# Hero Emblems vs Mage Mania

The clearest difference is price: Mage Mania at Free against Hero Emblems's $2.99. Hero Emblems's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Mage Mania is free to download; Hero Emblems costs $2.99 up front. Mage Mania sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Hero Emblems asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hero Emblems holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 405 and 100 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Hero Emblems's written reviews are positive against 82% of Mage Mania's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hero Emblems ships an update every 3 months, Mage Mania every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Emblems | Mage Mania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (405 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems/id645797558/reviews)** | [4.2 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mage-mania/id1020990223/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **405** | 100 |
| Positive reviews | 79.4% of reviews | **81.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#151** | — |
| Size | 148 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 11.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [HeatPot Games Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/645797561) | [Jampot Software co., ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/590341509) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Emblems

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems/id645797558)

**Currently charting:** #151 Top Paid · Role Playing, #186 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Embark on a fantasy adventure blending classic JRPG storytelling with engaging match-3 puzzle combat. Explore a vast world, battle diverse monsters with unique weaknesses, and make choices that shape your destiny. Experience a deep, story-driven quest with no in-app purchases or ads.

**Highlights:** Classical JRPG style adventures, Turn-based match-3 combat, Large adventure world map, Diverse monsters with weaknesses, Story-driven quests, Choice-based stage progression

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Gorgeous graphics
- 🕹️ Addictive match-3 gameplay
- 💰 No in-app purchases
- 🕰️ Lengthy campaign with lots of content
- 🎵 Excellent soundtrack

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Overly difficult progression and boss battles
- 💰 Slow gold/XP gain requires excessive grinding
- 🤖 Poor enemy AI and balancing
- 📝 Subpar localization and dialogue writing
- 🤷‍♀️ Confusing UI elements (e.g. delete save button)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after completing final boss battle
- Save file deletion issues
- Background music playback problems
- Language settings reverting unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Difficulty settings or easy mode
- Mid-level checkpoints to avoid repeating content
- Ability to change equipment during battles
- Improved iCloud/cross-device save syncing
- Option to disable random encounters


### Mage Mania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mage-mania/id1020990223)

Embark on a dungeon-crawling adventure where you collect elements to cast spells and battle monsters. Explore a world filled with dragons, collect powerful equipment, and utilize over 20 unique spells in this 8-bit styled game.

**Highlights:** 8-bit style graphics, Tap and clear gameplay, 20 unique spells, Over 200 equipment items, More than 100 monsters to battle

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Double Experience | $0.99 | one-time |
| Double Earning | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2200 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5500 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 12000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and enjoyable gameplay
- ✨ Retro and nostalgic feel
- 🎮 Easy to pick up and play
- 💡 Interesting game concept
- 😊 Good for passing time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unbalanced gameplay
- 🐛 Buggy experience
- 🐛 Grind-heavy progression
- 🐛 Ads not rewarding
- 🐛 App stops music/podcasts

**Reported bugs**

- Translations are funny/need fixing
- App stops podcast/music playback
- Ads never give reward
- Tutorial starts without equipping spells
- Thrown weapons listed for zero gold in shop

**Requested features**

- Fix translations
- Allow offline play
- More characters to use
- Build chains diagonally
- Choose number of pieces in a chain


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hero Emblems free?

Hero Emblems costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mage Mania free?

Mage Mania is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hero Emblems or Mage Mania?

Hero Emblems is rated higher. Hero Emblems averages 4.5 out of 5 from 405 ratings, while Mage Mania averages 4.2 from 100 ratings.

### Do Hero Emblems or Mage Mania have ads?

Mage Mania shows ads; Hero Emblems does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hero Emblems or Mage Mania?

Hero Emblems ships an update every 3 months, and Mage Mania every 4 months. Most recently, Hero Emblems was updated on October 24, 2026 and Mage Mania on October 24, 2026.

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