Comparison

Howl vs Cask

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

Head to head
About

Howl

Engage in turn-based tactical combat within a dark fairy-tale world threatened by a mysterious plague. Play as a deaf heroine who can foresee enemy moves, utilizing unique arrows and skills to defeat beasts. Explore beautifully illustrated environments and uncover secrets.

Highlights
  • Turn-based tactical combat
  • Foretell enemy moves
  • Variety of arrow types
  • Unlockable skills and upgrades
  • Living ink art style
  • Multiple chapters and levels
  • Save villagers
Features
Read full description

This game is free to download and play for a limited number of levels and time. Do you like the game? Then you can easily unlock the full version through the in App purchase! Howl is a turn-based puzzle/tactical folktale set in the Middle Ages, where a mysterious "howling plague" ravages the land. Any who hear the beasts’ howls turn into feral, hungering beasts themselves – further spreading the curse through their own howls. The Heroine of this tale was born deaf, giving her a unique protection against this curse. Play as a daring combat Prophet with the ability to foretell your enemies’ moves. Plan up to six steps ahead to outmaneuver your enemies. Fire a variety of arrows, such as exploding, lightning, or piercing shots, and use skills like Smoke Bombs and Shadow Step’s Invisibility to kill any beasts who stand in your way. Each type of beast offers its own challenges, with some approaching fast, while others taking more powerful hits or attacking from afar. Howl's visuals are created through "living ink", a flowing art style that paints the story as you play. Carve your way through a dark, fairy-tale world made up of obscure yet magical places where you fight to rid the lands of the howling plague. Howl features a total of 5 chapters, including the free Heart of Rot update, each with a distinct visual atmosphere scored by soothing music. Access to this update is FREE for anyone who has bought the Howl base game. You can access this update chapter from the Chapter 3 map at any point after reaching Chapter 3 of the main story. This update features its own chapter map, new enemies, a new boss level, new environment mechanics, the new Lightning Shot skill (which, once unlocked, can be used in the main game!), and an NPC who fights by your side in later levels. Features • Foretell the actions of your enemies in turn-based puzzle/tactics combat. • Play through 60 levels across 4 chapters, plus 18 new levels in the free update chapter! • Beautifully illustrated in a unique, living ink art style. • Outsmart the different wolf species, from fast predators to enormous pack leaders. • Unlock and upgrade new skills like Shadow Step, Exploding Shot, and more. • Save villagers from the claws – and howls – of the wolves. • Plot your route on the world map to uncover new skills and secret paths.

About

Cask

Build a nation from scratch in this real-time strategy game. Collect resources, construct buildings, train armies, and conquer vast continents in engaging 30-minute sessions.

Highlights
  • Resource collection (wood, food, gold)
  • Nation building from scratch
  • Army training (knights, archers)
  • Real-time strategy combat
  • Casual 30-minute gameplay sessions
  • Conquer vast continents
Features
Read full description

Embark on a grand adventure with CASK, the ultimate mobile real-time strategy game! Immerse yourself in a strategic journey, collecting resources, building a nation from the ground up, and commanding armies to conquer the virtual world. With CASK, you can relive the mechanics of classic RTS games, experiencing vibrant casual gameplay sessions of 30 minutes. Begin your village from scratch, equipped with a Town Hall and 2 Villagers. Your goal is to grow your nation by collecting wood, food, and gold, enabling the construction of houses, castles, towers, and the training of more villagers or soldiers, including knights and archers. Launch daring attacks, defend on all fronts, and surge across vast continents.Launch daring attacks, defend yourself on all fronts and surge across vast continents.

Screenshots

Howl4 screens
Cask4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Howl at every 3 weeks against Cask's every 2 months. Howl also leads on ratings volume (63 vs 14). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Howl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cask sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Howl against 4.3 for Cask. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 63 and 14 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Howl's written reviews are positive against 75% of Cask's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Howl ships an update every 3 weeks, Cask every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Howl versus Cask: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHowlCask
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (63 ratings)4.3 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings63 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size477 MB309 MB
Age rating12+9+
Developerastragon Entertainment GmbHFernando Pastor

Customer experience

Howl

All ratings63 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative17.5%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative17.2%

Cask

All ratings14 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Howl

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Arrow card hidden by sidebar UI on left screen edge
  • Text bubbles blocking enemy action information
  • Save data not persisting after app closure
  • UI elements too small to read on iPhone
  • Tooltip descriptions not displaying correctly
Show 3 more
  • Hover mechanics don't work on iPad
  • Specific level completion issues (Tower chapter)
  • Yellow completion symbol blends with map background

Requested features

10 requests
  • Movable text bubbles to prevent obstruction
  • Character gender/pronoun customization
  • More levels and expanded content
  • Language localization (Vietnamese, German, etc.)
  • UI scaling for smaller phones
Show 5 more
  • Ability to select language for voice acting
  • More detailed story development
  • 3D graphics enhancement
  • Clearer level count visibility upfront
  • Improved tooltip system for mobile

Cask

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Howl

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Full Version$3.99
6 purchases

Cask

One-time6
  • Map Pathways$0.99
  • Tiny Islands$0.99
  • Europe$1.99
Show 3 more
  • Latin America$1.99
  • USA$1.99
  • All Maps$9.99

Questions

Is Howl free?
Howl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cask free?
Cask is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Howl or Cask?
Cask is rated higher. Howl averages 4.2 out of 5 from 63 ratings, while Cask averages 4.3 from 14 ratings.
Do Howl or Cask have ads?
Neither Howl nor Cask shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Howl or Cask?
Howl ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cask every 2 months. Most recently, Howl was updated on October 15, 2026 and Cask on October 17, 2026.

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