Comparison

Here Be Dragons vs Howl

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

Head to head
About

Here Be Dragons

Embark on a satirical turn-based strategy adventure as a captain leading a crew of madmen to defeat legendary sea monsters. Utilize a unique dice system and command points to upgrade your fleet and overcome terrifying creatures, all while navigating a living map.

Highlights
  • Turn-based strategy gameplay
  • Unique "living map" graphics
  • Dice Activation System for combat and upgrades
  • Collect and use Command Points
  • Confront legendary sea monsters
  • Satirical narrative and characters
Features
Read full description

Here Be Dragons is a satirical turn-based strategy game featuring unique "living map" graphics, where you lead a group of crazed captains and eradicate legendary monsters in order to allow Christopher Columbus the discovery of the New World. STORY Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492. In 10 weeks. With 100 men. With 3 ships. This is a LIE! Firstly, someone had to defeat kraken and tritons. Someone had to vanquish the Leviathan. Someone had to banish all the ghost ships. The information about these deeds is missing from the archives, and you can’t find it in any great statesmen’s memoir. The knowledge of the “Avant Armada” was completely erased by some bloody officials. The people who took part in the expeditions were not sane people. Maniacs, psychos and common crackpots were forced by royal orders to eradicate Evil in the uncharted seas. “Here Be Dragons” describes these events. GAMEPLAY * Use original Dice Activation System to attack enemies, heal your crew, and upgrade the fleet. * Collect and use Command Points to turn the tide of the encounter. * Cross the seas with an ancient, living map, full of terrible creatures that want to devour you! * Confront the most fierce beasts that ever lived: leviathans and krakens, predatory whales and lustful mermaids. Decimate tritons, awake Dagon, and then erase them from human memory. SATIRE * Meet an extraordinary company of weirdos, madmen and oddballs. Their vices and virtues fuel the journey. * Experience clashes with bureaucratic machine. Don’t lose your mind when confronted by absurdities spewed by authorities and royal advisors. * Sniff at pirates. Ignore the settlers. You are above them. You are a monster hunter traversing through the aqua incognita. Who cares if you are insane?

About

Howl

Engage in turn-based tactical combat within a dark fairy-tale world threatened by a mysterious plague. Play as a deaf heroine who can foresee enemy moves, utilizing unique arrows and skills to defeat beasts. Explore beautifully illustrated environments and uncover secrets.

Highlights
  • Turn-based tactical combat
  • Foretell enemy moves
  • Variety of arrow types
  • Unlockable skills and upgrades
  • Living ink art style
  • Multiple chapters and levels
  • Save villagers
Features
Read full description

This game is free to download and play for a limited number of levels and time. Do you like the game? Then you can easily unlock the full version through the in App purchase! Howl is a turn-based puzzle/tactical folktale set in the Middle Ages, where a mysterious "howling plague" ravages the land. Any who hear the beasts’ howls turn into feral, hungering beasts themselves – further spreading the curse through their own howls. The Heroine of this tale was born deaf, giving her a unique protection against this curse. Play as a daring combat Prophet with the ability to foretell your enemies’ moves. Plan up to six steps ahead to outmaneuver your enemies. Fire a variety of arrows, such as exploding, lightning, or piercing shots, and use skills like Smoke Bombs and Shadow Step’s Invisibility to kill any beasts who stand in your way. Each type of beast offers its own challenges, with some approaching fast, while others taking more powerful hits or attacking from afar. Howl's visuals are created through "living ink", a flowing art style that paints the story as you play. Carve your way through a dark, fairy-tale world made up of obscure yet magical places where you fight to rid the lands of the howling plague. Howl features a total of 5 chapters, including the free Heart of Rot update, each with a distinct visual atmosphere scored by soothing music. Access to this update is FREE for anyone who has bought the Howl base game. You can access this update chapter from the Chapter 3 map at any point after reaching Chapter 3 of the main story. This update features its own chapter map, new enemies, a new boss level, new environment mechanics, the new Lightning Shot skill (which, once unlocked, can be used in the main game!), and an NPC who fights by your side in later levels. Features • Foretell the actions of your enemies in turn-based puzzle/tactics combat. • Play through 60 levels across 4 chapters, plus 18 new levels in the free update chapter! • Beautifully illustrated in a unique, living ink art style. • Outsmart the different wolf species, from fast predators to enormous pack leaders. • Unlock and upgrade new skills like Shadow Step, Exploding Shot, and more. • Save villagers from the claws – and howls – of the wolves. • Plot your route on the world map to uncover new skills and secret paths.

Screenshots

Here Be Dragons4 screens
Howl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Howl at Free against Here Be Dragons's $4.99. Howl also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 53%) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). Here Be Dragons's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support 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

Howl is free to download; Here Be Dragons costs $4.99 up front. Howl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Here Be Dragons asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Howl holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 65 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Here Be Dragons's written reviews are positive against 78% of Howl's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Here Be Dragons ships an update every 2 weeks, Howl every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Here Be Dragons versus Howl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHere Be DragonsHowl
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (22 ratings)4.2 (65 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.6% of reviews78.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2265 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.112.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size705 MB477 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperMarek Panczykastragon Entertainment GmbH

Customer experience

Here Be Dragons

All ratings22 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral4.5%
Negative22.7%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive52.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative36.8%

Howl

All ratings63 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative17.5%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative17.2%

Bugs and requests

Here Be Dragons

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Howl

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Arrow card hidden by sidebar UI on left screen edge
  • Text bubbles blocking enemy action information
  • Save data not persisting after app closure
  • UI elements too small to read on iPhone
  • Tooltip descriptions not displaying correctly
Show 3 more
  • Hover mechanics don't work on iPad
  • Specific level completion issues (Tower chapter)
  • Yellow completion symbol blends with map background

Requested features

10 requests
  • Movable text bubbles to prevent obstruction
  • Character gender/pronoun customization
  • More levels and expanded content
  • Language localization (Vietnamese, German, etc.)
  • UI scaling for smaller phones
Show 5 more
  • Ability to select language for voice acting
  • More detailed story development
  • 3D graphics enhancement
  • Clearer level count visibility upfront
  • Improved tooltip system for mobile

In-app purchases

None

Here Be Dragons

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Howl

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Full Version$3.99

Questions

Is Here Be Dragons free?
Here Be Dragons costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Howl free?
Howl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Here Be Dragons or Howl?
Howl is rated higher. Here Be Dragons averages 4.0 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Howl averages 4.2 from 65 ratings.
Do Here Be Dragons or Howl have ads?
Neither Here Be Dragons nor Howl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Here Be Dragons or Howl?
Here Be Dragons ships an update every 2 weeks, and Howl every 3 weeks. Most recently, Here Be Dragons was updated on October 16, 2026 and Howl on October 23, 2026.

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