# The Bard's Tale vs Shakedown

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shakedown at none against The Bard's Tale's 10. Shakedown also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). The Bard's Tale's advantage is ratings volume (658 vs 20) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

The Bard's Tale costs $2.99 and Shakedown $4.99 up front. The Bard's Tale sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Shakedown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shakedown holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Bard's Tale has 658 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of The Bard's Tale's written reviews are positive against 92% of Shakedown's.

The Bard's Tale ships an update every 3 months, Shakedown fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Bard's Tale | Shakedown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (658 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bards-tale/id480375355/reviews) | **[4.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakedown-hawaii/id6739521561/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **658** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 70.4% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [inXile Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/290807372) | [Vblank Entertainment Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/943175955) |

## What reviewers say

### The Bard's Tale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bards-tale/id480375355)

Embark on a massive 3D epic role-playing adventure filled with humor and magic. Summon allies, explore a vast world, and battle diverse enemies. This critically acclaimed game offers hours of engaging gameplay with a full cast of characters and a rich inventory.

**Highlights:** Massive 3D epic role-playing game, Magical song summoning, Vast world exploration, 50+ enemy types, Over 150 unique items, Includes classic trilogy, iCloud saves

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Clipping Kit | $0.99 | one-time |
| Receive Inheritance | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bard Training | $0.99 | one-time |
| Trow Map Collection | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bard Intensive Training | $1.99 | one-time |
| Discover Lost Silver Mine | $2.99 | one-time |
| Talent Boot Camp | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bard Epic Transformation Training | $2.99 | one-time |
| Best Bow: Ddraig Goch | $2.99 | one-time |
| Best Armor: Armor of Llyr | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Funny and entertaining
- 👍 Good value for money
- 👍 Nostalgic for old fans
- 👍 Smooth gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Glitchy save system
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer devices
- 🔋 Performance issues on older devices
- 👎 Repetitive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Dialogue options not showing up
- Saved games getting corrupted
- Compatibility issues with iOS 14 and newer

**Requested features**

- Improved graphics and visuals
- Better tutorial and onboarding
- More save points and checkpoints
- Ability to restore in-app purchases


### Shakedown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakedown-hawaii/id6739521561)

Embark on a 16-bit open-world adventure where you build a business empire. Complete missions, acquire properties, and sabotage rivals to dominate the island. Explore by land, sea, or air, uncovering secrets and engaging in arcade challenges.

**Highlights:** 16-bit open world exploration, Business acquisition and management, Mission-based gameplay, Sabotage competitors, Vehicle and boat traversal, Arcade challenges and side quests

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Bard's Tale free?

The Bard's Tale costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Shakedown free?

Shakedown costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Bard's Tale or Shakedown?

Shakedown is rated higher. The Bard's Tale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 658 ratings, while Shakedown averages 4.9 from 20 ratings.

### Do The Bard's Tale or Shakedown have ads?

Neither The Bard's Tale nor Shakedown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Bard's Tale or Shakedown?

The Bard's Tale ships an update every 3 months, and Shakedown fortnightly. Most recently, The Bard's Tale was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shakedown on October 28, 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.*