Comparison

Year Walk vs The Ensign

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

Head to head
About

Year Walk

Embark on a unique first-person adventure set in 19th-century Sweden, experiencing the ancient phenomenon of year walking. Explore dark woods, solve puzzles, and uncover mysteries to glimpse the future. This atmospheric game blurs reality and the supernatural.

Highlights
  • First-person adventure
  • Ancient Swedish phenomena
  • Cryptic puzzle solving
  • Supernatural elements
  • Vision quest narrative
  • Atmospheric exploration
Features
Read full description

In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways. Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions as well as reality and the supernatural. Venture out into the dark woods where strange creatures roam, on a vision quest set in 19th century Sweden. Solve cryptic puzzles, touch and listen in your search to foresee the future and finally discover if your loved one will love you back. Mysteries and clues await everywhere in Year Walk, but to fully understand the events that took place on that cold New Year's Eve, you will have to delve deeper than the adventure and lose yourself between fact and fiction. For the complete Year Walk experience, or if you're curious about the folk lore on which Year Walk is based, we recommend downloading Year Walk Companion, available for free on the App Store. "An iOS game like nothing else you’ve seen on the format to date. This is a brave and truly original work" Edge - 9/10 "Elegant and artful, Year Walk is an unmissable piece of work. You can close the app and put down the phone, but the forest may spread beyond its glassy confines, its spindly, silver-skinned trees taking root in your own home, your own dreams." Eurogamer - 9/10 "A game this distinctive, this different, this thrillingly new is the best possible demonstration of the format’s versatility; indeed, of the narrative power of the interactive medium. Simogo has made something very special here." The Telegraph - 5/5 "It's a gripping, somber, atmospheric, and elegantly-designed game, and everyone should play it. I've never played anything quite like it." Touch Arcade 5/5 "An incredible showcase for the potential of tablet games and will undoubtedly become influential over the next few years." CVG - 9/10 "Simogo has packed Year Walk with a hefty share of spine-tingling jump scares, but it’s these external trappings that cause the game’s lore to get under your skin and stick with you long after your phone or tablet has been turned off." Gamezebo - 4,5/5 "Year Walk is smart, thrilling, and absolutely stunningly crafted. It'll throw you for a loop, leaving you transfixed to the screen until you shake out all of its dark secrets." Mac|Life - 5/5 "As with any good page-turner, you won't want to put this game down until you get to the end. It's quite a journey, too. Year Walk is a beguiling adventure, and a truly memorable experience." Pocketgamer - 8/10

About

The Ensign

Embark on a challenging narrative-driven adventure where your choices have dire consequences. This game offers a fully accessible experience for VoiceOver users, delivering a difficult yet rewarding gameplay loop.

Highlights
  • 100% VoiceOver playable
  • Challenging gameplay
  • Narrative-driven
  • No ads
  • No data collection
  • No in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

death awaits. their humanity makes them strong. - 100% playable via VoiceOver - Pre-sequel to the #1 viral smash hit, A Dark Room. - Made with love by indie game developers. - No ads. - No data collection. - No IAP. - No crippled gameplay. - No data requirements. - No elevated device privileges. - Stupid difficult, but that's why you'll love it.

Screenshots

Year Walk4 screens
The Ensign4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The Ensign at 4.6 against Year Walk's 4.2. The Ensign also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 77%). Year Walk's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Year Walk costs $3.99 and The Ensign $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Ensign holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 368 and 552 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Year Walk's written reviews are positive against 86% of The Ensign's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Year Walk ships an update every 7 months, The Ensign every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Year Walk versus The Ensign: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYear WalkThe Ensign
Price$3.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.2 (368 ratings)4.6 (552 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews86.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings368552 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#108#91 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size782 MB32 MB
Age rating12++12
DeveloperSimogo ABAmirali Rajan

Customer experience

Year Walk

All ratings366 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews795 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral7.3%
Negative15.6%

The Ensign

All ratings549 ratings
Positive89.6%
Neutral2.0%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews340 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral2.9%
Negative10.9%

User reviews

Year Walk

From 368 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Gorgeous artwork and atmosphere
  • 🤯 Creepy and unsettling experience
  • 🧠 Intriguing story and folklore
  • 🔍 Compelling puzzles and exploration
  • 🎨 Unique and innovative gameplay

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Game is too short
  • 🤔 Puzzles can be confusing and unintuitive
  • 🔇 Sound issues on some devices
  • 🗺️ Frustrating navigation and getting lost
  • 💰 Expensive for the length of gameplay

The Ensign

From 552 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Compelling story and world-building
  • 🤖 Unique and challenging gameplay
  • 🎮 Rewarding progression and sense of accomplishment
  • 💎 Excellent prequel to A Dark Room
  • 🧠 Encourages strategic thinking and decision-making

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Extremely difficult and punishing at times
  • 🔁 Frustrating to restart from the beginning after dying
  • 🕹️ Lack of checkpoints or save options
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🧭 Unclear navigation and objectives at times

Bugs and requests

Year Walk

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Sound not working on certain devices
  • Crashes and freezes on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Longer gameplay and additional content
  • More guidance and hints for puzzles
  • Improved navigation and map functionality
  • Support for more devices and screen sizes

The Ensign

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashing when trying to collect loot
  • Inconsistencies between item descriptions and inventory
  • Saved progress being lost after closing the app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to save progress and resume later
  • Difficulty settings or optional modes
  • More narrative depth and character development
  • Improved accessibility and UI for visually impaired players

In-app purchases

None

Year Walk

No in-app purchases

None

The Ensign

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Year Walk free?
Year Walk costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Ensign free?
The Ensign costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Year Walk or The Ensign?
The Ensign is rated higher. Year Walk averages 4.2 out of 5 from 368 ratings, while The Ensign averages 4.6 from 552 ratings.
Do Year Walk or The Ensign have ads?
Neither Year Walk nor The Ensign shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Year Walk or The Ensign?
Year Walk ships an update every 7 months, and The Ensign every 2 months. Most recently, Year Walk was updated on October 26, 2026 and The Ensign on October 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, Year Walk or The Ensign?
Year Walk currently peaks at #108 in the App Store charts, and The Ensign at #91. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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