Comparison

Card Dungeon vs What the Shell

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

Head to head
About

Card Dungeon

Embark on a unique turn-based roguelike adventure where your class is determined by the cards you draw. Explore dungeons, battle monsters, and strategically manage your hand of over 1,000 cards to overcome challenges. Each playthrough offers a fresh experience with randomized levels and evolving character builds.

Highlights
  • Turn-based strategy roguelike
  • Card-based combat and progression
  • Over 1,000 discoverable cards
  • Classless character system defined by cards
  • Randomly generated levels
  • Full 3D board game tile visuals
  • Video clip recording with commentary
Features
Read full description

"If you're looking to get started within the realm of roguelikes, this whimsical title could be a fantastic entry ticket." - 148 Apps “One of the most compelling and addictive iOS games I've played in years” – Pixelated Paradise "Card Dungeon is a bizarre mash-up of genres that works better than I'd expected. It's more about dungeon exploration than card collection, but it manages to make both quite entertaining." - Pocket Gamer UK ""A highly addicting mix of genres that ticks all the right boxes" - Games Finder Take control of Crusader and free the lands from the hordes of the Nethermist in this turn based strategy rogue. Card Dungeon is a completely unique and handcrafted board / card /rogue-like game experience unlike anything you have played before. Easy to pick up and play for 10 minutes, but has enough depth and strategy that you will still be playing after multiple hours. You can only do 1 thing / turn. Choose wisely. When the game starts you are dealt three cards. The cards are used for attacks, defense, health, magic, summoning and much more. When the player defeats a monster or opens a chest, a new card may be revealed. The user then has to decide if they want to keep their current card or switch it to the new one. Progress through the levels as far as you can. When you die, you restart at the beginning. If you make it back to where you died, you get all your cards and money back. No IAP. No in game ads. No internet required. Buy it once and get the full game as it should be. Features: Full 3D. Rotate, zoom and pan across gorgeous board game tiles. Discover and equip over 1,000 cards. Each play through genuinely unique as you transition from playing a hard hitting warrior to a summoning wizard to a trap laying rogue, etc, etc, etc. Dozens of combinations await you! Randomly generated levels with hand placed creatures. No defined player classes. The cards define your class! Discover armor and weapon cards that help define who Your Crusader is this run. Unlock trait cards which modify how Crusader acts in game. Play a cowardly, but strong Crusader. Next time play a Crusader strong with magic, but one that keeps losing money. Record short video clips and upload your achievements and rare card finds for your friends to see. You can even record commentary directly from inside the game (requires use of camera and microphone). 21 levels packed with 40+ monsters, each with their own unique skills for Crusader to overcome. Unique and beautiful artwork Original score by Ian Dorsch *Compatible with the iPhone 4S and up, the iPad 2 and up, the iPad mini and the fifth-generation iPod touch.

About

What the Shell

A fast-paced, strategic board game where players capture turtles and claim neutral eggs. It offers dynamic, original gameplay with simultaneous turns, encouraging aggressive play and quick thinking. Enjoy challenging matches against friends or AI.

Highlights
  • Dynamic and original gameplay
  • Simultaneous play
  • Capture opponent's turtles
  • Claim neutral eggs
  • Play against AI
  • Play with friends
Features
Read full description

You both move at the same time, in secret. Only when the turtles land do you find out whose plan just fell apart. Oh no — this ain't your traditional five-in-a-row. What the Shell is the one you reach for when you and a friend are bored on the couch: "Wanna play What the Shell?" A game between two beginners can be over in three minutes, and somehow you're still at it two hours later, laughing every time your minds collide and another egg turns up on the board. "Simultaneous play boosts the fun of this intuitive, yet surprisingly deep board game." — Matthias Titze, Clarc producer (German Computer Game Award winner) There's no taking turns, and nobody goes first — so nobody gets the first-player edge. You lock in your move, your friend locks in theirs, and the board resolves both at once. Strategy still wins games, but you're up against a mind you can't see, and you never know where she just played. Sandwich two of their turtles and they're gone. Both reach for the same square and your turtles crash into an egg — and an egg is a curious thing: you can capture it, or hatch it. One bold move flips a game you'd already written off. Capture at the right moment and a chain reaction can tear through the position your friend spent the whole game building. It's never won or lost until the last move. Made for two: • Sit down together, each on your own phone or tablet, and battle it out face to face — best enjoyed in the same room • Or play online at your own pace, whether your friend's across town or across the world • No one around? Tap Quick Match for a random opponent, or take on the panda offline, from an easygoing Newcomer to a tough Expert • Got a controller? Connect it to your iPad or iPhone and play however you want Read the board, then read your friend. Capture a couple of turtles, deal with the eggs, line up five in a row — and enjoy the look on his face when it all comes together.

Screenshots

Card Dungeon4 screens
What the Shell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: What the Shell at 100% against Card Dungeon's 54%. What the Shell also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (5.0 vs 3.7). Card Dungeon's advantage is ratings volume (65 vs 6) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 16.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

What the Shell is free to download; Card Dungeon costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

What the Shell holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Card Dungeon has 65 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Card Dungeon's written reviews are positive against 100% of What the Shell's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Card Dungeon ships an update monthly, What the Shell every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Card Dungeon versus What the Shell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCard DungeonWhat the Shell
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (65 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings65 — better6
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size601 MB138 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperPlaytap Games, LLCChuck Smith

Customer experience

Card Dungeon

All ratings64 ratings
Positive65.6%
Neutral12.5%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive53.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative32.0%

What the Shell

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Card Dungeon

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App crashes randomly during gameplay
  • Crashes when equipping new items
  • Portal spawns in inaccessible locations
  • Game crashes on level transitions
  • Empty levels with no way to progress
Show 12 more
  • Lava destroys entire dungeon leaving no exit
  • Enemies stuck on screen with 0 health
  • Music toggle doesn't function properly
  • Sound toggle visually toggles but doesn't work
  • Cards don't correspond to their described effects
  • Demon summon attacks player instead of enemies
  • Game freezes when accessing help button
  • Memory leaks causing lag on older devices
  • Camera locks to character making pan useless
  • Card magnification doesn't minimize properly
  • Game doesn't save progress when suspended
  • Everyplay recording library shutdown not addressed

Requested features

15 requests
  • Save game progress mid-dungeon or checkpoint system
  • Ability to carry extra cards and swap them out
  • Better camera controls and zoom functionality
  • Character customization options
  • Tutorial or better in-game instructions
Show 10 more
  • Merchant shop that appears more reliably
  • Multiple lives system instead of instant restart
  • Endless dungeon mode
  • Co-op or versus multiplayer modes
  • Difficulty settings or adjustable challenge
  • Card deck management system
  • Health and mana display improvements
  • Ability to drop items and pick them up later
  • Fast travel through cleared rooms
  • Game sequel or expansions

What the Shell

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Card Dungeon

No in-app purchases

None

What the Shell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Card Dungeon free?
Card Dungeon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is What the Shell free?
What the Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Card Dungeon or What the Shell?
What the Shell is rated higher. Card Dungeon averages 3.7 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while What the Shell averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Card Dungeon or What the Shell have ads?
Neither Card Dungeon nor What the Shell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Card Dungeon or What the Shell?
Card Dungeon ships an update monthly, and What the Shell every 8 days. Most recently, Card Dungeon was updated on October 26, 2026 and What the Shell on October 24, 2026.

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