Comparison

Companions vs Abalone®

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

Head to head
About

Companions

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
Read full description

- TOUCHARCADE REVIEW (****): "It's pretty rare to see an iOS strategy game that not only has a captivating story, sound gameplay mechanics, and challenging difficulty, but also manages to accomplish all this while not being a tower defense derivative. Companions manages to achieve all this and more, and leads to a great experience for those iPad owners looking to try out a real strategy game." - GAMERS TEMPLE (96%): Companions drags together the best of bigger console titles (story, character, length) and the best of the handheld world (touch-screen controls, single iPad multiplayer) into one cohesive, extremely fun game. No joke: If you don't like the game after level 1 or 2, you probably just hate fun games. Download this one soon. - iPHONE LIFE: "Companions makes good use of the iPad to give complete command over any melee situation, has a detailed storyline, and plenty of challenges to keep oneself immersed for hours!" - FEATURES: - PLAY the huge campaign with 10+ hours playtime - PLAY again with different party combinations - ENDLESS replay value (random drops, random enemies) - PLAY with 3 different classes for each race: - Minotaur: Berserker, Gladiator, Bull - Elf: Assassin, Ranger, Archer - Dwarf: Miner, Draftsman, Engineer - Human: Light, Matter, Void - IMMERSE yourself into the deep story line - ENJOY the 40+ skills - BUILD bombard, crossbow and scythe towers - LAY spike traps, stone traps and decoy bombs - GATHER 100+ items - GAIN 30+ unique items - FIGHT brutal boss mobs - SURVIVE gigantic battles - USE the tactical pause (20 or 60 seconds) - LISTEN to philosophical pest zombies - DEFEAT the really BIG DRAGON RAARTAARK - LOOK upon the great artwork - CHOOSE from 3 difficulty settings - CONNECT to GameCenter - GET 41 achievements - SCORE on the 4 single maps with leaderboards - AUTO and MANUAL save - YOU ARE IN CONTROL! Lead the four Companions to their destiny. Battles of epic magnitude await you on your way down towards the catacombs of Mentzel and the lava chambers of the volcano Eaneum. Hordes of evil and strange creatures with nothing but hatred and death in their minds will do everything in their power to stop the Companions! Altland may well be thrown into another devastating war. You are the only one able to guide the Companions safely through the storm that threatens to engulf the world! The dangers are potent and manyfold. MAY UROORG BE WITH YOU! - SAVE ALTLAND! Altland is in danger. The dark god Detexx is on the rise again, ready to plunge Altland into eternal darkness. People are vanishing and rumour has it, that strange creatures roam the land. Unbeknown to each other our four heroes begin their quests in the catacombs of Mentzel. You have to unriddle the evil plans of the dark god and do everything in your power to stop the "Hordes of Nether"!

About

Abalone®

Experience a classic two-player board game on a hexagonal board. Push your opponent's marbles off while protecting your own. Offers strategic depth, online play, and over 200 puzzles.

Highlights
  • Classic hexagonal board gameplay
  • Push opponent's marbles off
  • Play against computer or online
  • Casual and ranked matches
  • Over 200 puzzles and brain-teasers
  • Customizable game settings
Features
Read full description

Enter the world of Abalone, the classic board game that's been enjoyed by millions of players worldwide.With intuitive gameplay, and endless strategic possibilities, Abalone offers an immersive and challenging gaming experience that will keep you coming back for more. Abalone is a two-player game that takes place on a hexagonal board, with each player controlling 14 marbles of their chosen color. The goal of the game is to push your opponent's marbles off the board while protecting your own. Players take turns making moves, which consist of either moving a single marble one space in any direction, or pushing a line of marbles in a straight line, as long as they have the numerical advantage. The first player to push six marbles off the board wins the game. While the rules of the game are simple and easy to learn, the strategic possibilities are endless. Players must use their analytical skills and strategic thinking to outmaneuver their opponents, create defensive lines, use angles to their advantage, harness momentum, and even sacrifice a marble when necessary. The game is accessible to players of all skill levels, yet offers endless depth and complexity for those who crave a true challenge. You have the option to play against the computer, online with friends or , or against other players from around the world. The game includes both casual and ranked matches, so players can choose the level of competition they want to face. With a simple and intuitive interface, players can easily customize their settings, select their preferred marbles, board, frame, and sumito to fit their style, and get into the game with ease. But that's not all! Abalone also includes over 200 puzzles and brain-teasers that will challenge you to think outside the box and improve your skills. These puzzles range from simple and straightforward to complex and challenging, and are sure to keep players engaged and entertained for hours on end. With easy-to-learn mechanics, challenging gameplay, and endless strategic possibilities, Abalone is a game that you won't want to put down. Download now and start your Abalone adventure!

Screenshots

Abalone®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Companions at 83% against Abalone®'s 17%. Companions also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and ads (none vs shown). Abalone®'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 months). On device support 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

Companions is free to download; Abalone® costs $3.99 up front. Companions sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Abalone® asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Abalone® holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Companions has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Companions's written reviews are positive against 17% of Abalone®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Companions ships an update every 3 months, Abalone® daily. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Companions versus Abalone®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompanionsAbalone®
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.8 (13 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.9% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS8.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB209 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSmuttlewerk Interactive UG (haftungsbeschrankt)Plug In Digital

Customer experience

Companions

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral7.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews117 reviews
Positive82.9%
Neutral10.3%
Negative6.8%

Abalone®

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

Companions

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • 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
Show 4 more
  • Double-tap potion system unreliable during combat
  • Game crashes when exiting and returning to campaign
  • Characters not responding to commands as intended
  • Incompatibility with certain device region formats

Requested features

14 requests
  • 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
Show 9 more
  • More complex tactical options and additional skills
  • Expanded item customization system
  • Varied environments beyond dungeons
  • Objective markers or quest guidance system
  • Music and background audio
  • Universal app support (not iPad-only)
  • Multiplayer functionality
  • Game shop to sell and upgrade equipment
  • Additional content and expansion updates

Abalone®

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Companions

One-time4
  • 5 Ur-Steel$0.99
  • 12 Ur-Steel$1.99
  • 35 Ur-Steel$4.99
Show 1 more
  • 80 Ur-Steel$9.99
None

Abalone®

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Companions free?
Companions is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Abalone® free?
Abalone® costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Companions or Abalone®?
Abalone® is rated higher. Companions averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Abalone® averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Companions or Abalone® have ads?
Abalone® shows ads; Companions does not.
Which is updated more often, Companions or Abalone®?
Companions ships an update every 3 months, and Abalone® daily. Most recently, Companions was updated on June 9, 2026 and Abalone® on September 24, 2026.

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