# Card Dungeon vs What the Shell

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Card Dungeon | What the Shell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-dungeon/id663601812/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-the-shell/id925447970/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **65** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 53.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 601 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Playtap Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/533469193) | [Chuck Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/290402113) |

## What reviewers say

### Card Dungeon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-dungeon/id663601812)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Unique card-based dungeon crawler mechanics
- 🎨 Excellent visual style and board game aesthetics
- 🎵 Great soundtrack and audio design
- 🔄 High replayability with randomly generated levels
- 😄 Humorous and quirky game theme

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Text and UI elements too small on iPhone
- 🎮 Limited to 3 cards at a time restricts strategy
- ⚠️ Cards degrade too quickly after use
- 🔄 Must restart entire game when dying

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### What the Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-the-shell/id925447970)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*