Comparison

Blacken Slash vs Basic Buddies

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

Head to head
About

Blacken Slash

Engage in turn-based tactical combat with roguelike elements. Craft unique character builds with a vast array of items and skills. Enjoy a story-driven experience with a retro soundtrack and compete on an online ladder.

Highlights
  • Turn-based tactical combat
  • Roguelike elements
  • Item-based build crafting
  • Carry favorite items between runs
  • Online ladder competition
  • Challenging achievements
  • Story-driven experience
Features
Read full description

A tactical RPG fusing the best of roguelikes, turn-based tactics and hack and slash games – made by a solo developer with a penchant for minimalist designs. - Fight through bite-sized tactical puzzles - Create powerful builds from a plethora of items which grant you skills and can change gameplay mechanics - Carry on your favorite items between runs in normal mode - Start from scratch each week and compete with other players in the online ladder mode - Try various playstyles and hunt for challenging achievements - Enjoy a lovingly crafted story of ridiculous computer nostalgia and a blast of a retro soundtrack

About

Basic Buddies

Experience a fast-paced arcade game focused on vertical descent and precision movement. Navigate a continuously generating world with unique challenges and unlockable content. Master timing and control to survive longer and achieve higher scores.

Highlights
  • Four unique game modes
  • Endless vertically scrolling gameplay
  • Responsive mobile controls
  • Unlockable characters and customization
  • Coin-based progression
  • Designed for quick sessions
Features
Read full description

Descend fast. Survive longer. Master the descent. This is a fast-paced arcade-style game built around vertical descent, precision movement, and split-second decision making. Each run drops you into a continuously generating world filled with platforms, hazards, and opportunities to push just a little farther. The game features four distinct game modes, each offering a different way to play — from endless, score-chasing runs to survival-style challenges that test how long you can last under pressure. Whether you’re aiming for a clean, focused descent or pushing yourself through increasingly intense encounters, every mode rewards timing, control, and momentum. Features: - Four unique game modes with different rules and challenges - Endless, vertically scrolling gameplay - Smooth, responsive controls built for mobile - Unlockable characters and visual customization - Coin-based progression and optional rewards - Designed for quick sessions and high replay value Easy to learn but difficult to master, this game is all about control, rhythm, and surviving the descent.

Screenshots

Blacken Slash4 screens
Basic Buddies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Basic Buddies at Free against Blacken Slash's $4.99. Basic Buddies also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Blacken Slash's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment 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

Basic Buddies is free to download; Blacken Slash costs $4.99 up front. Basic Buddies sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Blacken Slash asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Basic Buddies holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blacken Slash has 60 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Blacken Slash's written reviews are positive against 100% of Basic Buddies's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blacken Slash ships an update fortnightly, Basic Buddies weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Blacken Slash versus Basic Buddies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlacken SlashBasic Buddies
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (60 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings60 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size161 MB52 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSonderland Games UG haftungsbeschranktAndrew Hoffart

Customer experience

Blacken Slash

All ratings60 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive95.6%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.2%

Basic Buddies

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

In-app purchases

None

Blacken Slash

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Basic Buddies

One-time5
  • Small Coin Pack (100 Coins)$0.99
  • Medium Coin Pack (500 Coins)$2.99
  • Premium Upgrade (No Ads)$3.99
Show 2 more
  • Large Coin Pack (1,500 Coins)$4.99
  • Epic Coin Pack (5,000 Coins)$9.99

Questions

Is Blacken Slash free?
Blacken Slash costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Basic Buddies free?
Basic Buddies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Blacken Slash or Basic Buddies?
Basic Buddies is rated higher. Blacken Slash averages 4.8 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while Basic Buddies averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Blacken Slash or Basic Buddies have ads?
Basic Buddies shows ads; Blacken Slash does not.
Which is updated more often, Blacken Slash or Basic Buddies?
Blacken Slash ships an update fortnightly, and Basic Buddies weekly. Most recently, Blacken Slash was updated on September 11, 2026 and Basic Buddies on June 4, 2026.

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