Dead Cells+ vs Slay the Spire+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Roguevania exploration
- Frantic 2D combat
- Nonlinear progression
- Daily leaderboards
- Return to Castlevania DLC
- The Bad Seed DLC
- Fatal Falls DLC
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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.
Slay the Spire+
Embark on a roguelike deckbuilding adventure where you craft a unique deck to battle creatures and discover powerful relics. Each journey through the ever-changing Spire offers a new challenge with different paths, enemies, and events.
- Dynamic deck building
- Procedurally generated Spire layout
- Hundreds of cards and items
- Multiple playable characters
- Discover powerful relics
- Unique combat encounters
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Now on Arcade! Play the roguelike deckbuilder IGN named the Best Strategy Game of 2019. Developed by Mega Crit, this team fused card games and roguelikes together to make the best single player deckbuilder they could. Craft a unique deck, encounter bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and Slay the Spire! Choose between 4 different characters to begin your run. Enter the Spire and battle to defeat enemies by playing cards from your deck. No two runs are the same, battle your way to victory. FEATURES: - DARE TO ASCEND: 350+ fully implemented cards, 200+ different items, 50+ unique combat encounters, and 50+ mysterious events that can help or harm you! - DYNAMIC DECK BUILDING: Choose your cards wisely! Discover hundreds of cards to add to your deck with each attempt at climbing the Spire. Select cards that work together to efficiently dispatch foes and reach the top - AN EVER-CHANGING SPIRE: Whenever you embark on a journey up the Spire, the layout differs each time. Choose a risky or safe path, face different enemies, choose different cards, discover different relics, and even fight different bosses! - POWERFUL RELICS TO DISCOVER: Powerful items known as relics can be found throughout the Spire. The effects of these relics can greatly enhance your deck through powerful interactions. But beware, obtaining a relic may cost you more than just gold…
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Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dead Cells+ at 90% against Slay the Spire+'s 52%. Dead Cells+ also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (14K vs 976). Slay the Spire+'s advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Dead Cells+ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dead Cells+ has 14K ratings behind it against 976, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Dead Cells+'s written reviews are positive against 52% of Slay the Spire+'s.
Dead Cells+ ships an update every 3 months, Slay the Spire+ every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dead Cells+ | Slay the Spire+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (14K ratings) — better | 4.5 (976 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better | 51.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14K — better | 976 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.8 GB | 866 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Playdigious | Humble Bundle, Inc. |
Customer experience
Dead Cells+
Slay the Spire+
User reviews
Dead Cells+
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Slay the Spire+
From 976 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 💡 Unique deck-building mechanics
- 🚀 Addictive and replayable
- 👍 Excellent challenge and difficulty
- 💡 Variety of playable characters
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional UI/control issues
- 🔍 Small text/UI elements on mobile
- 🐛 Progression/save issues for some users
- 🔍 Unbalanced boss/enemy difficulty
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
Slay the Spire+
Reported bugs
3 issues- End turn button not registering
- Save data loss/reset issues
- Crashes on daily challenge screen
Requested features
4 requests- Controller support
- Larger text/UI options
- Cloud save functionality
- Improved card/deck viewing
In-app purchases
Dead Cells+
No in-app purchases
Slay the Spire+
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dead Cells+ free?
Is Slay the Spire+ free?
Which has better reviews, Dead Cells+ or Slay the Spire+?
Do Dead Cells+ or Slay the Spire+ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dead Cells+ or Slay the Spire+?
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