Comparison

Dead Already vs Verbena

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

Head to head
About

Dead Already

Engage in a text-based murder mystery where the killer is randomized each playthrough. Make choices to uncover clues and solve the crime in this challenging game.

Highlights
  • Text-based murder mystery
  • ChoiceScript multiple-choice format
  • Randomly selected murderer
  • Short gameplay sessions
  • Challenging puzzles
Features
Read full description

Life is not fair, neither is this game. Another short murder mystery for you to solve following ChoiceScript multiple-choice text-based format. The murderer is randomly selected at the beginning of each game for a greater challenge.

About

Verbena

A cozy word game that blends gardening with roguelike deckbuilding. Spell words to achieve seasonal goals, collect enchanted charms to create powerful combos, and nurture your garden through the changing seasons. Enjoy a relaxed, turn-based experience with no timers or ads.

Highlights
  • Word spelling and garden growing
  • Roguelike deckbuilding mechanics
  • Collect and combine enchanted charms
  • Seasonal progression with unique challenges
  • Daily challenges and leaderboards
  • Relaxed, turn-based gameplay
  • Cozy visuals and soothing soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Verbena — a cozy word roguelike. Spell words. Grow your garden. Chase the bloom. Verbena blends the calm of a cozy garden with the moreish "just one more run" of a roguelike deckbuilder. Draw a rack of letters, spell words to reach each season's goal, then visit the Garden Shop to collect enchanted charms — a Sunflower that adds to every word, a Dewdrop that rewards vowels, a Lucky Ladybug that multiplies your score. Stack charms into run-defining combos and see how many seasons your garden can survive. No timers. No pressure. No ads, ever. A fresh fusion — word game meets roguelike deckbuilder Collect from 17 charms (with a Charm Codex to complete) and build wild combos Special seasons add twists — gentler goals, bonus leaves, lusher words Daily Challenge — everyone gets the same letters; build your streak A garden that blooms through Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter as you climb Cozy visuals, a soothing synth soundtrack, and a relaxed turn-based pace Light & dark "night garden" themes — and it autosaves, so pick up anytime Universal — plays on iPhone and iPad Accessibility-minded: no timers, Relaxed difficulty, VoiceOver, readable-letters, reduce-motion, a Hint helper Game Center leaderboards & achievements, plus personal Records A 200,000-word dictionary Try 7 days free, then S$2.99/month — no ads, no tracking, cancel anytime Whether you have two minutes or twenty, plant a new garden and watch it bloom. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Dead Already4 screens
Verbena4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Verbena at 5.0 against Dead Already's 1.0. Verbena also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Dead Already's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume and 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

Both are free to download. Dead Already sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Verbena asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Verbena holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Already ships an update every 7 months, Verbena every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 6, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Dead Already versus Verbena: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead AlreadyVerbena
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB3 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHosted Games LLCNaizhong Xu

Customer experience

Dead Already

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral18.2%
Negative27.3%

Verbena

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dead Already

One-time1
  • Remove Advertising$4.99
None

Verbena

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dead Already free?
Dead Already is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Verbena free?
Verbena is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dead Already or Verbena?
Verbena is rated higher. Dead Already averages 1.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Verbena averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Dead Already or Verbena have ads?
Dead Already shows ads; Verbena does not.
Which is updated more often, Dead Already or Verbena?
Dead Already ships an update every 7 months, and Verbena every 2 days. Most recently, Dead Already was updated on October 6, 2026 and Verbena on October 6, 2026.

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