Helsing's Fire vs Crying Suns
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Helsing's Fire
Engage in a dark Gothic puzzle-adventure where you use a torch and tonics to defeat a vampire horde. Explore four worlds with unique monsters and randomly generated puzzles for endless replayability.
- Unique torch and tonic puzzle mechanic
- Four distinct worlds with 30 levels each
- Fifteen monster types including bosses
- Randomly re-generated puzzles for replayability
- Victorian Gothic setting and story
- Dynamic lighting effects
- Original soundtrack
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When the implacable Professor Helsing and his assistant Raffton travel to The Shadow Blight, they'll need every weapon at their disposal to defeat Dracula's vampire horde. In this captivating, dark Gothic puzzle-adventure, use Dr. Helsing's powerful torch and tonics to save the world from the demonic uprising! AWARDS AND ACCOLADES This is no ordinary game! Helsing's Fire is recognized around the world as one of the App Store's premier puzzle games; full of charm and challenge. IGF 2011 - Best Mobile Game Finalist IGF 2011 - Excellence in Design Honorable Mention IGF 2011 - Excellence in Visual Art Honorable Mention SlideToPlay - The 50 Best iPhone Games of 2010 (#7) TouchArcade - Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games (Puzzle) AppAdvice - The Very Best iPhone Games of 2010 (Puzzle) TheAppera - Best iPhone Games 2010 TouchGen - Editor's Choice Awards (Puzzle Runner-up) PRESS QUOTES SlideToPlay ... Helsing's Fire is one of those puzzle games that does something completely original and is unbelievably entertaining. Eurogamer ... With its insidious wit and gothic charm, Helsing's Fire is a joyously original instant classic that iPhone owners should buy immediately. TouchArcade ... It's one of the most unique games I've ever played and is a true App Store gem. Surely only a creature of darkness would let this one slip by them. TheAppera ... Helsing's Fire reinvents the puzzle yet again with some light and dark dynamics I guarantee you have NOT seen yet. Prepare to be enthralled! GamePro ... This is a game that would absolutely only work on the iOS platform, and it's hands-down one of the best games on the App Store. It gets my highest recommendation. ADDICTIVE PUZZLES Helsing's Fire features a brand-new puzzle mechanic never before seen: use the touch-screen to position Helsing's torch to illuminate different combinations of monsters, then destroy them in the correct order using Raffton's supply of different tonics. The quick, rewarding puzzles make it a perfect game for brief play-sessions, but you'll always want to play 'just one more level'! A HUGE, DARK UNIVERSE With puzzles set across four worlds, with 30 different levels in each world, all featuring fifteen different monster types including four bosses, Helsing's Fire provides an incredibly rich, deep, and varied game experience. And because on replays puzzles are re-generated randomly, the game will always be fresh! COMPELLING SETTING The Victorian theme, Gothic setting, and engaging characters make Helsing's Fire one of the most appealing story-oriented puzzle games released. Add to that the distinct minimalist style of the character portraits, the incredible dynamic lighting of the shadows cast by your moving torch, and an original soundtrack, and it's clear that Helsing's Fire presents an epic experience. Designed just for the iPhone, this is high-quality mobile gaming at its finest. MULTIPLE MODES AND ACHIEVEMENTS As if the 120 distinct levels weren't enough, Helsing's Fire also comes with additional Endless Survival and Online Bounty modes, for the bravest of the brave! And when you've stood against the horde as long as you can, you can post your scores on the fully-integrated Crystal leaderboards, earning achievements for your accomplishments and claiming bragging rights from your friends. Dracula must be stopped. Raffton, take the tonics: it's time to head into the Blight!
Crying Suns
Command a space fleet in a tactical rogue-lite inspired by classic sci-fi. Explore a procedurally generated universe, engage in strategic ship battles, and uncover a deep storyline across six chapters. Experience a rich narrative and atmospheric gameplay designed for mobile.
- Procedurally-generated space exploration
- Tactical battleship and squadron fleet combat
- Over 300 story events
- Deep, 6-chapter storyline
- Mobile-optimized interface
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When FTL meets Foundation and Dune: Crying Suns is a tactical rogue-lite that puts you in the role of a space fleet commander as you explore a mysteriously fallen empire. In this story rich experience inspired by Dune and Foundation, each successful run will uncover the truth about the Empire... and yourself as well. Main Features: - Space exploration in a procedurally-generated universe - Tactical fights between battleships and their squadron fleets - More than 300 possible story events - A deep and dramatic storyline structured in 6 chapters - A dark and disturbing atmosphere inspired by our favorite S-F universes (Foundation, Dune, Battlestar Galactica) First released on PC and Mac, the indie hit Crying Suns was carefully redesigned for mobile and tablets, including a revamped interface and intuitive touchscreen interactions. Pay once to get the full Crying Suns experience! No ads, no F2P mechanics! All future updates included. Supported languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese If you encounter any problem, please contact us at contact@cryingsuns.com with as much information as possible on the issue.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Helsing's Fire at $0.99 against Crying Suns's $8.99. Helsing's Fire also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Crying Suns's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 41) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Helsing's Fire costs $0.99 and Crying Suns $8.99 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 — 4.9 for Helsing's Fire against 4.8 for Crying Suns. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crying Suns has 2.2K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Helsing's Fire's written reviews are positive against 73% of Crying Suns's.
Helsing's Fire ships an update every 2 months, Crying Suns monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Helsing's Fire | Crying Suns |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $8.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (41 ratings) — better | 4.8 (2.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.8% of reviews — better | 72.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 41 | 2.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #80 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 1014 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | 3909 | Alternative Shift |
Customer experience
Helsing's Fire
Crying Suns
User reviews
Helsing's Fire
From 41 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Unique and engaging puzzle gameplay
- 🎨 Charming art style and aesthetic
- 💡 Innovative light-based mechanics
- 🤖 Clever and humorous character interactions
- 🕹️ Smooth and responsive controls
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- ⏱️ Relatively short main campaign
- 🎨 Lack of customization options (e.g. music volume)
Crying Suns
From 2.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun gameplay
- 🌟 Amazing atmosphere and story
- 👍 Engaging combat system
- 💎 Great value for money
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Small text and UI elements
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and missions
Bugs and requests
Helsing's Fire
Reported bugs
2 issues- Blank/unresponsive screens after iOS 8 update
- Crashes when trying to start certain levels
Requested features
4 requests- More levels and campaigns
- Ability to replay past levels
- Support for larger screen sizes (iPhone 6+)
- Colorblind accessibility options
Crying Suns
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game crashes when using certain ship abilities
- Crashes during end-of-chapter cutscenes
- Progression-blocking bugs preventing access to new content
- Inability to progress past specific story points due to crashes
Requested features
4 requests- Zoom functionality for combat screen
- Ability to play own music during gameplay
- Endless mode or sandbox option
- Improved tutorial to explain key mechanics
In-app purchases
Helsing's Fire
No in-app purchases
Crying Suns
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Helsing's Fire free?
Is Crying Suns free?
Which has better reviews, Helsing's Fire or Crying Suns?
Do Helsing's Fire or Crying Suns have ads?
Which is updated more often, Helsing's Fire or Crying Suns?
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