# Pawnbarian vs Wildfrost

Pawnbarian and Wildfrost both sit at 4.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 83% of Pawnbarian's written reviews are positive against 66% of Wildfrost's. Pawnbarian also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pawnbarian sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Wildfrost sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Pawnbarian against 4.1 for Wildfrost. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 354 and 507 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Pawnbarian's written reviews are positive against 66% of Wildfrost's.

Pawnbarian ships an update every 6 weeks, Wildfrost monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pawnbarian | Wildfrost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawnbarian/id1510583444/reviews)** | [4.1 (507 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wildfrost/id6462882621/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 354 | **507** |
| Positive reviews | **83.0% of reviews** | 66.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 116 MB | 724 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Jan Wojtecki](https://appshunter.io/developer/1510583443) | [Chucklefish Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163786770) |

## What reviewers say

### Pawnbarian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawnbarian/id1510583444)

Engage in a turn-based puzzle roguelike inspired by chess. Use a deck of chess pieces to battle monsters on a small dungeon board, strategically outmaneuvering enemies. Enjoy quick, challenging sessions with emergent tactical situations and character progression.

**Highlights:** Deck of chess pieces for combat, Chess mechanics for gameplay, Turn-based tactical situations, Card upgrades with treasure, Quick 15-30 minute runs, Infinite post-run Gauntlet, Multiple characters and dungeons

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great concept
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Unique chess-like mechanics
- 🎨 Excellent art style
- 🔊 Impressive sound design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for full game
- 🕹️ Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Inconsistent enemy behavior
- 🕰️ Limited content in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected attacks during player turns
- Glitches with Apple Pencil input

**Requested features**

- More levels and dungeons
- Additional character classes
- Difficulty settings
- Achievements/progression system
- Controller support


### Wildfrost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wildfrost/id6462882621)

Embark on a tactical roguelike deckbuilder adventure where you build a deck of card companions and elemental items to banish an eternal winter. Explore endless replayability with daily runs, challenges, and a dynamic counter system. Develop your hub town and unlock new content between runs.

**Highlights:** Build a deck with over 160 cards, Endless replayability with daily runs, Recruit card companions and elemental items, Master a dynamic counter system, Expand and develop the hub town, Unlock new cards and customization options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wildfrost Full Game | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Endless replayability
- 👍 Unique and charming design
- 🎨 Gorgeous art and animations
- 🎶 Fitting and amazing music
- 🤯 Incredible depth and complexity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and save data loss issues
- 👀 Tiny text and UI elements
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤕 Overly punishing difficulty

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashing on launch
- Progress reset after device switch
- Tutorial stages not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Cloud save sync across devices
- Option to increase font size
- More content and faction updates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pawnbarian free?

Pawnbarian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Wildfrost free?

Wildfrost is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pawnbarian or Wildfrost?

Pawnbarian is rated higher. Pawnbarian averages 4.2 out of 5 from 354 ratings, while Wildfrost averages 4.1 from 507 ratings.

### Do Pawnbarian or Wildfrost have ads?

Neither Pawnbarian nor Wildfrost shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pawnbarian or Wildfrost?

Pawnbarian ships an update every 6 weeks, and Wildfrost monthly. Most recently, Pawnbarian was updated on September 8, 2026 and Wildfrost on September 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*