# Duke Nukem vs Dread Encounter

The clearest difference is price: Dread Encounter at Free against Duke Nukem's $1.99. Dread Encounter also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 months). Duke Nukem's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Dread Encounter is free to download; Duke Nukem costs $1.99 up front. Duke Nukem sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Dread Encounter asks for nothing beyond the download.

Duke Nukem ships an update every 5 months, Dread Encounter every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duke Nukem | Dread Encounter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duke-nukem-manhattan-project/id663811684/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **79** | — |
| Positive reviews | 43.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 236 MB | 472 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Spawn Studios, Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/322311481) | [Maksim Guliaev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1695930864) |

## What reviewers say

### Duke Nukem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duke-nukem-manhattan-project/id663811684)

Duke Nukem battles Mech Morphix's mutant army in New York City. This action-platformer blends classic Duke Nukem 3D gameplay with 2D sidescrolling elements. Utilize a variety of weapons and Duke's signature wit to save the city.

**Highlights:** 9 brand new weapons, 8 huge levels across NYC, Over 25 enemy types, Blend of 3D and 2D gameplay, Classic Duke Nukem action

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 50 'Force Field' | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50 'Jet Pack' | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50 "Mega Health" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pain Killers | $0.99 | one-time |
| Suck it Down | $0.99 | one-time |
| Blow it Up | $0.99 | one-time |
| Who Wants Some | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skip Level | $0.99 | one-time |
| Piece of Cake | $1.99 | one-time |
| Balls of Steel | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Classic Duke Nukem gameplay experience
- 😄 Entertaining one-liners and humor
- 📱 Portable version of beloved PC game
- 🎨 Good graphics for mobile platform
- 💰 Affordable price point

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🎮 Touch controls lack precision
- 📺 Screen space issues on modern iPhones
- ⚠️ Game-breaking bugs at specific levels
- 🔊 Audio/sound problems

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch or during gameplay
- Character floats/flies uncontrollably
- Save files corrupt or fail to load
- Crashes when loading saves from inside rooms
- Screen freezes at specific levels (Episode 5, Chinatown, Fearsome Factory)

**Requested features**

- MFi controller support
- Russian language localization
- German language localization
- Full screen optimization for notched iPhones
- Improved save system with manual save button


### Dread Encounter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dread-encounter/id6593671894)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duke Nukem free?

Duke Nukem costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Dread Encounter free?

Dread Encounter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Duke Nukem or Dread Encounter have ads?

Dread Encounter shows ads; Duke Nukem does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duke Nukem or Dread Encounter?

Duke Nukem ships an update every 5 months, and Dread Encounter every 6 days. Most recently, Duke Nukem was updated on October 13, 2026 and Dread Encounter on October 2, 2026.

---

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