Comparison

Dawncaster vs Wickbound

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

Head to head
About

Dawncaster

Embark on a tactical deck-building adventure with over 900 illustrated cards. Explore a mysterious world, master unique class abilities, and forge your own path through a rich narrative. Enjoy a complete premium experience with no ads or microtransactions.

Highlights
  • Over 900 hand-illustrated cards
  • Unique class abilities
  • Innovative energy system
  • Richly illustrated world
  • Randomized encounters
  • Unlockable content
Features
Read full description

Dawncaster: Epic Deck-Building Adventure Dive into a world of strategy and magic in Dawncaster, the ultimate deck-building experience with over 900 stunning hand-illustrated cards. Will you become a shadow-dancing rogue, an indomitable warrior, a mysterious Seeker, or forge your own path? Unravel the dark secrets of Aethos in this tactical masterpiece that revolutionizes mobile card gaming. Redefining Card Games - Experience groundbreaking mechanics that seasoned players will love - Blend unique class abilities with powerful weapons and enchantments - Master an innovative energy system, freeing you from traditional deckbuilder constraints A World Shrouded in Mystery - Embark on a quest to find the legendary 'Dawnbringer' lost in the corrupted realm of Umbris - Immerse yourself in a richly illustrated world with compelling dialogue and meaningful choices - Shape the fate of a desperate world through your actions Complete Gaming Experience - Unlock all cards and classes with your purchase - no microtransactions! - Open up new exciting area's with optional expansion packs for even more content - Enjoy a premium game free from ads, timers, or pay-to-win mechanics Endless Replayability - Every run is unique with randomized encounters and battles - Unlock new starting cards, portraits, and challenges - Test your skills with increasing difficulty levels Join the Dawncaster Community - Connect with fellow players and developers on the Discord server - Share strategies, get the latest updates, and influence the game's future - Be part of a passionate community that's shaping the future of Dawncaster Ready to answer the call? Download Dawncaster now and begin your legendary journey! Discord: https://discord.gg/pfeMG9c Website: https://dawncaster.wanderlost.games

About

Wickbound

A premium roguelike deckbuilder designed for one-handed play and short sessions. Build your deck, outlast the storm, and keep the light burning. Offers a full game unlock with a single purchase and offline play.

Highlights
  • One-handed portrait mode gameplay
  • Short 5-10 minute runs
  • Kill-safe save system
  • 76 cards across three types
  • 40 unique relics
  • Three acts with 18 enemies
  • Daily seeded runs with leaderboards
Features
Read full description

You are the last lighthouse keeper on a drowning coast. The storm has teeth, and the light is all that holds it back. Wickbound is a premium roguelike deckbuilder designed for one hand and one sitting. No ads. No subscriptions. No account. One purchase unlocks the full game forever — and it plays in airplane mode. BUILT FOR YOUR THUMB Portrait-only. Every card, every choice, every enemy sits in thumb reach. Runs take 5–10 minutes, and a kill-safe save system means you can force-quit mid-combat and resume exactly where you stood. BURN OR BULWARK • 76 cards across Flares, Wards, and Beacons • The Keeper stacks Kindle and watches enemies burn down • The Salvager (unlock by winning) turns armor into a weapon • 40 relics that bend the rules of every run THREE ACTS OF STORM Fight through the Harbor Storm and the Drowned Reach to face the Mother of Storms. 18 enemies with fully telegraphed intents — every death is your mistake, and every win is your plan working. CLIMB THE LADDER Ascension 1–5 per character. Each win unlocks a crueler storm. THE DAILY WATCH One seeded run per day — identical for every player on Earth. One attempt. Game Center leaderboard. Bragging rights until midnight UTC. Keep the light. Outlast the storm.

Screenshots

Dawncaster4 screens
Wickbound4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Wickbound at Free against Dawncaster's $4.99. Wickbound also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Dawncaster's advantage is ratings volume (924 vs 1) and chart position (#6 vs unranked). On 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

Wickbound is free to download; Dawncaster costs $4.99 up front. Dawncaster sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Wickbound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wickbound holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dawncaster has 924 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Dawncaster's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wickbound's.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Dawncaster versus Wickbound: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDawncasterWickbound
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (924 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings924 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#6 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB71 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperRick van der WalGreen Delta Technology LLC

Customer experience

Dawncaster

All ratings924 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews459 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral7.4%
Negative12.4%

Wickbound

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Dawncaster

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes after certain card interactions
  • Incorrect card behavior or descriptions
  • Progression loss after updates
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Endless or challenge mode
  • More language support (e.g. Chinese, Spanish, Russian)
  • Improved tutorial and onboarding
  • Ability to toggle DLC content on/off
  • Checkpoints or save states during runs

Wickbound

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Dawncaster

One-time13
  • Vaul of the Void Promo PackFree
  • Synthesis Support Pack$3.99
  • Infinitum Support Banner$3.99
Show 10 more
  • Eclypse Supporter Pack$3.99
  • Buy the devs a coffee$4.99
  • Tribes of Twilight$4.99
  • Death of Divinity$4.99
  • Masks of Misery$4.99
  • Siege of Shadows$4.99
  • Dawncaster Origins Bundle$4.99
  • Nexus of Nightmares$5.99
  • Infernal Invasions$5.99
  • Dawncaster Mega Bundle$12.99
1 purchases

Wickbound

One-time1
  • Wickbound — Full Game$4.99

Questions

Is Dawncaster free?
Dawncaster costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Wickbound free?
Wickbound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dawncaster or Wickbound?
Wickbound is rated higher. Dawncaster averages 4.7 out of 5 from 924 ratings, while Wickbound averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Dawncaster or Wickbound have ads?
Neither Dawncaster nor Wickbound shows ads.

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