Ascender vs Dig Odyssey
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ascender
Embark on an 8-bit arcade adventure, ascending from an abyss. Navigate treacherous terrain, defeat enemies, and manage your engine's heat. Experience thrilling gameplay with retro graphics and sound, aiming for the highest score.
- Retro arcade graphics and sound
- 1000m of level design
- Easy mobile controls
- Quick start checkpoints
- 3 Game modes
- Game Center leaderboards
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Ascend from the depths of the abyss in this original 8-BIT style arcade game. Navigate through challenging terrain and defeat enemies while trying not to overheat your engine. This simple arcade game will have your heart pumping as you approach the next checkpoint. Features: - Retro arcade graphics and sound - 1000m of level design to ascend - Easy to use mobile controls - Quick start checkpoints every 100m - Lovable enemies to defeat - 3 Game modes (Classic, Time Trial and Survivor) - Game Center global leaderboards NO Ads, NO In App purchases, Completely FREE.
Dig Odyssey
Explore an exoplanet as a space miner, digging for valuable resources and uncovering a mysterious signal. Upgrade your tools to dig faster and manage your oxygen supply to survive the challenging terrain.
- Explore exoplanet depths
- Mine metals and gems
- Uncover mysterious signal
- Upgrade mining tools
- Manage oxygen supply
- Craft and upgrade equipment
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Explore the depths of a distant planet as a space miner in this exciting digging game! Dig deep and uncover valuable metals and precious gems as you search for the source of a mysterious signal. A mysterious signal was received from the depths of the nearest exoplanet to Earth. An experienced miner was sent to investigate it. He has to become an astronaut and uncover the mystery of the signal. Are you ready for an exciting adventure? Your task is to dig the soil and penetrate deeper and deeper until you find the source of the signal. The planet's crust consists of several layers of varying hardness, the mine contains many different metals and precious stones. Collect them - they are needed for crafting and upgrading equipment. You have to dig quickly as you have a limited supply of oxygen! Improve your tools (pickaxe, drill, dynamite, etc.) to dig even faster! With a limited supply of oxygen and challenging terrain to navigate, can you become the fastest ground digger and solve the mystery of the signal? Best of luck!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ascender at 98% against Dig Odyssey's 39%. Ascender also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Dig Odyssey sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Ascender asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ascender holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ascender has 156 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of Ascender's written reviews are positive against 39% of Dig Odyssey's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ascender | Dig Odyssey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (156 ratings) — better | 3.4 (20 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 98.5% of reviews — better | 39.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 156 — better | 20 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 161 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Peter Moyle | Andrey Abrosimov |
Customer experience
Ascender
Dig Odyssey
User reviews
Ascender
From 156 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🎨 Retro aesthetic and pixel art style
- ⚙️ Simple yet engaging gameplay mechanics
- 🎯 Challenging but fair difficulty balance
- 🏆 Multiple game modes (Classic, Survival, Time Trial)
Room to improve
- 📏 Control buttons positioned too close together and far left
- ⏱️ Limited content - single level with three play modes
- 🎮 Controls occasionally unresponsive or don't register
- 😞 Game is too short for some players
- 🔧 Input detection issues causing unexpected deaths
Dig Odyssey
From 20 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Cute and simple gameplay
- 💡 Addictive and engaging
- ✨ Nice art style
- 🚀 Fast progression initially
- ⏱️ Good time killer
Room to improve
- 📺 Excessive ads
- ⏳ Short game length
- 📉 Lack of progression
- 💸 Poor monetization
- 🕹️ Poor controls
Bugs and requests
Ascender
Reported bugs
2 issues- Controls don't register sometimes causing flight or fire errors
- Input detection issues leading to unexpected deaths
Requested features
7 requests- Sequel or Part 2 with more levels
- Progress saving functionality
- Additional levels and content
- Adjustable button sizes
- Discord server for community
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Repositioned control buttons for better accessibility
- More game modes or variations
Dig Odyssey
Reported bugs
9 issues- Game crashes during ads
- Controls barely function
- Character swings but doesn't break blocks
- Cannot return to surface after first pickaxe swing
- Purchased resource pack not received
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- Falling indefinitely after reaching the end
- Game not functioning at all
- Upgrade station inaccessible
- Leaderboard scores seem hacked
Requested features
10 requests- Add more dig sites/planets
- More upgrades and tools
- Add a story or mystery
- Add an end-game sequence
- Option to turn off vibration
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Add browser payment option
- More content/updates
- Improve controls (arrows, dedicated bomb button)
- Add new tools, buffs, skills
- Ability to dig on other planets
In-app purchases
Ascender
No in-app purchases
Dig Odyssey
- Resources$0.99
- Disable ADS$0.99
- Resource Pack + NoADS$1.19
