Comparison

Legends of Runeterra vs Loop Hero

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

Head to head
About

Legends of Runeterra

Engage in a strategic card battler or a single-player roguelite adventure set in the League of Legends universe. Collect and evolve over 65 champions, each with unique powers, to overcome challenging foes and explore a rich, expanding world.

Highlights
  • Single-player roguelite adventure
  • Ranked card battler
  • Collect and evolve 65+ champions
  • Unique champion powers
  • Adapt and evolve strategies
  • World Adventures and Weekly Nightmares
Read full description

A LEAGUE OF LEGENDS™ ROGUELITE ADVENTURE Runeterra calls! Choose your champion and pick your path to power: a single-player roguelite romp through the world of League of Legends and Arcane, or a ranked card battler where strategy reigns supreme. Unlock and level up dozens of characters in a hand-crafted love letter to fans of hero collectors and card games alike. THE STORY SO FAR From the back alleys of Zaun to celestial Mt. Targon, forces small and large threaten to forever shift the balance of power—if not unravel the world itself! Star-forging dragon Aurelion Sol plots his cataclysmic revenge, while Lissandra, an even greater menace, lurks in the frozen north. Only champions of Runeterra can follow the path that has been set—alone or as one—with YOU at the helm. CHOOSE YOUR CHAMPION Play as Jinx, Warwick, Caitlyn, Vi, Ambessa, or any of a growing cast of 65+ champions. The many legends of League are yours to collect, evolve, and master as you traverse the map of Runeterra. Each champion brings unique, awe-inspiring powers and loyal followers to the fray. Whether you freeze your opponents where they stand (Ashe), plant fungal surprises for sneaky victories (Teemo), build an elaborate combo engine for a spectacular finish (Heimerdinger), no two champions play the same. ADAPT & EVOLVE Every run is a canvas for your creativity, offering new cards, powers, and relics to augment your strategy and topple menacing foes. But choose wisely! Challenges increase in difficulty over the course of a run, and from one World Adventure to the next. Each champion can be upgraded with Star Powers—permanent augments you can unlock between runs. Completing a champion’s Constellation yields immense power—and all new strategies—for you to command. TOPPLE MIGHTY FOES Test your mettle against iconic villains in World Adventures and Weekly Nightmares that set the stage for your spectacular displays of strategy and skill. Beating the odds against the likes of Lissandra and Aurelion Sol will take experimentation, ingenuity, and maybe a touch of luck. Of course, the tougher the opponent, the sweeter the victory—and the richer the rewards! UNCOVER NEW LEGENDS Delve into the deep lore and rich, ever-expanding universe treasured by players of League of Legends and fans of the Emmy-winning series Arcane. With exclusive characters, story-driven adventures, breathtaking card art, and a staggering cast of new and familiar faces, there’s no better way to experience the breadth and depth of Runeterra.

About

Loop Hero

This roguelike RPG lets you strategically place cards to build unique expedition loops for your hero. Collect loot, expand your camp, and unlock new classes and abilities to break an endless cycle of chaos. Experience a dark fantasy story with retro pixel art, optimized for mobile play.

Highlights
  • Randomly generated expedition loops
  • Card-based strategic placement
  • Loot collection and equipment management
  • Camp expansion and upgrades
  • Unlockable classes and cards
  • Retro pixel art style
  • Mobile-optimized interface
Features
Read full description

*Try Loop Hero for free and unlock the full game for the whole adventure!* The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. In this roguelike RPG, wield an expanding deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along each unique expedition loop for the brave hero. Recover and equip powerful loot for each class of hero for their battles and expand the survivors' camp to reinforce each adventure through the loop. Unlock new classes, new cards, and devious guardians on your quest to shatter the endless cycle of despair. FEATURES - Explore an endless number of paths: bring your hero on randomly generated loops and never experience the same run twice. - Shape your expeditions into darkness: build your deck and place your cards to script your hero’s trials and tribulations. - Loot as you loop to rebuild the world: recover your memories as you collect equipment and resources to become stronger, reconstruct your camp and get your reality back. - Plunge into a gloomy universe: discover a melancholic dark fantasy story told through a retro pixel art direction and recollect the memories of this world. - Break the cycle: triumph over mighty bosses to free the world from the Lich’s neverending time loop. CAREFULLY REDESIGNED FOR MOBILE - Revamped interface – exclusive mobile UI with complete touch control - Game Center achievements - Cloud Save – Share your progress between iOS devices - Compatible with MFi controllers - iPhone 15 Optimization (including Pro Max)

Screenshots

Legends of Runeterra4 screens
Loop Hero4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Loop Hero at free against Legends of Runeterra's free with in-app purchases. Loop Hero also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 62%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). Legends of Runeterra's advantage is ratings volume (63K vs 3.9K) and chart position (#95 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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. Legends of Runeterra sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Loop Hero sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Legends of Runeterra against 4.9 for Loop Hero. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Legends of Runeterra has 63K ratings behind it against 3.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Legends of Runeterra's written reviews are positive against 75% of Loop Hero's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Legends of Runeterra ships an update monthly, Loop Hero every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Legends of Runeterra versus Loop Hero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLegends of RuneterraLoop Hero
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (63K ratings)4.9 (3.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.5% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings63K — better3.9K
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#95 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size195 MB228 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperRiot GamesPlaydigious

Customer experience

Legends of Runeterra

All ratings62,810 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews684 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative32.6%

Loop Hero

All ratings3,939 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews288 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.6%
Negative18.4%

User reviews

Legends of Runeterra

From 63K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Generous free-to-play model
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and animations
  • 💡 Unique and interactive combat system
  • 🎮 Seamless cross-platform experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🤔 Steep learning curve for new players
  • 🔄 Repetitive gameplay in single-player modes
  • 💰 Expensive cosmetic items

Loop Hero

From 3.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent mechanics
  • 👍 Great replayability
  • 👍 Charming graphics
  • 👍 Unique and enjoyable experience
  • 👍 Smooth gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sound doesn't work
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Unresponsive after certain actions
  • 🐛 Difficulty reading small text
  • 🐛 Accidental card placement

Bugs and requests

Legends of Runeterra

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to play on older iOS devices
  • Freezing and performance issues on iPad
  • Inconsistent login and account issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • More solo/PvE content
  • Improved tutorial and onboarding
  • Customizable UI and settings
  • Expanded social features

Loop Hero

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes after defeating first boss
  • Unplayable after initial progress
  • Inability to progress past trial version

Requested features

4 requests
  • Portrait mode
  • More classes/build diversity
  • Improved UI/overlay customization
  • Chinese language support

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Legends of Runeterra

One-time10
  • 475 total coins$4.99
  • 1020 Total Coins$7.99
  • 1000 Total Coins$8.49
Show 7 more
  • 1000 total coins$9.99
  • 2125 Total Coins$14.99
  • 2050 Total Coins$16.99
  • 2050 total coins$19.99
  • 3650 total coins$34.99
  • 5350 total coins$49.99
  • 11000 Total Coins$99.99
1 purchases

Loop Hero

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$6.99

Questions

Is Legends of Runeterra free?
Legends of Runeterra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loop Hero free?
Loop Hero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Legends of Runeterra or Loop Hero?
Loop Hero is rated higher. Legends of Runeterra averages 4.8 out of 5 from 63K ratings, while Loop Hero averages 4.9 from 3.9K ratings.
Do Legends of Runeterra or Loop Hero have ads?
Neither Legends of Runeterra nor Loop Hero shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Legends of Runeterra or Loop Hero?
Legends of Runeterra ships an update monthly, and Loop Hero every 2 weeks. Most recently, Legends of Runeterra was updated on November 5, 2026 and Loop Hero on November 4, 2026.

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