Comparison

Brogue vs Gloomgrave

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

Head to head
About

Brogue

Embark on a challenging 26-level dungeon crawl to find the Amulet of Yendor. Master strategic gameplay with a focus on a smooth learning curve and intuitive design within a classic ASCII/Unicode aesthetic. Experience high fantasy with a variety of creatures and magical items.

Highlights
  • 26-level dungeon crawl
  • Strategic depth
  • Smooth learning curve
  • ASCII/Unicode display
  • High fantasy theme
  • Permadeath gameplay
Read full description

Countless adventurers before you have descended this torch-lit staircase, seeking the promised riches below. As you reach the bottom and step into the wide cavern, the doors behind you seal with a powerful magic... Welcome to the Dungeons of Doom! Brogue is a single-player strategy game set in the halls of a mysterious and randomly-generated dungeon. The objective is simple enough -- retrieve the fabled Amulet of Yendor from the 26th level -- but the dungeon is riddled with danger. Horrifying creatures and devious, trap-ridden terrain await. Yet it is also riddled with weapons, potions, and artifacts of forgotten power. Survival demands strength and cunning in equal measure as you descend, making the most of what the dungeon gives you. You will make sacrifices, narrow escapes, and maybe even some friends along the way -- but will you be one of the lucky few to return alive?" This app offers: Brogue Classic - Brian Walker's original vision and where it all started. Brogue CE - A community effort that fixes bugs and crashes and focuses on QoL. Brogue SE - A new variant by yours truly with original items, monsters, and mechanics "...on the iPad, Brogue is an even more incredible feat than it is on the Mac: there aren’t a lot of roguelikes that can jump from a keyboard to a touch-based interface without coming off worse for wear. It’s every bit as good on the iPad as it is on the Mac." - Cult of Mac "[...] it manages to make use of its ASCII visuals to create some truly impressive-looking environments [...] it’s high fantasy to the core; filled with kobolds, goblins, wands, spell scrolls, and more." - 148Apps "It's a bit weird and clunky, but yeah, it's still Brogue" - Roguelike Radio

About

Gloomgrave

Embark on a challenging roguelike dungeon crawl with a retro pixel art style. Choose your class, level up your character, and explore procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters, traps, and loot. Experiment with different builds and perks to survive increasingly difficult depths in your quest for ancient relics.

Highlights
  • Turn-based combat
  • Randomly generated dungeons
  • Class selection and leveling
  • Perks and skills system
  • Lootable items and gear
  • Diverse monsters and classes
Features
Read full description

Gloomgrave is a roguelike turn-based dungeon crawler where you will explore, loot, and fight your way through the ever-shifting dungeon to defeat the evil that lies below. Features Loot everything: weapons, armor, wands, rings, potions, scrolls, and more. Every piece of gear can roll blessed, enchanted, or worse... Procedurally generated dungeons feature hand-crafted rooms and vaults woven into randomized floors so that every run feels fresh Magical glyphs: discover weapons that poison, burn, or paralyze your foes, and armor that punishes those who dare strike you Classic turn-based combat: the dungeon only moves when you do. Take your time, plan your moves, and outsmart every encounter

Screenshots

Brogue3 screens
Gloomgrave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Brogue at Free against Gloomgrave's $3.99. Brogue also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (94% vs 66%). Gloomgrave's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases 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

Brogue is free to download; Gloomgrave costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Brogue holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 76 and 84 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Brogue's written reviews are positive against 66% of Gloomgrave's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brogue ships an update every 4 days, Gloomgrave every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Brogue versus Gloomgrave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrogueGloomgrave
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.6 (76 ratings) — better4.3 (84 ratings)
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews — better65.6% of reviews
Number of ratings7684 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB101 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperSeth HowardAndrew Leyba

Customer experience

Brogue

All ratings76 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive93.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative1.0%

Gloomgrave

All ratings78 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive65.6%
Neutral16.4%
Negative18.0%

In-app purchases

None

Brogue

No in-app purchases

None

Gloomgrave

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brogue free?
Brogue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gloomgrave free?
Gloomgrave costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Brogue or Gloomgrave?
Brogue is rated higher. Brogue averages 4.6 out of 5 from 76 ratings, while Gloomgrave averages 4.3 from 84 ratings.
Do Brogue or Gloomgrave have ads?
Neither Brogue nor Gloomgrave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brogue or Gloomgrave?
Brogue ships an update every 4 days, and Gloomgrave every 8 months. Most recently, Brogue was updated on October 24, 2026 and Gloomgrave on October 27, 2026.

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