Comparison

Dead Cells+ vs PPKP+

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

Head to head
About

Dead Cells+

Embark on a challenging 2D action platformer adventure as a failed alchemic experiment. Explore a dynamic, interconnected world, master combat, and unlock new paths with each playthrough. This version includes extensive DLC content with new storylines, biomes, enemies, weapons, and bosses.

Highlights
  • Roguevania exploration
  • Frantic 2D combat
  • Nonlinear progression
  • Daily leaderboards
  • Return to Castlevania DLC
  • The Bad Seed DLC
  • Fatal Falls DLC
Features
Read full description

Play as a failed alchemic experiment and explore the sprawling, ever-changing castle to find out what happened on this gloomy island…! That is, assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers. Dead Cells+ is a roguevania action platformer that will require you to master frantic 2D combat with a wide variety of weapons and skills against merciless minions and boss. The indie hit Dead Cells+ is now slaying foes on Apple Arcade! Main Features • ONLY ON APPLE ARCADE - New daily leaderboards : Test your skills against players all over the world! • Roguevania: The progressive exploration of an interconnected world, with the replayability of a rogue-lite and the adrenaline pumping threat of permadeath • Frantic and Dynamic 2D Action: Learn your enemies’ patterns to stay alive, or prepare to be sent back to your cell before you can say “baguette” • Nonlinear Progression: Unlock new levels with every death, opt for the path that suits your current build, your playstyle or just your mood. Surely, the ramparts can’t be as bad the sewers, right? • Play at your own pace: Will you explore every nook and cranny of the castle, or rush to the end? [THIS VERSION ALSO INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONTENT] *Latest updates are available: Clean Cut & The End is Near* RETURN TO CASTLEVANIA DLC • New storyline - overcome the Ruler of Darkness alongside Alucard and Richter Belmont, • 2 new biomes - Explore Dracula's Castle and its outskirts • 9 new monsters - Werewolves, haunted armors, and medusas are waiting for you • 14 new weapons - wield the Vampire Killer or the Holy Water to defeat creatures of the night, • 3 new bosses - go fangs to fangs against Death and Dracula himself • 20 new outfits - dress as your favorite Castlevania characters such as Simon and Richter Belmont or Alucard • Alternative soundtracks - play along 51 Castlevania original tracks and 12 tunes reimagined in the style of Dead Cells THE BAD SEED DLC You reap what you sow • New levels to lose your head in: the not-so-peaceful Dilapidated Arboretum and the noxious Morass of the Banished • New monsters to rip to pieces: get to know the locals, such as the Jerkshroom and the Yeeter • New weapons to play with: trim sticking out heads with the Scythe Claw, or make them dance to the sound of the Rhythm n' Bouzouki • New boss to fight against: Mama Tick is dying to meet you FATAL FALLS DLC Ready for a leap of faith? • 3 new biomes - Get some fresh air at the Fractured Shrines, splash around at the Undying Shores and take a picture at the Mausoleum • 8 new monsters - The Cold Blooded Guardians and their friends would love to teach you about their culture. ... Wait, aren't those relatives of yours in the Undying Shores...? • 7 new weapons - lil' Serenade is perfect for breaking the ice with the locals, although the Snake Fangs would make for a perfect souvenir... • 1 new boss - The Scarecrow is very proud of his gardening skills and won't hesitate to show off QUEEN AND THE SEA DLC Take it to the sea! • 2 new biomes - Battle your way through a rotten shipwreck, or scale a burning lighthouse and confront your deadliest foe yet. • 9 new weapons, including a throwable shark, a trident and a pirate hook hand (eyepatch not included). • 2 new bosses - Don't lose your head before you meet the Queen! This DLC also gives you the usual extras: - A not-so-cute pet. - Loads of new outfits. - New enemies to bash. Carefully redesigned for Apple Arcade with a revamped interface • Two game modes available: Original & Auto-Hit • Custom controls & More touch controls options available: Change the buttons’ position and size to your liking, swipe to dodge… • MFi external controller support • Game Center achievements If you run into a problem, please contact us at support@playdigious.mail.helpshift.com u with as much information as possible on the issue.

About

PPKP+

Become a hero and rebuild a city under attack by monsters. Smash cars for materials, train in martial arts, and upgrade your abilities in the lab to become the ultimate monster hunter. Replenish your strength and gain experience in the restaurant to face challenges.

Highlights
  • Smash cars for building materials
  • Train martial arts and learn techniques
  • Upgrade abilities in the laboratory
  • Replenish strength and gain experience
  • Receive hints from city inhabitants
  • Discover hidden techniques
Features
Read full description

Suddenly the Monster Corps attacks and breaks the city. Be the hero who will revive the city while taking down monsters. - Scrapyard Get building materials by smashing old cars to pieces. - Restaurant Replenish your strength and boost your combo powers while gaining needed experience to level up. Don't worry about losing some fights; the restaurant is always open to satisfy your appetite. So go out and challenge those monsters again and again. - Dojo Ancient scrolls of martial arts are available for you to learn. Learning more martial arts allows you to upgrade the dojo and learn much more. Don't forget to check the hidden room for the forbidden techniques. - Laboratory Do you want upgrades? The laboratory has them. From special goggles that let's you see the monsters weaknesses, to power ups that will make you the best monster hunter, the laboratory has them all. Some power ups will gain experience if equipped at your house. - People Tapping on people in the city will give you some nice hints. Animals also deserve some of your tender taps.

Screenshots

Dead Cells+4 screens
PPKP+4 screens

Verdict

The call

Dead Cells+ and PPKP+ both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Dead Cells+'s written reviews are positive against 58% of PPKP+'s. Dead Cells+ also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 919) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 6 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Dead Cells+ against 4.8 for PPKP+. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Cells+ has 14K ratings behind it against 919, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Dead Cells+'s written reviews are positive against 58% of PPKP+'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Cells+ ships an update every 3 months, PPKP+ every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Dead Cells+ versus PPKP+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead Cells+PPKP+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (14K ratings) — better4.8 (919 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews — better58.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better919
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.8 GB125 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperPlaydigiousSHIMADA TOSHIHIRO

Customer experience

Dead Cells+

All ratings13,598 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews701 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.8%

PPKP+

All ratings54 ratings
Positive79.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative13.0%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive58.0%
Neutral11.6%
Negative30.4%

User reviews

Dead Cells+

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Excellent controls
  • 🎨 Beautiful pixel art
  • 🔍 Engaging exploration
  • 💡 Helpful accessibility options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional audio issues
  • 🔋 Performance drops on some devices
  • 🤔 Lack of cloud save sync across devices
  • 🕹️ Touchscreen controls can be finicky

PPKP+

From 919 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Addictive arcade-style gameplay with satisfying combat mechanics
  • 🎨 Charming retro pixel art and nostalgic NES/SNES aesthetic
  • ⏰ Excellent time killer for short breaks or extended play sessions
  • 💰 No advertisements or intrusive microtransactions in base experience
  • 🧠 Surprising depth and strategy despite simple two-button controls

Room to improve

  • ⏳ Stamina/gas timer system inappropriate for Apple Arcade subscription
  • 💎 Gems/diamonds extremely difficult and slow to obtain
  • 🔁 Repetitive late-game grinding becomes tedious and boring
  • 🔊 Sound settings don't persist between app launches
  • 📊 Unclear progression mechanics and poor in-game tutorials

Bugs and requests

Dead Cells+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes during boss battles
  • Map not updating properly after teleporting
  • Controller buttons not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to listen to own music/podcasts while playing
  • More customization options for button layout
  • Multiplayer or co-op mode
  • Improved save/progress sync across devices

PPKP+

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Character stats reset to level one when app is closed and reopened
  • Sound settings revert to maximum volume despite being turned off
  • Audio clicks and pops on iPhone 14 and similar devices
  • Game buttons occasionally unresponsive during combat
  • Hard crash when attempting to upload save to cloud
Show 4 more
  • Save file duplication bug affecting all save slots
  • Game freezes or becomes unresponsive after map selection
  • Inconsistent boss damage calculations (shield damage varies wildly)
  • Frame rate stuttering and performance issues (feels like 20fps)

Requested features

11 requests
  • Controller support for better gameplay experience
  • Remove or significantly reduce gas/stamina timer for Arcade version
  • Increase gem/diamond earning rates or add alternative acquisition methods
  • Add comprehensive in-game tutorials and guides for new players
  • Implement persistent sound settings across app sessions
Show 6 more
  • Add multiplayer functionality
  • Create additional levels and content beyond current map
  • Add gym or alternative facility to restaurant for variety
  • Implement currency sink for excess gems/coins after shop completion
  • Reduce gas refill timer from 15 minutes to 5 minutes
  • Add daily free gem refill option

In-app purchases

None

Dead Cells+

No in-app purchases

None

PPKP+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dead Cells+ free?
Dead Cells+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PPKP+ free?
PPKP+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dead Cells+ or PPKP+?
Dead Cells+ is rated higher. Dead Cells+ averages 4.9 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while PPKP+ averages 4.8 from 919 ratings.
Do Dead Cells+ or PPKP+ have ads?
Neither Dead Cells+ nor PPKP+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dead Cells+ or PPKP+?
Dead Cells+ ships an update every 3 months, and PPKP+ every 6 months. Most recently, Dead Cells+ was updated on November 2, 2026 and PPKP+ on October 30, 2026.

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