Comparison

Dark Meadow vs DODONPACHI MAXIMUM

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

Head to head
About

Dark Meadow

Explore a decaying hospital in a dark fairytale mystery. Engage in thrilling combat with gesture-based controls, uncover secrets, and upgrade your gear. This visually stunning adventure offers a gripping story and atmospheric gameplay.

Highlights
  • Visually stunning Unreal 3 engine graphics
  • Mature dark fairytale plot
  • Gesture-based combat (crossbow and sword)
  • Deep exploration and item discovery
  • In-world storytelling and acting
  • RPG elements for character progression
Features
Read full description

FREE VERSION OF THE VISUALLY STUNNING, ENGROSSING STORYTELLING GAME ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE! Nominated for Mobile Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences * IGN: "worth playing just to experience the game’s huge amount of eccentric dialogue, and to experience the unfolding mystery.... one of the best to hit the App Store in recent memory." * KOTAKU: "at home in the halls of BioShock's Rapture...disturbingly gorgeous experience." * DESTRUCTOID: "a very atmospheric and engrossing game with a delicious streak of dark humor coursing through its veins.. worth picking up for anybody with an interest in iOS gaming." * JOYSTIQ: "It's a surprisingly funny, gorgeous game that's an easy recommendation... ram home the truth that mobile games are getting surprisingly good at creating big worlds on tiny screens." * TOUCH ARCADE: "The Dark Meadow is a standout in almost every way. From look to setting to the touch-centric gameplay, it shines, and you can tell this title was crafted with much love " * GIZMODO.UK: "a splendid achievement. The bar has been raised, the gauntlet has been thrown down, and the hyperbole has been exhausted. We can’t wait to see the next game that tries to go one better." * MODOJO: "a cross between BioShock and Infinity Blade... a hauntingly beautiful and intriguing game everyone should play, as it offers both a compelling adventure and a glimpse into the future of smart phone gaming. " * GAMEZEBO: "arguably the best title to come to the genre. It's gorgeous, it's creepy, and it's a blast to play. This is the perfect game to play during the Halloween season. " A dark fairytale of intrigue and mystery, where the sins of the past must be paid for… So sets the stage for The Dark Meadow -- a visually stunning world of deep exploration, gripping story, and heart racing combat, created with the unrivaled power of the Unreal Engine 3. You awake in a hospital uncertain of how you arrived there or why. An old man warns of a beautiful witch whose minions roam the halls seeking the living. It is only when the witch is destroyed that you will be released from this unrelenting torment. Using fun and intuitive fully gesture-based controls, you explore the decaying ruins of Montclair Hospital, armed with your crossbow for long-range combat as well as your sword for up close and personal melee battles. The best elements from role-playing games encourage exploration as a wide variety of items are secreted throughout the world – from hidden scraps of paper that reveal the mystery of your imprisonment, to weapons and items, to money which can be used to purchase better equipment and weapons. - Visually stunning, photo-realistic world built with the Unreal 3 engine - A mature plot, stylized as a dark modern fairytale with bizarre twists and turns; - In-world storytelling and quality acting - Gesture-based action: crossbow ranged combat with ‘pull back and fire’ mechanic, slashing melee combat with dodging, blocking, and combos; - Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean , Italian, Simplified Chinese, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese languages.

About

DODONPACHI MAXIMUM

Experience intense bullet-hell action with this mobile shooter. Navigate through overwhelming enemy fire with intuitive one-finger controls. Features include multiple difficulty modes and a remixed soundtrack.

Highlights
  • One-finger controls
  • Bullet-hell gameplay
  • Easy and Normal modes
  • Remixed soundtrack
  • Combo system
Features
Read full description

Now updated for iOS 11 or later! Enjoy the bullet hell with your new iOS! ###CAVE'S FIRST ALL-ORIGINAL SMARTPHONE SHOOTER### Take a ride on EVAC Co.'s maximum bullet-hell simulator, the M.B.S.! Survive an incredible array of bullet-hell weaponry! CAVE shooters are now mixed up! ≪ Game Overview ≫ [OPTIMIZED FOR ONE-FINGER WARFARE!] Weave through walls of bullets! Smash through the enemy and build combos! Manic, full-throttle gameplay, all controlled with your thumb! [BEGINNERS CAN JUMP RIGHT IN! EASY MODE INCLUDED!] If you're not sure you've got what it takes, start off with Easy Mode. Once you've conquered that, test your mettle with Normal Mode! [REMIXED MUSIC INCLUDED!] Remixed versions of classic Dodonpachi series tracks included! Remix composer WASi303 has written a new soundtrack for a new Dodonpachi world! ### Important ###: Please read the following before downloading this application. ●Compatibility: iPhone5S or later, iPod touch 6thGen. or later and iPad Air or later. ●Compatible OS: iOS 11 or later. ●This application will use mass volume of memory. Please note the application may not function properly or shutdown without any notice when used with limited memory space. ●Turning ON the accessibility option setting may cause malfunctions in certain features.

Screenshots

Dark Meadow4 screens
DODONPACHI MAXIMUM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dark Meadow at Free against DODONPACHI MAXIMUM's $3.99. Dark Meadow also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (6.6K vs 53). DODONPACHI MAXIMUM's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Dark Meadow is free to download; DODONPACHI MAXIMUM costs $3.99 up front. Dark Meadow sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. DODONPACHI MAXIMUM asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DODONPACHI MAXIMUM holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dark Meadow has 6.6K ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Dark Meadow's written reviews are positive against 72% of DODONPACHI MAXIMUM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Meadow ships an update every 9 days, DODONPACHI MAXIMUM every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Dark Meadow versus DODONPACHI MAXIMUM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark MeadowDODONPACHI MAXIMUM
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.4 (6.6K ratings)4.8 (53 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews — better72.5% of reviews
Number of ratings6.6K — better53
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS4.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size547 MB393 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperPhosphor Games Studio, LLCCAVE CO.,LTD.

Customer experience

Dark Meadow

All ratings6,649 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews304 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative10.9%

DODONPACHI MAXIMUM

All ratings53 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews189 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative20.1%

User reviews

Dark Meadow

From 6.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great graphics
  • 👍 Engaging story and characters
  • 🎮 Unique and immersive gameplay
  • 💎 Creepy and atmospheric

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🤑 Aggressive monetization through in-app purchases
  • 🕹️ Repetitive combat and gameplay loop
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

DODONPACHI MAXIMUM

From 53 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Classic bullet hell gameplay
  • 👍 Smooth controls on touchscreens
  • 🎶 Engaging music and sound design
  • 🕹️ Challenging difficulty for experts
  • 👶 Beginner-friendly options available

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Screen glitches/bugs on newer iOS
  • 📉 Graphics can be repetitive/plain
  • ⚠️ Some users find it too difficult
  • 💸 High price point for some
  • 🕹️ Control issues on certain devices

Bugs and requests

Dark Meadow

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on startup or during gameplay
  • Inability to pick up items in certain areas
  • Inconsistent controls and camera movement
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Update for newer iOS versions
  • More varied enemy types and combat mechanics
  • Ability to save progress and resume later
  • Optimization for larger screens like iPhone 5

DODONPACHI MAXIMUM

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Screen glitches after iOS updates (especially iOS 18)
  • Graphics breaking/rendering issues
  • Game Center achievements not unlocking
  • Screen shifted upwards, making parts inaccessible
  • Game not displaying correctly on iPad Mini 2024
Show 4 more
  • Game not installing on iPod Touch 5th gen
  • Leaderboard scores wiped
  • Achievements not awarded
  • Game Center integration issues

Requested features

9 requests
  • Adjustable screen size
  • Option to disable letterboxing
  • More varied backgrounds
  • Improved Game Center integration/achievements
  • Support for older devices/iOS versions
Show 4 more
  • MFi controller support
  • Add more Cave games to the store
  • Option to continue from last boss
  • Manual fire option

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Dark Meadow

One-time10
  • 35,000 Gold Pieces$0.99
  • 100 Sun Coins$0.99
  • 100,000 Gold Pieces$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 210 Sun Coins$1.99
  • Premium Upgrade$1.99
  • 300,000 Gold Pieces$4.99
  • 550 Sun Coins$4.99
  • 800,000 Gold Pieces$9.99
  • 1250 Sun Coins$9.99
  • 2,000,000 Gold Pieces$19.99
None

DODONPACHI MAXIMUM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dark Meadow free?
Dark Meadow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DODONPACHI MAXIMUM free?
DODONPACHI MAXIMUM costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dark Meadow or DODONPACHI MAXIMUM?
DODONPACHI MAXIMUM is rated higher. Dark Meadow averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while DODONPACHI MAXIMUM averages 4.8 from 53 ratings.
Do Dark Meadow or DODONPACHI MAXIMUM have ads?
Neither Dark Meadow nor DODONPACHI MAXIMUM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dark Meadow or DODONPACHI MAXIMUM?
Dark Meadow ships an update every 9 days, and DODONPACHI MAXIMUM every 2 months. Most recently, Dark Meadow was updated on October 19, 2026 and DODONPACHI MAXIMUM on October 21, 2026.

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