Comparison

Brogue vs Return to Pixhell

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

Return to Pixhell

Descend into a cursed world in this 2D roguelike action game. Survive endless hordes, defeat bosses, and manage your fear in a dark, oppressive atmosphere. Master strict movement mechanics and build powerful characters to climb the leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Strict 4-way movement combat
  • Explore Forest, Caves, and Hell
  • Fear system and light mechanics
  • Character selection (Mage, Reaper, Aura, Bard)
  • Item collection and build creation
  • Leaderboards for competition
Read full description

Are you ready for darkness? Return to Pixhell is a roguelite survival fantasy game where you descend into a cursed, dying world with no goal – only survival. Fight through endless hordes, defeat bosses, and go as far as you can… because death is inevitable. FEATURES: - Tactical 4-way movement – movement precision is your weapon! - Descend through Forest, Caves, and Hell (+ secret level) - Dark, oppressive atmosphere that never lets go - Fear system - stay in the light or be consumed - Ignite campfires for light, power and survival - Compete on Season and All-time Leaderboards – prove you are the ultimate survivor. - Choose your character (Mage, Reaper, Aura, Bard) - Collect gold, buy items, create powerful builds - Original soundtrack - Fully handmade - no AI - Enjoy as endless demo with all heroes and first map - No ads. Ever.

Screenshots

Brogue4 screens
Return to Pixhell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Brogue at 94% against Return to Pixhell's 14%. Brogue also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Return to Pixhell's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence and ads 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. Return to Pixhell sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Brogue asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brogue ships an update every 4 days, Return to Pixhell every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Brogue versus Return to Pixhell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrogueReturn to Pixhell
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (76 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings76 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB139 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperSeth HowardMartin Lepic

Customer experience

Brogue

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

Return to Pixhell

Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral28.6%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

None

Brogue

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Return to Pixhell

One-time1
  • Full game unlock$4.99

Questions

Is Brogue free?
Brogue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Return to Pixhell free?
Return to Pixhell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Brogue or Return to Pixhell have ads?
Neither Brogue nor Return to Pixhell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brogue or Return to Pixhell?
Brogue ships an update every 4 days, and Return to Pixhell every 3 days. Most recently, Brogue was updated on October 3, 2026 and Return to Pixhell on September 19, 2026.

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