Comparison

Cataclysm vs GnollHack

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

Head to head
About

Cataclysm

Experience a turn-based survival RPG in a procedurally generated post-apocalyptic world. Scavenge for resources, craft items, and battle a variety of dangerous creatures and hostile survivors to stay alive.

Highlights
  • Turn-based survival gameplay
  • Procedurally generated world
  • Scavenging for resources
  • Crafting and item management
  • Combat against monsters and humans
  • Vehicle exploration
Features
Read full description

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is a turn-based survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Struggle to survive in a harsh, persistent, procedurally generated world. Scavenge the remnants of a dead civilization for food, equipment, or, if you are lucky, a vehicle with a full tank of gas to get you the hell out of Dodge. Fight to defeat or escape from a wide variety of powerful monstrosities, from zombies to giant insects to killer robots and things far stranger and deadlier, and against the others like yourself, that want what you have… The previous, 0.E version, is here: https://apps.apple.com/app/cataclysm-roguelike-rpg-0-e/id1547835881

About

GnollHack

Embark on a perilous quest in a remastered classic roguelike. Explore procedurally generated dungeons, battle monsters, and uncover powerful artifacts. With deep strategy, a rich class and race system, and challenging permadeath, every playthrough offers endless replayability.

Highlights
  • Turn-based roguelike gameplay
  • Modern user interface
  • Procedurally generated dungeons
  • 13 classes and 5 races
  • Hundreds of items and spells
  • Challenging permadeath mode
Features
Read full description

ABOUT GnollHack is a remastered and enhanced version of the classic roguelike game NetHack, one of the most iconic games developed in 1980s and 1990s. With GnollHack, you get: - Traditional roguelike with turn-based gameplay - Modern user interface - Legendary strategic depth of NetHack - Endless replayability - Several new features, enhancing your gameplay experience STORY In GnollHack, you are a hero sent by your deity into the perilous Dungeons of Doom, tasked with recovering the stolen Amulet of Yendor from the clutches of the malevolent god Moloch, who has hidden it in the fiery depths of the underworld. Along your journey, you will encounter formidable enemies, discover great magical artifacts, and strive for glory. You must either triumph or perish in the attempt. ROGUELIKE GAMEPLAY Explore procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters, traps, and treasures. RICH CLASS AND RACE SYSTEM - 13 classes: wizard, barbarian, rogue, etc. - 5 races: human, elf, gnoll, etc. DEEP ITEM AND MAGIC SYSTEM Hundreds of items, spells, and artifacts with diverse effects. CHALLENGING PERMADEATH (Classic Mode Only) Death is permanent, requiring players to adapt, plan, and learn from mistakes to progress further. TUTORIALS AND GAMEPLAY INFORMATION - GnollHack wiki: https://wiki.gnollhack.com SUPPORT - Discord: https://discord.gg/cQuExnzUQy

Screenshots

Cataclysm4 screens
GnollHack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: GnollHack at Free against Cataclysm's $9.99. GnollHack also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Cataclysm's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, 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

GnollHack is free to download; Cataclysm costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GnollHack holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56 and 111 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Cataclysm's written reviews are positive against 85% of GnollHack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cataclysm ships an update every 6 weeks, GnollHack every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Cataclysm versus GnollHack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCataclysmGnollHack
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (56 ratings)4.7 (111 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.0% of reviews85.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings56111 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB774 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperYury ApollovHyvän mielen pelit ry

Customer experience

Cataclysm

All ratings56 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral12.5%
Negative8.9%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive77.0%
Neutral16.4%
Negative6.6%

GnollHack

All ratings111 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral3.7%
Negative11.1%

Bugs and requests

Cataclysm

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • UI goes wonky with ASCII
  • Zoom in/out function not working
  • Walk button too close to corner
  • Game breaks after a while
  • Menu frozen
Show 16 more
  • Nothing displayed after re-opening
  • Major bug locks you into dialog screen
  • Graphical Overmap mod not working
  • Touchpad controls not responding
  • Pressing keys results in double input
  • Displays black screen
  • Crashes extremely often
  • Resolution resets when keyboard is swiped up
  • Rarely loads properly, black screen with overlay
  • Crashing when driving
  • Keyboard swapping is cumbersome
  • Game sound doesn't work
  • Terminal width and height settings reset on app restart
  • Game crashes very often when traveling
  • Enter key is small
  • Action menu obstructs view

Requested features

19 requests
  • Update to latest PC version
  • Deploy version 0.H
  • Swipe interface on iOS
  • Update to newest stable version
  • Release O.G stable release
Show 14 more
  • Add 0.G version
  • Customizable UI
  • Change fonts on iOS
  • Add page up/down buttons
  • Always visible Esc and Tab keys
  • Toggle number/arrow keypad
  • Create custom buttons for functions
  • Add modding capabilities
  • Allow mod installation
  • Fix sound issues
  • Transfer settings and keybindings on update
  • Fix terminal width/height reset
  • Customizable UI interface
  • Add mods

GnollHack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Cataclysm

No in-app purchases

None

GnollHack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cataclysm free?
Cataclysm costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is GnollHack free?
GnollHack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cataclysm or GnollHack?
GnollHack is rated higher. Cataclysm averages 4.3 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while GnollHack averages 4.7 from 111 ratings.
Do Cataclysm or GnollHack have ads?
Neither Cataclysm nor GnollHack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cataclysm or GnollHack?
Cataclysm ships an update every 6 weeks, and GnollHack every 4 days. Most recently, Cataclysm was updated on October 24, 2026 and GnollHack on October 27, 2026.

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