# Pawnbarian vs Loop Hero

The clearest difference is rating: Loop Hero at 4.9 against Pawnbarian's 4.2. Loop Hero also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 354). Pawnbarian's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 75%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Loop Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Loop Hero has 3.9K ratings behind it against 354, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Pawnbarian's written reviews are positive against 75% of Loop Hero's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pawnbarian ships an update every 6 weeks, Loop Hero every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pawnbarian | Loop Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawnbarian/id1510583444/reviews) | **[4.9 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-hero/id6464048549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 354 | **3.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **83.0% of reviews** | 74.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 116 MB | 213 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Jan Wojtecki](https://appshunter.io/developer/1510583443) | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) |

## 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


### Loop Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-hero/id6464048549)

Embark on a roguelike RPG adventure where you strategically place cards to create enemy encounters, buildings, and terrain. Equip your hero with powerful loot, expand your camp, and unlock new classes and cards to break an endless cycle of despair and save a forgotten world.

**Highlights:** Randomly generated expedition loops, Strategic card placement for trials, Loot collection for hero progression, Camp expansion and reconstruction, Unlockable classes and cards, Retro pixel art dark fantasy story

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

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

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes after defeating first boss
- Unplayable after initial progress
- Inability to progress past trial version

**Requested features**

- Portrait mode
- More classes/build diversity
- Improved UI/overlay customization
- Chinese language support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pawnbarian free?

Pawnbarian 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, Pawnbarian or Loop Hero?

Loop Hero is rated higher. Pawnbarian averages 4.2 out of 5 from 354 ratings, while Loop Hero averages 4.9 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do Pawnbarian or Loop Hero have ads?

Neither Pawnbarian nor Loop Hero shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pawnbarian or Loop Hero?

Pawnbarian ships an update every 6 weeks, and Loop Hero every 10 days. Most recently, Pawnbarian was updated on September 8, 2026 and Loop Hero on September 25, 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.*