Comparison

Star Command vs Dwarf Fortress Remote

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

Head to head
About

Star Command

Command your own starship, recruit and level up your crew, and explore a vast universe. Engage in tactical combat, manage ship roles, and make decisions that impact your journey through space.

Highlights
  • Build and command your starship
  • Hire and level up crew members
  • Explore the universe
  • Defend against alien civilizations
  • Tactical combat and ship management
  • Multiple ship hull choices
  • Discover alien species
Features
Read full description

Build and command your own starship, hire your crew, and explore the universe, and defend against alien civilizations! Star Command™ Game Features - • Universal App - iPad and iPhone included. • Premium game - No In-App Purchase (IAP) roadblocks. • HD support for retina pixel goodness. • Level your crew members up and earn new skills. • Build a ship in your own image! • Four distinct ship hulls to choose from. • Focus on tactical, science or engineering. • Amazing soundtrack intensifies the action and exploration. • Over 10 alien species to discover. Brought to you in beautiful HD pixelated glory, Star Command™ brings to life the challenges and joys of managing a starship. Upgrade your ship, get out into the unknown and watch your crew die grizzly deaths all at your command. Strange and annoying alien civilizations await you at every turn. Manage each of your ships roles, focusing on science skills, tactical combat and ship engineering. Prevent alien invaders from taking over your ship and causing massive amounts of damage with sentry guns. Revive dying crew members with new rooms! And don’t forget that your decisions matter - an enemy made early could come back to haunt you later. If you're a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek, or if you enjoy games like XCOM, Clash of Clans, FTL, or Pixel Starships, you'll love Star Command! ---------------------------- Featured Reviews - "...equal parts challenging and clever, making it a must-play for sci-fi strategy fans." - Maclife "A great mobile space romp which adopts a great theme, great gameplay and will keep you busy for quite a few hours..." - AndroidSpin "With hilarious, self-aware satire and surprisingly deep tactical gameplay, this long-awaited adventure is a must-play for any sci-fi fan and a love letter to all things Star Trek." - Editors' Choice "If you're looking for a strategy title on the iOS that will keep you on your toes, Star Command should more than suffice." - Appspy "Should you dive in immediately? Absolutely." - TouchArcade ---------------------------- Star Command © 2011 Warballoon, LLC (formerly Star Command, LLC). STAR COMMAND and related marks and logos are trademarks of Warballoon, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy: https://www.starcommandgame.com/privacy-apple.html

About

Dwarf Fortress Remote

Control your fantasy world simulation game remotely on your mobile device. Manage a group of dwarves, build a thriving fortress, and explore a procedurally generated world with complex systems. Requires the original game and a server connection.

Highlights
  • Remote Fortress Mode control
  • Complex world simulation
  • Dwarf management
  • Fortress construction
  • Procedurally generated worlds
  • Detailed geology and weather
Features
Read full description

Dwarf Fortress is a famous fantasy world simulation/management game from Bay 12 Games. This app allows you to play Fortress Mode remotely on your mobile device. Dwarf Fortress is an open-ended fantasy world simulation/management game from Bay 12 Games, which is in constant development since 2002. In Fortress mode, player indirectly controls a group of dwarves, attempting to construct a successful and wealthy fortress. The game features a highly detailed procedurally generated fantasy world with multiple civilizations and wildlife, realistic geology, weather effects. You will have dozens of different building and items to construct, hundreds of materials, advanced military system, agriculture, sieges and underground monsters, diplomacy and trading. ATTENTION: Internet connection is required to play. The original game with a plugin (both free) running at your home or on a cloud server will be required, visit mifki.com/df/setup for details. Alternatively, you can purchase a server subscription from within the app, in which case we will manage a server for you, visit mifki.com/df/subscription for details. Supported Dwarf Fortress version is 0.47.05. Visit bay12games.com/dwarves for full information about Dwarf Fortress. However, please report any issues with this application to mifki.com/df/support and NOT to the original game authors.

Screenshots

Star Command4 screens
Dwarf Fortress Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dwarf Fortress Remote at Free against Star Command's $2.99. Star Command's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Dwarf Fortress Remote is free to download; Star Command costs $2.99 up front. Dwarf Fortress Remote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Star Command asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Command holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Command has 905 ratings behind it against 142, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Star Command's written reviews are positive against 60% of Dwarf Fortress Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Star Command ships an update every 10 days, Dwarf Fortress Remote monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Star Command versus Dwarf Fortress Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar CommandDwarf Fortress Remote
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (905 ratings) — better3.3 (142 ratings)
Positive reviews66.1% of reviews — better59.8% of reviews
Number of ratings905 — better142
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#96 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB8 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperStar Command, LLCMIFKI PTY LTD

Customer experience

Star Command

All ratings905 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral8.7%
Negative18.1%
Written reviews833 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral13.1%
Negative20.8%

Dwarf Fortress Remote

All ratings142 ratings
Positive56.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative39.4%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive59.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative35.7%

User reviews

Star Command

From 905 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing game
  • 🚀 Fun and challenging gameplay
  • 🚀 Great music and visuals
  • 👍 No in-app purchases
  • 👍 Replayability

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🐛 UI issues (e.g. buttons off-screen)
  • 🔍 Short story/content
  • 🔍 Repetitive gameplay
  • 🔍 Lack of updates/new content

Dwarf Fortress Remote

From 142 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive touch interface superior to PC controls
  • 💡 Innovative remote play solution for complex game
  • 🎮 Enables playing Dwarf Fortress on mobile devices
  • ⚙️ Works smoothly with home network setup
  • 🔧 Free option available with self-hosted server

Room to improve

  • 💳 Requires paid subscription or PC setup (confusing to users)
  • 🐛 Frequent server connection errors and failures
  • ⚠️ App abandoned/outdated for extended periods
  • 📦 Missing tilesets causing functionality issues
  • 🔌 Inconsistent server reliability

Bugs and requests

Star Command

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes on startup
  • Crew members getting stuck or lost
  • Weapons/UI elements disappearing
  • Progression/save data issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • More ships, rooms, and customization options
  • Expanded story and missions
  • Multiplayer and co-op modes
  • Ability to board enemy ships
  • Improved crew management and AI

Dwarf Fortress Remote

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Server subscription errors preventing gameplay
  • App crashes when opening squad command menus
  • Endless initialization loops on server subscription
  • Connection failures when connecting to home PC
  • Black screen on map load (tileset issue)
Show 5 more
  • Password invalid errors during server setup
  • Permanent server lockout errors
  • World generation crashes mid-process
  • Inconsistent connection drops
  • Limited location search options during new game setup

Requested features

14 requests
  • Adventure mode support
  • Custom embark location selection
  • DFHack plugin support (workflow, autolabor, digvein)
  • World map visualization
  • Sound effects
Show 9 more
  • iPad keyboard support
  • Finger-drawing for mining designation
  • Select-all functionality for storage yards
  • Bedroom zone creation
  • Status and announcements quick access
  • Legends viewer
  • 3D graphics support
  • UI customization options
  • Donation option in app menu

In-app purchases

None

Star Command

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dwarf Fortress Remote

Subscriptions1
  • Server Subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Star Command free?
Star Command costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dwarf Fortress Remote free?
Dwarf Fortress Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Star Command or Dwarf Fortress Remote?
Star Command is rated higher. Star Command averages 4.0 out of 5 from 905 ratings, while Dwarf Fortress Remote averages 3.3 from 142 ratings.
Do Star Command or Dwarf Fortress Remote have ads?
Neither Star Command nor Dwarf Fortress Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Star Command or Dwarf Fortress Remote?
Star Command ships an update every 10 days, and Dwarf Fortress Remote monthly. Most recently, Star Command was updated on September 23, 2026 and Dwarf Fortress Remote on August 23, 2026.

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