# Companions vs DEAD 2048

The clearest difference is rating: Companions at 4.8 against DEAD 2048's 4.0. Companions also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (82% vs 61%). DEAD 2048's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (82 vs 13). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Companions sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and DEAD 2048 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Companions holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DEAD 2048 has 82 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Companions's written reviews are positive against 61% of DEAD 2048's.

Companions ships an update every 3 months, DEAD 2048 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Companions | DEAD 2048 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/companions/id418974698/reviews)** | [4.0 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-2048/id1286950887/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **82** |
| Positive reviews | **82.4% of reviews** | 60.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 79 MB | 252 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Smuttlewerk Interactive UG (haftungsbeschrankt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/418974701) | [Cogoo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/951657514) |

## What reviewers say

### Companions

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/companions/id418974698)

Embark on an epic campaign in this old-school dungeon crawler. Lead four companions through a world threatened by darkness, utilizing diverse classes, skills, and tactical combat. With a deep storyline and endless replayability, prepare for challenging battles and a rich adventure.

**Highlights:** 10+ hour campaign, Multiple party combinations, Endless replayability, 3 classes per race, 40+ skills, Gather 100+ items, Tactical pause

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Ur-Steel | $0.99 | one-time |
| 12 Ur-Steel | $1.99 | one-time |
| 35 Ur-Steel | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80 Ur-Steel | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Deep tactical combat system with strategic pause mechanic
- 📖 Engaging story with humor and character development
- 🎨 Quality graphics and visual presentation
- 👥 Unique multi-character control with diverse class options
- ⚔️ Challenging gameplay that rewards careful planning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 Awkward and fiddly touch controls
- 📱 Difficult multi-character management during combat
- ⏱️ Restrictive tactical pause timer creates frustration
- 🗺️ Limited camera/map controls and no minimap
- 🐢 Slow character movement through dungeons

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup or when party members die
- Freezing at loading screen on iPad 2
- Characters unable to interact with destructible objects in certain rooms
- Characters getting stuck during pathfinding
- Mages unable to cast area spells in some situations

**Requested features**

- Minimap or map overview feature
- Single-finger screen panning instead of two-finger requirement
- Turn-based mode option for combat
- Group movement and formation commands
- Longer or unlimited tactical pause timer


### DEAD 2048

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-2048/id1286950887)

This game merges 2048 puzzle mechanics with tower defense strategy. Players swipe to merge defense towers, fend off zombie waves, and build a biology lab to save the world. It offers a unique challenge for fans of puzzles, defense games, and zombie themes.

**Highlights:** 2048 puzzle merging mechanics, Tower defense strategy, Zombie wave survival, Build and upgrade defense towers, Unlock Biology Laboratory to win, Playable offline

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Undo Package 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Constructor Package 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cleaner x3 | $1.99 | one-time |
| AD Cleaner | $1.99 | one-time |
| Undo Package 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Constructor Package 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cleaner x20 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Vaccine Package 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Special Package 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Package 2 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative concept combining 2048 and tower defense
- 👍 Addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Challenging and requires strategic thinking
- 🤩 Fun and creative twist on 2048
- ✨ Unique and original idea

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases/items
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🐛 Game-breaking bugs and crashes
- 📉 Progress loss and resets
- 💰 Ad remover not fully effective

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes frequently, especially during ads
- Game progress resets unexpectedly
- Ads still appear after purchasing ad remover
- Game freezes or becomes unresponsive
- Zombies sometimes move backward or don't spawn correctly

**Requested features**

- Add an undo feature
- More tutorial guidance
- More stages/content
- Improve ad-removal effectiveness
- Fix bugs related to progress loss


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Companions free?

Companions is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DEAD 2048 free?

DEAD 2048 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Companions or DEAD 2048?

Companions is rated higher. Companions averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while DEAD 2048 averages 4.0 from 82 ratings.

### Do Companions or DEAD 2048 have ads?

DEAD 2048 shows ads; Companions does not.

### Which is updated more often, Companions or DEAD 2048?

Companions ships an update every 3 months, and DEAD 2048 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Companions was updated on November 1, 2026 and DEAD 2048 on November 6, 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.*