# Cavern vs GnollHack

The clearest difference is price: GnollHack at Free against Cavern's $2.99. GnollHack also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Cavern's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

GnollHack is free to download; Cavern costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Cavern against 4.7 for GnollHack. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 69 and 110 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Cavern's written reviews are positive against 85% of GnollHack's.

Cavern ships an update every 2 weeks, GnollHack every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cavern | GnollHack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cavern/id346653564/reviews) | **[4.7 (110 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gnollhack/id1626979951/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 69 | **110** |
| Positive reviews | 79.7% of reviews | **85.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 114 MB | 771 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Sami Sierla](https://appshunter.io/developer/346653567) | [Hyvän mielen pelit ry](https://appshunter.io/developer/1696097244) |

## What reviewers say

### Cavern

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cavern/id346653564)

Embark on a randomly generated dungeon-crawling adventure inspired by classic roguelikes. Choose from three distinct characters to battle monsters, collect treasure, and retrieve a stolen artifact to save the surface world.

**Highlights:** Randomly generated dungeons, Three playable characters, Shops for equipment and treasure, Over 40 different monsters, Randomized item attributes, Online highscores and ranking, Permadeath

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging roguelike gameplay with high replayability
- 👍 Simple, intuitive controls designed for mobile
- 🎨 Charming retro pixel art graphics
- 💰 Excellent value for the price
- 🔄 Procedurally generated dungeons ensure variety

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Tap-to-move controls feel imprecise and frustrating
- 🎮 Lacks depth in character customization and RPG mechanics
- 📖 Insufficient explanations of game mechanics and effects
- 🔤 Text and UI elements too small on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when approaching deeper dungeon levels
- Crashes when talking to friendly NPCs
- Crashes after character death
- Crashes on inventory screen
- Game freezes and requires restart after extended play

**Requested features**

- D-pad or button-based movement controls
- Zoom in/out functionality for better visibility
- Level counter display during gameplay
- Endless mode or additional challenge modes
- More character classes and races


### GnollHack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gnollhack/id1626979951)

Embark on a perilous quest in a remastered classic roguelike. Explore procedurally generated dungeons, battle monsters, and uncover powerful artifacts. With deep strategy, a rich class and race system, and challenging permadeath, every playthrough offers endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Turn-based roguelike gameplay, Modern user interface, Procedurally generated dungeons, 13 classes and 5 races, Hundreds of items and spells, Challenging permadeath mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cavern free?

Cavern costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is GnollHack free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cavern or GnollHack?

GnollHack is rated higher. Cavern averages 4.6 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while GnollHack averages 4.7 from 110 ratings.

### Do Cavern or GnollHack have ads?

Neither Cavern nor GnollHack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cavern or GnollHack?

Cavern ships an update every 2 weeks, and GnollHack every 5 days. Most recently, Cavern was updated on September 23, 2026 and GnollHack on September 25, 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.*