# King or Fail vs Shiftrix

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shiftrix at none against King or Fail's 19. Shiftrix also leads on ads (none vs shown). King or Fail's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. King or Fail sells 19 one-off in-app purchases. Shiftrix asks for nothing beyond the download.

King or Fail ships an update fortnightly, Shiftrix monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | King or Fail | Shiftrix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/king-or-fail-castle-takeover/id1672225232/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 28.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 281 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [Onur Celik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870662813) |

## What reviewers say

### King or Fail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/king-or-fail-castle-takeover/id1672225232)

Build and manage a medieval kingdom, balancing farming, crafting, and construction with military conquest. Recruit and upgrade soldiers, raid enemy castles, and develop your empire to become a prosperous and fearsome ruler.

**Highlights:** Kingdom building and management, Resource gathering and crafting, Army recruitment and upgrades, Castle raiding and combat, Worker hiring and management, Ballista weapon system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of gems - Smallest | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small Stack of Tickets | $2.99 | one-time |
| Equipment special offer №1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ad-free adventure 30% off | $5.99 | one-time |
| com.playfocus.king.gems6 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Resources special offer №2 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Resources special offer №3 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Resources special offer №4 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Resources special offer №7 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Resources special offer №11 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Resources special offer №9 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Equipment special offer №2 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Adieu to Ads | $7.99 | one-time |
| Medium pack of Tickets | $7.99 | one-time |
| Equipment special offer №3 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Pack of gems - Medium | $11.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Big Stack of Tickets | $24.99 | one-time |
| Pack of gems - Big | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Interesting concept and progression

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🔋 Game drains device battery quickly
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches affecting gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Stuck on certain missions due to missing resources
- Freezing and crashing issues
- Inconsistent behavior of certain game mechanics

**Requested features**

- More content and levels to progress through
- Better balance and progression for late-game battles
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee


### Shiftrix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiftrix-block-sort-puzzle/id6759165317)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is King or Fail free?

King or Fail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shiftrix free?

Shiftrix is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do King or Fail or Shiftrix have ads?

King or Fail shows ads; Shiftrix does not.

### Which is updated more often, King or Fail or Shiftrix?

King or Fail ships an update fortnightly, and Shiftrix monthly. Most recently, King or Fail was updated on October 23, 2026 and Shiftrix on October 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*