Flat Machine vs Card Hero
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flat Machine
Control a limbless robot tasked with defending a settlement in a post-apocalyptic world. Engage in simple, timing-based battles against various threats and make choices that influence the game's multiple endings. Discover the mystery of your own identity.
- Simple, timing-based battles
- Item combination system
- Respond to various visitors
- Multiple endings based on choices
- Daily events and encounters
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■ Story In the not-so-distant future, a world on the brink of ruin. Awakening in the wasteland is a single robot—with no limbs and no memories. You become the settlement's "gatekeeper," fending off the strange visitors who arrive day after day. Can you protect the settlement through its final days? And what is the true nature of the Flat Machine...? ■ Features [1] Easy, satisfying defense battles—just tap! Tap with the right timing to repel the enemies closing in. Simple to play, yet endlessly strategic through gear and item combinations. Build your own ultimate defense style. [2] Your "choices" change the future—multiple endings Not everyone at the gate is an enemy. Help a struggling mutant, or coldly turn it away? Your decisions steer the story to its ending in this rich sci-fi adventure. [3] Charming pixel art and a wistful apocalyptic world Lovable yet lonely characters brought to life in beautiful retro pixel art. An original atmosphere, deepened by a carefully crafted soundtrack. ■ Perfect for players who love - Pixel-art (retro) games - Dystopian, sci-fi, and apocalyptic worlds - Story-driven indie games - Quick, pick-up-and-play sessions - Tower defense, idle games, and RPGs - Playing free to the end, at your own pace, with no stamina Step into the "everyday apocalypse" woven by an amnesiac gatekeeper robot and the inhabitants of a dying world.
Card Hero
Embark on a strategic card game adventure through a mysterious dungeon. Each round is a quick, five-minute challenge where you'll use items and wits to defeat enemies, avoid traps, and collect treasure. Explore roguelike environments with unique challenges and character abilities.
- Roguelike dungeon exploration
- Quick five-minute rounds
- Strategic card-based combat
- Variety of characters and skills
- Random character talents
- Easy to learn, hard to master
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Made by an indie game developer, a strategy card game, casual and easy, five minutes per round. Head to the mysterious dungeon, carefully decide the direction. Use weapons, items, and your wits to defeat enemies, avoid traps, and get the treasure chest at the end of the stage! 1. Roguelike, each adventure has different terrains, enemies, and equipment. 2. Simple and fun, a five-minute adventure. 3. Left, right, or straight ahead? Simple operations. 4. Various characters, each with different skills. 5. Characters have random talents, choose the best combination. 6. Easy to learn but hard to master, how far can you go?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Flat Machine at 4.9 against Card Hero's 4.3. Flat Machine also leads on ratings volume (68 vs 3). Card Hero's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Flat Machine sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Card Hero sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Flat Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flat Machine has 68 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Flat Machine's written reviews are positive against 86% of Card Hero's.
Flat Machine ships an update every 5 days, Card Hero weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flat Machine | Card Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (68 ratings) — better | 4.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.7% of reviews — better | 86.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 68 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 118 MB | 167 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | zxima.LLC | KE HSI LIN |
Customer experience
Flat Machine
Card Hero
Bugs and requests
Flat Machine
Reported bugs
4 issues- Ads redirect to app store and prevent item rewards
- Ad BGM continues playing after ad ends
- Ad BGM persists even after restarting app
- Agoda ads prevent continuing the game
Requested features
6 requests- Add Chinese translation
- Add Vietnamese translation
- Add Spanish translation
- Option for one-time purchase to remove ads
- More interactions with certain characters (e.g., training robot)
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- Consider adding taxi or bakery characters in future works
Card Hero
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Flat Machine
- AD removal$2.99
- Donation(S)$3.99
- Donation(M)$14.99
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- Donation(L)$34.99
Card Hero
- 1000 gems$1.29
- 5000 gems$5.95
- 10,000 gems$10.49
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- 50,000 gems$50.00
- 100,000 gems$96.00







