Comparison

Brogue vs Nethack Helper

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

Nethack Helper

This app serves as a comprehensive toolkit for NetHack players, offering tools to master shops, spells, and character progression. It provides detailed information on items, spells, intrinsics, and includes animated solutions for puzzles. The app also features score logging and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Item identification by price
  • Spell success percentages
  • Intrinsic monitoring
  • Animated Sokoban puzzle solutions
  • Score logging and ascension tracking
  • Progress timeline chart
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

NetHack Helper - Everything you need to remember in one tiny app The ultimate toolkit for NetHack adventurers. Master shops, spells, and character progression with precision tools designed by players, for players. • Identify items by price with charisma-based calculations • Covers potions, scrolls, rings, wands, armor & more • All 43 spell books with success-to-learn percentages • Factors Intelligence, XP level, and skill enhancements • Monitor 18 intrinsics, protection, and prayer status • Step-by-step animated solutions for all 8 Sokoban puzzles • Toggle between DawnHack tiles and classic ASCII views • Comprehensive score logging with ascension tracking • Hidden timeline chart reveals your progress over time • Uses DawnHack Tileset • Works offline with persistent data • Auto-resets between characters for streamlined gameplay Unofficial companion app - not affiliated with NetHack DevTeam - We use it with iNetHack2 on iPhones

Screenshots

Brogue4 screens
Nethack Helper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Nethack Helper at 5.0 against Brogue's 4.6. Brogue's advantage is ratings volume (74 vs 1) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nethack Helper holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brogue has 74 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brogue ships an update every 4 days, Nethack Helper every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Brogue versus Nethack Helper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrogueNethack Helper
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (74 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings74 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.617.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB1 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperSeth HowardDavid Konshuh

Customer experience

Brogue

All ratings74 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral6.8%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive93.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative1.0%

Nethack Helper

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Brogue

No in-app purchases

None

Nethack Helper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brogue free?
Brogue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nethack Helper free?
Nethack Helper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Brogue or Nethack Helper?
Nethack Helper is rated higher. Brogue averages 4.6 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Nethack Helper averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Brogue or Nethack Helper have ads?
Neither Brogue nor Nethack Helper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brogue or Nethack Helper?
Brogue ships an update every 4 days, and Nethack Helper every 9 days. Most recently, Brogue was updated on September 5, 2026 and Nethack Helper on September 9, 2026.

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