Spaceward Ho! vs Dune
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spaceward Ho!
Command a spacefaring civilization to explore, colonize, and conquer the galaxy. Develop technologies, manage resources, and lead your starship fleets in strategic battles against alien adversaries. Forge alliances or dominate the cosmos to determine the fate of the galaxy.
- Galaxy exploration and colonization
- Empire and economy management
- Technology development
- Starship fleet combat
- Diplomacy with alien races
- Resource mining and terraforming
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Spaceward Ho! is a strategic game of awesome scope. You control the entire military and economy of a spacefaring race. Your goal: explore and colonize the galaxy. Unfortunately, you are not alone. Alien enemies bent on galactic conquest will oppose your expansion. You fight them by developing new technologies and expanding your empire, or you can ally with them to turn enemies into friends. Terraform newly discovered worlds or mine their natural resources. Maneuver your starship fleets, both in defense of your own systems and in offensive strikes against the evil aliens. Your strategic decisions will determine the fate of the galaxy. Based on the original Mac/PC/Palm game and updated for iOS. For new players, read the Help file and also watch the tutorial video online. Please contact us on Twitter @SpacewardHo or Our Website, or send us email.
Dune
Engage in strategic warfare and political intrigue on the desert planet Arrakis. This award-winning board game adaptation blends deck-building and worker placement mechanics. Compete against AI, other players online, or face unique challenges and rotating game modes.
- Deck-building mechanics
- Worker placement strategy
- Online multiplayer
- Local AI battles
- Unique challenges
- Rotating Skirmish Mode
- Achievement system
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Immerse yourself in the world of Dune. Experience the ultimate blend of strategy and intrigue as you navigate the treacherous landscapes of Arrakis in the award-winning board game Dune: Imperium! Battle online, locally with AI, or against the formidable House Hagal. Earn Achievements that showcase your prowess as a leader. Embark on more than a dozen Challenges that will test your wit and cunning. Compete for badges in the rotating Skirmish Mode where no two games are the same! Control the Spice. Control the Universe. Arrakis. Dune. Desert Planet. Raise your banner above the vast wasteland before you. As the Great Houses of the Landsraad marshal their forces and their spies, whom will you influence, and whom will you betray? A tyrannical Emperor. The secretive Bene Gesserit. The shrewd Spacing Guild. The ferocious Fremen of the Deep Desert. The power of the Imperium can be yours, but war is not the only way to claim it. Dune: Imperium blends deck-building and worker placement in a deeply thematic new strategy game where the fate of the Empire hangs on your decisions. Will you seek political allies or rely upon military might? Economic strength or subtle intrigues? A council seat… or a sharpened blade? The cards are dealt. The choice is yours. The Imperium awaits.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spaceward Ho! at none against Dune's 3. Spaceward Ho! also leads on price ($4.99 vs $10.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Dune's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (5K vs 95). On review sentiment, ads 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
Spaceward Ho! costs $4.99 and Dune $10.99 up front. Dune sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Spaceward Ho! asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dune holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dune has 5K ratings behind it against 95, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 79% positive.
Spaceward Ho! ships an update every 6 weeks, Dune every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spaceward Ho! | Dune |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $10.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (95 ratings) | 4.9 (5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews | 78.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 95 | 5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #188 | #22 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 804 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Ariton | Dire Wolf Digital |
Customer experience
Spaceward Ho!
Dune
User reviews
Spaceward Ho!
From 95 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ⏰ Timeless gameplay still engaging after 30+ years
- 📱 Works well on modern iOS devices despite age
- 🎮 Faithful port of classic Mac game
- 🎯 Simple yet deep strategy mechanics
- 😄 Includes original sound effects and Easter eggs
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 📐 UI feels clunky and dated
- 🔍 Small icons and buttons difficult to tap accurately
- 📊 Missing comparison graphs from original version
- 🎯 Planet icons remain too large when zoomed out
Dune
From 5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful implementation
- 💪 Challenging AI
- 🕹️ Great digital adaptation of the board game
- 🕰️ Quick gameplay sessions
Room to improve
- 🔒 Obtrusive DRM
- 🕹️ No local multiplayer/pass-and-play
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔁 Slow reloading when switching between app and game
- 🔍 Difficulty seeing card details
Bugs and requests
Spaceward Ho!
Reported bugs
11 issues- Game crashes when ending turn while winning
- Crashes on iOS 14+ due to security checks
- Audio issues on Mac with Apple Silicon
- Dreadnoughts disappear when mixed with tankers in delayed fleets
- Some planets get stuck and won't terraform or mine
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- Double-tap battle recap feature removed in update
- Leaderboard and achievements not updating
- Game runs slowly on older devices
- Planets get stuck unable to move ships
- Interface elements scale incorrectly when zoomed out
- Text overlays prevent clicking through to planets
Requested features
15 requests- Multiplayer support (most frequently requested)
- WiFi/Bluetooth multiplayer with friends
- Game Center integration for multiplayer
- Save/load game functionality for save-scumming
- Ability to rename planets and ships
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- Improved UI with modern design
- Mac desktop version with flexible layout
- Better fleet management interface
- Leaderboard and achievement updates
- Ability to measure distance between planets
- Individual ship naming for fleets
- Adjustable mining vs terraforming levels
- Pop-up magnifier for precise slider control
- Comparison graphs for player statistics
- Tap-and-hold menu controls instead of button clicks
Dune
Reported bugs
4 issues- Intrigue card issues
- Inconsistent login credentials
- Notification problems
- Victory points reset bug
Requested features
4 requests- Controller support
- Pass and play mode
- Ability to choose leaders
- Expand card detail visibility
In-app purchases
Spaceward Ho!
No in-app purchases
Dune
- Dune: Imperium - Rise of Ix$9.99
- Dune: Imperium - Immortality$9.99
- Dune: Imperium - Uprising$10.99
