Comparison

The Captain is Dead vs Barnard's Star

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

Head to head
About

The Captain is Dead

Command your crew to repair ship systems and fend off aliens in this turn-based survival strategy game. Leverage unique crew talents and ship systems to escape imminent destruction in deep space.

Highlights
  • Turn-based survival strategy
  • Command unique crew members
  • Repair critical ship systems
  • Defend against hostile aliens
  • Leverage ship systems
  • Escape to Hyperspace
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

It’s the last 10 minutes of your favorite sci-fi TV show… except that this time things have gone seriously wrong and The Captain Is Dead! Based on the frantic and fun board game, this turn-based, survival/strategy puts YOU in the Captain's chair... You must co-ordinate the crew to repair critical systems and fend off hostile aliens, or you'll share the captain’s fate. From the Chief Engineer, Weapons Officer, and visiting Admiral, all the way down to the Ensign and the ship’s Janitor, you must combine your unique talents to avoid utter annihilation in the cold depths of space! YOU HAVE THE CONN! Step into the Captain's chair and command the crew! Each team member has a very particular set of skills that you'll need to leverage to the full if you want to survive, including... ADMIRAL - A master of plans and evasion. CYBORG - Immune to the mysterious forces of deep space. CREWMAN - Gets killed very easily... good thing there is an infinite supply! COUNSELOR - Can manipulate skills for the best chance of success. ENSIGN - A fast learner, and even faster runner. CHIEF ENGINEER - Can fix the ship real quick. SOLDIER - An expert at taking out aliens. ...with more on the way! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! Defend the ship against an unknown alien nemesis that will do everything they can to blast you to atoms! Fortunately you have state-of-the-art systems to help you out... BRIDGE - Scan for threats, repair shields and communicate with your crew. WAR ROOM - The Captain planned ahead, and left emergency dossiers to help you out. ARMORY - Destroy alien ships with torpedoes, and activate auto-turrets to repel boarders. CPU CORE - Power-up your crew with skills. CARGO HOLD - Bust open the cargo pods to grab lasers, scanners, and other helpful gear. INFIRMARY - He's dead, Jim! Oh wait... no... it's just a flesh wound. That can be fixed here. SCIENCE LAB - Upgrade the ship, and research spooky, sub-space anomalies. ENGINEERING - Fix the Jump Core to get the heck outta there! JUMP TO HYPERSPACE! If you can stay cool, repel the aliens, protect the crew, and keep the systems operational long enough to repair the Jump Core, then you can activate the engines and escape to Hyperspace! Or is it Warp Speed? I can never remember...

About

Barnard's Star

Engage in strategic, turn-based multiplayer battles across space. Outwit opponents with unique character abilities and tactical map control. Victory depends solely on your strategic prowess, with no reliance on luck or in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Multiplayer turn-based tactics
  • No micro-transactions or random chance
  • 3 warring factions (Humans, Robots, Critters)
  • 30 characters with unique attacks
  • 18 maps on space stations and ships
  • Offline vs. AI and local multiplayer
  • Online multiplayer challenges
Features
Read full description

Snipe your friends, electrocute your enemies and rain down acidic slime in the Barnard’s Star system, 6 light years from Earth. A multiplayer, turn-based tactics battler with no micro-transactions and no random chance — ingenuity is the only way to victory! Features: - Choose between 3 warring factions: Humans, Robots, and Critters - Do battle with 30 characters using dozens of unique attacks and abilities - Conquer 18 different maps set on space stations and intergalactic ships - Play offline vs. AI or locally against a friend - Challenge friends and strangers with online multiplayer

Screenshots

The Captain is Dead4 screens
Barnard's Star3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Barnard's Star at $3.99 against The Captain is Dead's $9.99. Barnard's Star also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 56%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). The Captain is Dead's advantage is chart position (#200 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, 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

The Captain is Dead costs $9.99 and Barnard's Star $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Barnard's Star holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 46 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of The Captain is Dead's written reviews are positive against 78% of Barnard's Star's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Captain is Dead ships an update every 2 months, Barnard's Star every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
The Captain is Dead versus Barnard's Star: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Captain is DeadBarnard's Star
Price$9.99$3.99 — better
Rating4.5 (65 ratings)4.7 (46 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings65 — better46
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#200 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size264 MB122 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperThunderbox Entertainment Ltd.Pollywog Games

Customer experience

The Captain is Dead

All ratings63 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.2%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%

Barnard's Star

All ratings46 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative17.4%

In-app purchases

None

The Captain is Dead

No in-app purchases

None

Barnard's Star

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Captain is Dead free?
The Captain is Dead costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Barnard's Star free?
Barnard's Star costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Captain is Dead or Barnard's Star?
Barnard's Star is rated higher. The Captain is Dead averages 4.5 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Barnard's Star averages 4.7 from 46 ratings.
Do The Captain is Dead or Barnard's Star have ads?
Neither The Captain is Dead nor Barnard's Star shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Captain is Dead or Barnard's Star?
The Captain is Dead ships an update every 2 months, and Barnard's Star every 4 weeks. Most recently, The Captain is Dead was updated on November 3, 2026 and Barnard's Star on November 7, 2026.

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