# 9th Dawn III vs Elderand

The clearest difference is rating: 9th Dawn III at 4.5 against Elderand's 4.2. 9th Dawn III also leads on chart position (#157 vs unranked). Elderand's advantage is price ($6.99 vs $9.99). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

9th Dawn III costs $9.99 and Elderand $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

9th Dawn III holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 104 and 36 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of 9th Dawn III's written reviews are positive against 74% of Elderand's.

9th Dawn III ships an update every 3 days, Elderand weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 9th Dawn III | Elderand |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$6.99** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9th-dawn-iii/id1528353612/reviews)** | [4.2 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elderand/id6446288146/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **104** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 73.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#157** | — |
| Size | 578 MB | 818 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Valorware LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1076717688) | [Plug In Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/608306412) |

## What reviewers say

### 9th Dawn III

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9th-dawn-iii/id1528353612)

**Currently charting:** #157 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Embark on a vast 2D open-world adventure as a chosen hero investigating mysterious events. Explore diverse landscapes, battle over 270 monsters, and uncover ancient secrets to save the land. Customize your character, recruit allies, and engage in numerous side activities.

**Highlights:** Huge seamless open world exploration, Over 270 unique monsters to battle, Extensive item collection (1400+ items), Character customization and leveling, Monster recruitment and training, Weapon and armor customization, In-game card game and fishing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Massive open-world with extensive exploration
- 🎯 Deep RPG mechanics and character customization
- 🛠️ Rich crafting system (smithing, cooking, enchanting, etc.)
- 🎴 Integrated card game mini-game
- 🐾 Pet/creature taming and battling system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗺️ Poor navigation and confusing map UI
- 🐛 Game-breaking bugs and crashes
- ❌ Lack of post-purchase support and updates
- ⚖️ Unbalanced difficulty curve
- 🧙 Overpowered magic/healing abilities

**Reported bugs**

- Accidental NPC interaction causing permanent price increases
- Auto-save issues when force-quitting
- Audio not working on some devices
- Game crashes on iPad
- Controls not responsive on Backbone controller

**Requested features**

- iCloud save synchronization across devices
- Cloud save support for device transfers
- Chinese language localization
- Confirmation dialogs for permanent actions
- Multiple save file slots


### Elderand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elderand/id6446288146)

Embark on a brutal, skill-based action platformer in a Lovecraftian world. Wield diverse weapons and customize your character with RPG elements to battle terrifying creatures and explore a dark, hand-drawn pixel environment. Collect loot to upgrade your arsenal and uncover the land's secrets.

**Highlights:** Skill-based combat, Metroidvania exploration, Lovecraftian horror themes, RPG character customization, Diverse weapon arsenal, Hand-drawn pixel art, Loot collection and crafting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game overall
- 🗺️ Deep lore and world-building
- 🎵 Amazing music and audio
- ⚔️ Challenging yet approachable combat
- 🎮 Excellent controller support (mostly)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game crashes frequently
- 🐛 Controls can be buggy and unresponsive
- 🐛 Dash function sometimes not working
- 🐛 Game freezes intermittently
- 🐛 Bosses getting stuck in animations

**Reported bugs**

- Permanent crashes
- Character spawning underneath level
- R button for subweapon not working on Steelseries Nimbus
- Dash function not working
- Game freezing for a moment

**Requested features**

- Full controller remapping for bindings
- Multiplayer PvP 'Invasions' system
- Cloud saves (iCloud)
- Adjustable button layout and size
- Ability to track materials acquired


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 9th Dawn III free?

9th Dawn III costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Elderand free?

Elderand costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 9th Dawn III or Elderand?

9th Dawn III is rated higher. 9th Dawn III averages 4.5 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while Elderand averages 4.2 from 36 ratings.

### Do 9th Dawn III or Elderand have ads?

Neither 9th Dawn III nor Elderand shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 9th Dawn III or Elderand?

9th Dawn III ships an update every 3 days, and Elderand weekly. Most recently, 9th Dawn III was updated on October 20, 2026 and Elderand on October 23, 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.*