Comparison

Mach Dice vs A Study in Steampunk

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

Head to head
About

Mach Dice

Simulate realistic dice rolls with animated 3D graphics and physics. Use your device's accelerometer to tilt and view dice from different angles. Supports various dice types and complex formula inputs for versatile gameplay.

Highlights
  • Animated 3D dice rolling
  • Accelerometer for 3D view
  • Lock or throw specific dice
  • Dice history and settings
  • Formula input for dice combinations
  • Roll up to 100 dice
Features
Read full description

Roll dice on your iPhone or iPod Touch! This app features animating 3D dice rolling on screen and uses the accelerometer to simulate an actual 3D view. You can use it anywhere, even in places where dice rolling is inconvenient: In a car (not while driving)! On a plane (not while piloting)! In the bathroom! Well, you get the idea. Nominated in the "Best Dice Game" category by bestappever.com! Check out the DEMO VIDEO on the MachWerx Web Site link: * Colored dice and different backgrounds! * Ability to lock or throw specific dice! * Dice history and settings! * One-Roll Engine! * Animated 3D dice that actually roll around on screen! * Tilt the device to view the dice from different angles! * Shake the device (or press a button) to start rolling * Hear the dice roll * Automatically adds up your dice totals * 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 sided dice are available * Specify dice with formulas like "3d6" (for three 6-sided dice) and "2d4 + 1d8" (for two 4-sided dice and one 8-sided die) * Roll up to 100 dice at once * Start with a different random seed each time

About

A Study in Steampunk

Embark on an epic text-based mystery novel set in a steampunk world. Your choices shape the narrative, allowing you to explore themes of science, sorcery, romance, and espionage. Will you defend the Empire or plot its downfall?

Highlights
  • Text-based interactive novel
  • Branching narrative choices
  • Steampunk and sorcery themes
  • Romance options
  • Multiple character endings
  • Inspired by classic literature
Features
Read full description

Steam-powered mechs meet forbidden sorcery! Inspired by Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, and Jack the Ripper, "A Study in Steampunk: Choice by Gaslight" is an epic 277,000-word interactive mystery novel by Heather Albano, co-author of "Choice of Broadsides," "Choice of Zombies," and "Choice of Romance: Affairs of the Court." Your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based--without graphics or sound effects--and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. The game is afoot! In a world of gaslit streets, mysteriously long-lived foreign nobles, and master criminals, will you defend your Empire from spies or overthrow it from within? Advocate science and reason or learn forbidden magic? Romance men, women, both, or neither? End as a healer, a freedom fighter, a vigilante, or a traitor? The fate of the Empire is in your hands!

Screenshots

Mach Dice1 screens
A Study in Steampunk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: A Study in Steampunk at none against Mach Dice's 1. A Study in Steampunk also leads on ratings volume (122 vs 15). Mach Dice's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and price ($0.99 vs $6.99). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Mach Dice costs $0.99 and A Study in Steampunk $6.99 up front. Mach Dice sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. A Study in Steampunk asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mach Dice against 4.7 for A Study in Steampunk. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Study in Steampunk has 122 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Mach Dice's written reviews are positive against 88% of A Study in Steampunk's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mach Dice ships an update every 17 months, A Study in Steampunk every 24 months. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Mach Dice versus A Study in Steampunk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMach DiceA Study in Steampunk
Price$0.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.7 (15 ratings)4.7 (122 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews88.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15122 — better
Update frequencyEvery 17 months — betterEvery 24 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB31 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTony KobayashiHosted Games LLC

Customer experience

Mach Dice

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral8.1%
Negative7.4%

A Study in Steampunk

All ratings122 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative7.2%

User reviews

Mach Dice

From 15 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 🎨 Awesome dice
  • 👍 Fantastic app
  • 🎲 Best dice app
  • 🎨 Excellent graphics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constant error messages
  • 🔊 Noisy
  • 🔧 Custom dice issues
  • 🔧 Customization tricky
  • 🔧 Missing features

A Study in Steampunk

From 122 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📖 Engaging and well-written story
  • 🎭 Deep character development
  • 🔄 High replayability with divergent outcomes
  • 🌍 Richly detailed world-building
  • 💡 Meaningful choices that impact the narrative

Room to improve

  • 🙅‍♂️ Male protagonist only (major complaint)
  • ❓ Lack of clear gender choice in description
  • ⚙️ Display options not functioning properly (minor bug)

Bugs and requests

Mach Dice

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Custom dice not transferring pictures
  • Background doesn't work on iPhone 5S
  • Dice formulas get messed up with new custom dice
  • Locked dice don't stay locked
  • Formula entry screen doesn't always work
Show 1 more
  • Managing multiple dice sets is difficult

Requested features

16 requests
  • Ability to clear history
  • Reach developer from app
  • Volume control
  • Presets or exclude held dice from total
  • Saved dice sets
Show 11 more
  • Subtotal of locked dice
  • Options to total dice differently
  • Colored/textured dice
  • More weight/mass to dice
  • Easier dice selection
  • Option to disable accelerometer
  • Dice skins/colors
  • Subtract/multiply/divide on dice calculator
  • Mark highest/lowest dice
  • Display results as formula
  • Color mark dice by value

A Study in Steampunk

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Display options not functioning properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to play as a female character
  • Update description to include gender limitation
  • Sequel/prequel in the same universe
  • Option to ride in a steampunk Mecha

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mach Dice

One-time1
  • Create Custom Dice$0.99
None

A Study in Steampunk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mach Dice free?
Mach Dice costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is A Study in Steampunk free?
A Study in Steampunk costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mach Dice or A Study in Steampunk?
A Study in Steampunk is rated higher. Mach Dice averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while A Study in Steampunk averages 4.7 from 122 ratings.
Do Mach Dice or A Study in Steampunk have ads?
A Study in Steampunk shows ads; Mach Dice does not.
Which is updated more often, Mach Dice or A Study in Steampunk?
Mach Dice ships an update every 17 months, and A Study in Steampunk every 24 months. Most recently, Mach Dice was updated on October 21, 2026 and A Study in Steampunk on October 21, 2026.

Other comparisons