Howl vs Pixel Battleline
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Pixel Battleline
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Reshape the battleline. Choose your gates. Hold the line. Pixel Battleline is a minimalist arcade strategy game where your formation is your survival. Command a small army across three lanes, shift your battleline on the fly, and survive fast runs where one bad split can break everything. Every run is about positioning, timing, and pressure. Spread your army wide to cover space. Compress into tighter formations to pass through danger. Choose gates that can upgrade your firepower, shift your formation, protect your soldiers, or put the entire run at risk. PLAY TWO MODE FAMILIES Survival Race the timer. Hold formation long enough to survive the full run. Annihilation Break the enemy line by wearing down enemy strength before your army collapses. TACTICAL GATES Gates change the run as you play. Pick up firepower, protection, formation shifts, and other tactical effects — but choose badly and your army may be split, weakened, or trapped under pressure. FORMATION-BASED ARCADE STRATEGY Your army is not just a score counter. It occupies space. Its shape matters. Wide lines, tight columns, layered ranks, and other formations each create different trade-offs in mobility, coverage, and survival. THREE WAR WORLDS Fight through three current battle identities: WAR Fast arcade pressure, projectiles, gates, and enemy formations. COLD STEEL Close-range pressure where formation and spacing matter even more. HORSE & MUSKET Cavalry, cannons, volleys, and battlefield chaos. BUILT FOR FAST RUNS Pixel Battleline is designed for short, tense sessions: - quick starts - instant restarts - escalating pressure - readable pixel tactics - no account required - no data collected Can you hold the line? More content, worlds, and refinements are planned for future updates.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixel Battleline at none against Howl's 1. Howl's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Howl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pixel Battleline asks for nothing beyond the download.
Howl ships an update every 3 weeks, Pixel Battleline every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Howl | Pixel Battleline |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (65 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 65 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 477 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | astragon Entertainment GmbH | Alejandro Sanchez Guinea |
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
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- 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
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- Ability to select language for voice acting
- More detailed story development
- 3D graphics enhancement
- Clearer level count visibility upfront
- Improved tooltip system for mobile
Pixel Battleline
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Howl
- Upgrade to Full Version$3.99
Pixel Battleline
No in-app purchases









