Comparison

Ascension vs TMHelper

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

Head to head
About

Ascension

Engage in a strategic deck-building card game where you acquire cards to gain Renown and unlock powerful Boons. Battle against the Fallen One alone or with friends, with expansions available to deepen the experience.

Highlights
  • Deck-building card game mechanics
  • Single-player and multiplayer modes
  • Unlock powerful Boons and Legendary status
  • Cross-platform online play
  • Offline AI opponents
  • Multiple expansions available
Features
Read full description

***Legends Expansion Now Available!** Return to the world of Vigil as the Muses of Malevolence rise to bring ruin. Legendary Heroes from Ascension’s past have returned to guide you, granting their power to those who prove worthy. Each card you acquire or defeat grants Renown with its factions, advancing you on the Legendary Track. As your Renown grows, unlock powerful Boons from Legendary Characters and, at the pinnacle of a faction’s track, gain Legendary status with the power to acquire or defeat one card from that faction for free each turn. Ascension: Deck Building Game, is the award winning deck building card game for mobile. Play alone or with friends to battle against the Fallen One for honor and victory. Conceived and designed by Magic: The Gathering tournament champions, Ascension will provide hours of engaging and strategic game play for enthusiast and experienced gamers alike. 2011 Golden Geek award winner (Best Mobile/Handheld Game) Pocket Gamer Bronze Award 2011 Dice Tower Awards Awards: Best Digital Boardgame Best Interface and Graphic Design - 2011 Best Online Multiplayer - 2011 Highlights: • Universal Application: Plays on phones and tablets • Beautifully detailed cards • Full asynchronous support for multiplayer online games • Cross-platform online play • Play against multiple offline A.I. opponents • Multiple expansions available to purchase to expand the Ascension experience! *AN INTERNET CONNECTION AND PLAYDEK ACCOUNT ARE REQUIRED FOR ONLINE PLAY.* Per our Terms of Service, you must be 13 years old or older to use the Playdek online games service. Also by Playdek: - Twilight Struggle - D&D: Lords of Waterdeep - Labyrinth: The War On Terror - Fort Sumter - Fluxx Having an issue? Looking for support? Please contact us at: support@playdekgames.com You can follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram! Facebook: /playdek You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/playdek Twitter: @playdek Instagram: @playdek

About

TMHelper

A companion app for Terraforming Mars and its Ares Expedition expansion. It allows players to easily track global parameters, manage player boards, and keep score for up to five players. Designed for quick, touch-friendly adjustments.

Highlights
  • Track global parameters (oxygen, temperature, oceans)
  • Manage player boards with production/resource controls
  • Keep Terraforming Rating and player scores
  • Dedicated Ares Expedition mode
  • Smart, touch-first controls
Features
Read full description

TMHelper is a fast, table‑friendly companion for Terraforming Mars and Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition. Features: - Track global parameters (oxygen, temperature, oceans) at a glance - Manage player boards with quick production + resource controls - Keep Terraforming Rating and player scores for up to 5 players, color‑coded - Switch between Terraforming Mars and Ares Expedition with a dedicated Ares mode - Use smart, touch‑first controls designed for fast, mistake‑free adjustments

Screenshots

Ascension4 screens
TMHelper3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TMHelper at 4.5 against Ascension's 3.4. TMHelper also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Ascension's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 10 months). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ascension sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and TMHelper sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TMHelper holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ascension has 1.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Ascension's written reviews are positive against 67% of TMHelper's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ascension ships an update every 3 months, TMHelper every 10 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Ascension versus TMHelper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAscensionTMHelper
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (1.1K ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB6 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperPlaydek, Inc.Mike Mailyan

Customer experience

Ascension

All ratings1,103 ratings
Positive57.0%
Neutral8.7%
Negative34.3%
Written reviews822 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral9.6%
Negative30.4%

TMHelper

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Ascension

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Purchases disappearing after updates
  • Restore function not working
  • Crashes when certain cards are played
  • Constructs getting stuck in the middle of the screen
  • Game freezing and logging out users

Requested features

5 requests
  • Increase honor pool limit for online games
  • Add custom deck building options
  • Optimize for iPhone X and newer devices
  • Provide option to revert to old art style
  • Improve online multiplayer experience

TMHelper

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Ascension

One-time10
  • Storm of Souls expansion$0.99
  • Promo Pack 1$0.99
  • Immortal Heroes expansion$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Ascension Promo Cards - Pack 4$0.99
  • Rise of Vigil$0.99
  • Darkness Unleashed expansion$0.99
  • Realms Unraveled expansion$0.99
  • Dawn of Champions$0.99
  • Dreamscape$0.99
  • Return of the Fallen expansion$1.99
6 purchases

TMHelper

One-time6
  • TMHelper 7-day Free TrialFree
  • Mars$0.99
  • Earth$1.99
Show 3 more
  • Saturn$2.99
  • Jupiter$3.99
  • TMHelper Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Ascension free?
Ascension is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TMHelper free?
TMHelper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ascension or TMHelper?
TMHelper is rated higher. Ascension averages 3.4 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while TMHelper averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Ascension or TMHelper have ads?
Neither Ascension nor TMHelper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ascension or TMHelper?
Ascension ships an update every 3 months, and TMHelper every 10 months. Most recently, Ascension was updated on November 3, 2026 and TMHelper on November 3, 2026.

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