to stop it. Fight, loot, upgrade, and survive in a turn‑based roguelike RPG where every run is different! - Procedural + handcrafted levels for endless replayability - Upgrade weapons and armor using power cells - Recruit mercenaries to build you squad - Challenging quests and bosses that evolve as you progress in this dungeon crawler - Deep RPG progression with stat points and gear builds - Classic roguelike tension - every decision matters - Turn based RPG action Do you have what it takes to descend into hell and come back alive?

About

Ember Knight

Features
Read full description

The sun vanished millennia ago. The world is plunged into eternal darkness, and only candlelight still pushes back the shadows. You are the last knight brave enough to descend into the depths to find the lost sun. EMBER KNIGHT is a pixel-art action roguelite, fully playable offline. Descend floor by floor through procedurally generated dungeons, face creatures of shadow by the light of your candle, and grow stronger with every run. SNAPPY COMBAT Fast, satisfying fights with a combo system and punchy hit effects. DYNAMIC LIGHTING Your candle pierces the darkness. Every dungeon is a survival challenge where light is as precious as your sword. PROCEDURAL DUNGEONS Seven level types, traps, chests, ghost NPCs and unique bosses - no two runs are alike. PERMANENT PROGRESSION Unlock talents, upgrade your gear, pick buffs each run. Die, restart, grow stronger. THE SOUL PHASE A unique resurrection mini-game when you fall in battle. CUSTOMIZATION Skins, sword trails and auras to unlock for a knight that is truly yours. Descend. Survive. Reclaim the sun.

Screenshots

Hell and Back3 screens
Ember Knight3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ember Knight at none against Hell and Back's shown. Ember Knight also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hell and Back sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Ember Knight sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hell and Back ships an update every 7 months, Ember Knight every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hell and Back versus Ember Knight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHell and BackEmber Knight
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB15 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperBrandon SteckleinBruno BOIRIE

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hell and Back

One-time2
  • 100 Ape Coins$0.99
  • Hell and Back Full Upgrade$1.99
4 purchases

Ember Knight

One-time4
  • 50 Sun Shards$0.99
  • 300 Sun Shards$3.99
  • 700 Sun Shards$8.99
Show 1 more
  • 2000 Sun Shards$22.99

Questions

Is Hell and Back free?
Hell and Back is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ember Knight free?
Ember Knight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hell and Back or Ember Knight have ads?
Hell and Back shows ads; Ember Knight does not.
Which is updated more often, Hell and Back or Ember Knight?
Hell and Back ships an update every 7 months, and Ember Knight every 2 months. Most recently, Hell and Back was updated on October 1, 2026 and Ember Knight on September 30, 2026.

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