# The Elder Scrolls vs Loop Hero

The clearest difference is ads: Loop Hero at none against The Elder Scrolls's shown. Loop Hero also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 49%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). The Elder Scrolls's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 3.9K) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Elder Scrolls sells 39 one-off in-app purchases 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 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 3.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of The Elder Scrolls's written reviews are positive against 75% of Loop Hero's.

The Elder Scrolls ships an update every 2 weeks, Loop Hero every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Elder Scrolls | Loop Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elder-scrolls-castles/id1594657136/reviews) | **[4.9 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-hero/id6464048549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 3.9K |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 686 MB | 213 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Bethesda](https://appshunter.io/developer/547109759) | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) |

## What reviewers say

### The Elder Scrolls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elder-scrolls-castles/id1594657136)

Build and manage your own castle and dynasty across generations. Make crucial decisions, customize your stronghold, and send heroes on quests to protect your kingdom. Your choices shape your legacy.

**Highlights:** Build and customize your castle, Manage your dynasty across generations, Make impactful kingdom decisions, Train subjects and assign workstations, Complete epic quests with heroes, Equip heroes with epic gear

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

**In-app purchases (39)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Event Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pouch of Gems - 50% discount | $0.99 | one-time |
| Imperial Decoration: Discount | $1.99 | one-time |
| Legendary Shield Spellbreaker | $1.99 | one-time |
| Legendary Axe: Warlock Butcher | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pouch of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Event Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Potions and Scrolls | $2.99 | one-time |
| Imperial Decoration | $3.99 | one-time |
| Witch-Hunting Reinforcements | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Emperor's Pass (7 days) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magical Craftsmen | $5.99 | one-time |
| Legendary Event Subject Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Redguard Bundle: New Blood | $7.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Feast Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Satchel of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Potions and Scrolls | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dwemer Furnace Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Emperor's Pass (14 days) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Magical Craftsmen | $9.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Bundle: Silversmith | $11.99 | one-time |
| Put Your Dukes Up - Discount | $11.99 | one-time |
| A Bit of Everything | $11.99 | one-time |
| Decoration Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| But make it fashion - discount | $13.99 | one-time |
| Emperor's Pass (30 days) | $13.99 | one-time |
| Large Starter Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Bundle: It's Adore-able | $17.99 | one-time |
| Imperial Coffer of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Bundle : A Noble Path | $19.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Bundle: A Mage's Touch | $19.99 | one-time |
| Biggest Bundle (Big Discount) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Emperor's Pass (1 year) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Strongbox of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Put Your Dukes Up | $29.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Bundle: Silversmith | $29.99 | one-time |
| Imperial Coffer of Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Unique Elder Scrolls-themed mechanics
- 💡 Interesting character relationships and decision-making
- 🎨 Beautiful visuals and music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywall-locked content
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and sync issues
- 🕹️ Clunky controls and UI

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to select rooms without selecting characters
- Accidental character movement due to poor UI
- Inconsistent resource collection when game is closed

**Requested features**

- Multiple save files or restart option
- More customization options for castle and characters
- Improved character management tools
- Deeper integration with Elder Scrolls lore and characters


### 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 The Elder Scrolls free?

The Elder Scrolls 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, The Elder Scrolls or Loop Hero?

Loop Hero is rated higher. The Elder Scrolls averages 4.6 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Loop Hero averages 4.9 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do The Elder Scrolls or Loop Hero have ads?

The Elder Scrolls shows ads; Loop Hero does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Elder Scrolls or Loop Hero?

The Elder Scrolls ships an update every 2 weeks, and Loop Hero every 10 days. Most recently, The Elder Scrolls was updated on October 20, 2026 and Loop Hero on October 20, 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.*