# The Journey Down vs Broken Sword 5

The clearest difference is rating: The Journey Down at 4.9 against Broken Sword 5's 4.3. The Journey Down also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (91% vs 57%). Broken Sword 5's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 15 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

The Journey Down costs $4.99 and Broken Sword 5 $4.99 up front. Broken Sword 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Journey Down asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Journey Down holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 143 and 65 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of The Journey Down's written reviews are positive against 57% of Broken Sword 5's.

The Journey Down ships an update every 15 months, Broken Sword 5 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Journey Down | Broken Sword 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-journey-down-chapter-one/id580486267/reviews)** | [4.3 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/broken-sword-5/id720656825/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **143** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | **91.1% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 470 MB | 2.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SkyGoblin AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780644033) | [Revolution](https://appshunter.io/developer/331733641) |

## What reviewers say

### The Journey Down

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-journey-down-chapter-one/id580486267)

Embark on a classic point-and-click adventure with an Afro-Caribbean twist. Solve puzzles and uncover secrets in a story of corruption and danger.

**Highlights:** Twisting tale of intriguing adventure, Handpainted environments, Jazzy reggae soundtrack, Fully voiced cast, HD art and animations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
- 🤣 Funny and engaging story
- 👍 Intuitive controls
- 🧠 Challenging but fair puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Short gameplay length
- 💰 Expensive for the content
- 🗣️ Uneven voice acting
- 🤔 Stereotypical character portrayals

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after app updates
- Freezing/performance issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More chapters/episodes
- Option to skip/mute dialogue
- Improved accessibility features


### Broken Sword 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/broken-sword-5/id720656825)

Embark on an epic adventure as George Stobbart and Nico Collard to uncover a murderous conspiracy and a stolen painting. Solve challenging puzzles and unravel ancient mysteries in this critically acclaimed point-and-click adventure.

**Highlights:** Gripping story, Engaging puzzles, Slide and tap interface, Context-sensitive help, Game Center integration, Full voice acting

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Episode 2 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great graphics and animations
- 👍 Engaging story and characters
- 👍 Faithful to the Broken Sword series
- 👍 Challenging yet logical puzzles
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay and controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Expensive for only half the game
- 🔒 No iCloud save sync
- 🔒 Compatibility issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to complete certain puzzles
- Download issues for Episode 2
- Aspect ratio problems on older devices

**Requested features**

- Release Broken Sword 3 and 4 on iOS
- Add more global travel locations
- Improve difficulty and puzzle variety


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Journey Down free?

The Journey Down costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Broken Sword 5 free?

Broken Sword 5 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Journey Down or Broken Sword 5?

The Journey Down is rated higher. The Journey Down averages 4.9 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Broken Sword 5 averages 4.3 from 65 ratings.

### Do The Journey Down or Broken Sword 5 have ads?

Neither The Journey Down nor Broken Sword 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Journey Down or Broken Sword 5?

The Journey Down ships an update every 15 months, and Broken Sword 5 every 3 months. Most recently, The Journey Down was updated on October 22, 2026 and Broken Sword 5 on October 21, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*