Comparison

Orthanc vs Pirate Dice

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

Head to head
About

Orthanc

Embark on an adventure in this faithful recreation of a classic 1970s graphic dungeon crawl RPG. Explore, defeat monsters, and gather treasure using the touchscreen interface. Experience a challenging yet addictive gameplay loop inspired by early computer games.

Highlights
  • Faithful recreation of a 1970s RPG
  • Dungeon crawl gameplay
  • Monster combat and treasure hunting
  • Touchscreen controls
  • Inspired by early computer games
Features
Read full description

This game is a faithful recreation of "Orthanc", one of the first graphic dungeon crawl role-playing games developed for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's PLATO computer in the 1970s. The original was played on a PLATO terminal with a keyboard. (The PLATO version of "Orthanc" was inspired by "pedit5", which you can learn more about in Wikipedia.) The original PLATO terminals used plasma panels only capable of displaying orange and black. There is no sound. This implementation uses the touchscreen for all gameplay. You are an adventurer gaining experience and treasure by defeating monsters. Orthanc is easy to start but hard to put down.

About

Pirate Dice

Command your pirate fleet in this dice-rolling RPG. Strategically roll dice to create powerful combos, battle enemy ships, and loot treasures. Recruit a unique crew to upgrade your ship and explore new seas.

Highlights
  • Dice rolling for combos
  • Tactical dice battles
  • Destroy enemy ships
  • Loot treasure and coins
  • Recruit and upgrade crew
  • Explore new seas
Features
Read full description

ROLL THE DICE. RULE THE SEAS. You're not just a pirate — you're the captain of your own fleet. Set sail across dangerous seas, roll for massive combos, and let luck and strategy decide the outcome of every battle! ROLL FOR EPIC COMBOS — WHERE LUCK MEETS STRATEGY Every battle starts with a roll of the dice. Will fortune favor you with the perfect combo, or will you need to out-think a bad roll? Chain your dice into powerful attack combos and unleash devastating damage on enemy ships. No two rolls — and no two battles — ever play the same. DESTROY ENEMY SHIPS & LOOT EVERYTHING Blast through rival fleets in fast, tactical dice battles. Sink their ships, grab every coin, and loot every treasure chest they drop. The bigger the combo, the bigger the loot — and a lucky roll can turn the tide of any fight. RECRUIT YOUR PIRATE CREW Find and recruit powerful crew members, each with unique skills and abilities. Combine their strengths to build the ultimate pirate ship and dice combo team — ready to take on tougher seas and stronger enemy fleets ahead. EXPLORE NEW SEAS, HUNT FOR TREASURE Every treasure chest and coin you loot unlocks new features, upgrades, and uncharted seas. Push further, face stronger bosses, and grow your bounty one voyage at a time. WHY CAPTAINS LOVE THIS DICE PIRATE RPG Simple to learn — roll and go, no complicated tutorials Addictive dice combo-building — luck and skill work together in every roll Deep crew progression — recruit, upgrade, and build the fleet that fits your playstyle Endless voyages — new seas, new loot, new treasure, new challenges Grab your dice, gather your crew, and sail toward your legend. Roll, loot, and conquer the seven seas — download now and set sail!

Screenshots

Orthanc4 screens
Pirate Dice4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Orthanc at 4.0 against Pirate Dice's 3.0. Orthanc also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (50% vs 20%). Pirate Dice's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Orthanc holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Orthanc's written reviews are positive against 20% of Pirate Dice's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orthanc ships an update every 2 months, Pirate Dice every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Orthanc versus Pirate Dice: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrthancPirate Dice
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (6 ratings) — better3.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings66
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB148 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul ReschVu Hai Anh Nguyen

Customer experience

Orthanc

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Pirate Dice

All ratings6 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

None

Orthanc

No in-app purchases

None

Pirate Dice

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Orthanc free?
Orthanc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pirate Dice free?
Pirate Dice is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Orthanc or Pirate Dice?
Orthanc is rated higher. Orthanc averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Pirate Dice averages 3.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Orthanc or Pirate Dice have ads?
Pirate Dice shows ads; Orthanc does not.
Which is updated more often, Orthanc or Pirate Dice?
Orthanc ships an update every 2 months, and Pirate Dice every 5 weeks. Most recently, Orthanc was updated on October 11, 2026 and Pirate Dice on October 13, 2026.

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