War Mongrels vs Howl
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
War Mongrels
Experience an isometric real-time tactics game set on the Eastern Front of WWII. Guide a team of evolving guerilla fighters against expanding Nazi forces, utilizing unique character skills and an interactive environment. The game offers a grim, historically inspired narrative with a focus on tactical gameplay and replayability.
- Isometric real-time tactics gameplay
- Historically inspired WWII Eastern Front setting
- Unique characters with distinct skills
- Interactive environment for tactical options
- Stealth, distraction, and combat mechanics
- High audio-visual quality
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———————————————————— EASTERN · FRONT · OF · WORLD · WAR · II ———————————————————— War Mongrels, or WM, is an isometric real-time tactics game that takes place on the eastern front of World War II. This part of the war has been receiving less attention in gaming, even though it ended or changed a considerable number of lives and brought forward many stories of courage, comradery, but also further proof of twisted societies and the darkest parts of the human character. War Mongrels builds its foundations on these two opposing mental forces. First driven by propaganda, our heroes soon find their purpose in fighting back the expanding Nazi forces that entangled them in the international conflict in the first place. From boys to men in days, they open their eyes to the atrocities of war and find their purpose in the fight to prevent further meaningless killing. ——————————— AMBIGUOUS · HEROES ——————————— The heavily history-inspired storyline guides players through the journey of two Wehrmacht soldiers as they go from deserters to hefty guerilla fighters. Their team expands as they meet new characters who support the same cause. As the goal of every hero is to save others and hopefully survive, our heroes strive to prevent the deaths of innocent people instead of getting away from the war as originally intended. And as each character has their own set of skills and advantages, players must learn to combine them effectively to outsmart the enemy during a variety of missions in a changing environment. Sneaking, distraction, silent kills, and using the environment are some of the main skills players will have to take to heart, but a stock of firearms will also be available and useful in completing mission objectives. ————————— MAIN · FEATURES ————————— Historical lesson – Events, dates, locations, weapons, uniforms, in-game historical articles, and much more. Use force! – Have you been spotted? Draw your weapon and try to shoot your way out! Unique team - Each character has their own personality, background, and skills to use during the journey. Take or break – Interactive environment that opens up many tactical options. Replay value – Try different tactics in each mission, play alone, or with different friends. Dark world – War is hell, and War Mongrels doesn’t sugar coat anything. Infernal storyline – As grim as the bloody trenches where dead soldiers remain after battle. Just wow! – Audio-visual quality like you’ve never seen in an RTT game before.
Howl
Engage in turn-based tactical combat within a dark fairy-tale world threatened by a mysterious plague. Play as a deaf heroine who can foresee enemy moves, utilizing unique arrows and skills to defeat beasts. Explore beautifully illustrated environments and uncover secrets.
- Turn-based tactical combat
- Foretell enemy moves
- Variety of arrow types
- Unlockable skills and upgrades
- Living ink art style
- Multiple chapters and levels
- Save villagers
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This game is free to download and play for a limited number of levels and time. Do you like the game? Then you can easily unlock the full version through the in App purchase! Howl is a turn-based puzzle/tactical folktale set in the Middle Ages, where a mysterious "howling plague" ravages the land. Any who hear the beasts’ howls turn into feral, hungering beasts themselves – further spreading the curse through their own howls. The Heroine of this tale was born deaf, giving her a unique protection against this curse. Play as a daring combat Prophet with the ability to foretell your enemies’ moves. Plan up to six steps ahead to outmaneuver your enemies. Fire a variety of arrows, such as exploding, lightning, or piercing shots, and use skills like Smoke Bombs and Shadow Step’s Invisibility to kill any beasts who stand in your way. Each type of beast offers its own challenges, with some approaching fast, while others taking more powerful hits or attacking from afar. Howl's visuals are created through "living ink", a flowing art style that paints the story as you play. Carve your way through a dark, fairy-tale world made up of obscure yet magical places where you fight to rid the lands of the howling plague. Howl features a total of 5 chapters, including the free Heart of Rot update, each with a distinct visual atmosphere scored by soothing music. Access to this update is FREE for anyone who has bought the Howl base game. You can access this update chapter from the Chapter 3 map at any point after reaching Chapter 3 of the main story. This update features its own chapter map, new enemies, a new boss level, new environment mechanics, the new Lightning Shot skill (which, once unlocked, can be used in the main game!), and an NPC who fights by your side in later levels. Features • Foretell the actions of your enemies in turn-based puzzle/tactics combat. • Play through 60 levels across 4 chapters, plus 18 new levels in the free update chapter! • Beautifully illustrated in a unique, living ink art style. • Outsmart the different wolf species, from fast predators to enormous pack leaders. • Unlock and upgrade new skills like Shadow Step, Exploding Shot, and more. • Save villagers from the claws – and howls – of the wolves. • Plot your route on the world map to uncover new skills and secret paths.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Howl at Free against War Mongrels's $19.99. Howl also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.8) and review sentiment (78% vs 54%). War Mongrels's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On ads 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
Howl is free to download; War Mongrels costs $19.99 up front. Howl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. War Mongrels asks for nothing beyond the download.
Howl holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Howl has 63 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of War Mongrels's written reviews are positive against 78% of Howl's.
War Mongrels ships an update weekly, Howl every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.
| Parameter | War Mongrels | Howl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.8 (11 ratings) | 4.2 (63 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | 78.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 63 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3.7 GB | 477 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Virtual Programming Ltd | astragon Entertainment GmbH |
Customer experience
War Mongrels
Howl
Bugs and requests
War Mongrels
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Howl
Reported bugs
8 issues- Arrow card hidden by sidebar UI on left screen edge
- Text bubbles blocking enemy action information
- Save data not persisting after app closure
- UI elements too small to read on iPhone
- Tooltip descriptions not displaying correctly
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- Hover mechanics don't work on iPad
- Specific level completion issues (Tower chapter)
- Yellow completion symbol blends with map background
Requested features
10 requests- Movable text bubbles to prevent obstruction
- Character gender/pronoun customization
- More levels and expanded content
- Language localization (Vietnamese, German, etc.)
- UI scaling for smaller phones
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- Ability to select language for voice acting
- More detailed story development
- 3D graphics enhancement
- Clearer level count visibility upfront
- Improved tooltip system for mobile
In-app purchases
War Mongrels
No in-app purchases
Howl
- Upgrade to Full Version$3.99









