Comparison

D.E.A.D. Protocol vs Starlight Ascendant

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

Head to head
About

D.E.A.D. Protocol

Survive a zombie apocalypse with realistic shooting mechanics and a vast arsenal of upgradeable weapons. Customize your character and immerse yourself in detailed graphics as you face relentless hordes. Test your survival instincts in intense missions or see how long you can last.

Highlights
  • Realistic shooting mechanics
  • Upgradeable weapon arsenal
  • Customizable characters
  • Intense missions
  • Endless zombie hordes
  • Detailed graphics
Features
Read full description

D.E.A.D. Protocol is the ultimate test of your survival instincts in a world overrun by the undead. Face endless hordes of relentless zombies that grow more cunning and dangerous as you progress. With realistic shooting mechanics and responsive controls, every headshot feels earned and every bullet counts. Arm yourself with a vast arsenal of upgradeable weapons, from pistols to flamethrowers, and customize your loadout to match your playstyle. Step into the apocalypse with fully customizable characters, allowing you to create a survivor who’s truly your own. Immerse yourself in gorgeous, detailed graphics that bring the decaying world to life, from eerie cityscapes to desolate forests. Whether you’re battling for your life in intense missions or just seeing how long you can last, D.E.A.D. Protocol delivers heart-pounding action at every turn. Will you make it to the next daybreak? Download now and find out!

About

Starlight Ascendant

Engage in a fast-paced space shooter where your ship fires automatically. Strategize weapon and item combinations to survive waves of enemies and defeat bosses. Unlock new ships and worlds as you ascend through increasingly challenging levels.

Highlights
  • Automatic weapon firing
  • Weapon and item combination system
  • 16 unique ships with special rules
  • Four distinct worlds with unique enemies
  • Ascension levels for increased difficulty
  • Offline play and iCloud progress backup
Features
Read full description

Alien formations pour in from the top of the screen, lock into place, and dive. Your guns fire on their own. Your only job is to fly. When the wave ends, the shop opens, and that's where runs are won. Lock the offer you want, reroll the rest, and combine two weapons into something new. A few waves later your ship is throwing chain lightning and orbiting blades, and the screen is mostly explosions. Survive 20 waves. Kill the boss. Then start over with a new ship and a worse idea. BUILD SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T WORK There are 11 base weapons. Combine two of the same tier and they merge: two copies rank up, and two different weapons make a hybrid. Cyber Sword and Fire Ball make a Flame Saber. Pulse Laser and Lightning Spark make a Spark Storm. That's 55 hybrids, plus 3 more weapons you earn in the other worlds. Then pile on items. There are 169 of them, from burn and chill to life steal, magnets, and a few bad ideas that pay off. Every weapon also belongs to one of 8 classes. Carry 2 of a class and a set bonus kicks in. Carry 6 and things get silly. 16 SHIPS, 16 SETS OF RULES The Scout can't carry armor, so don't get hit. The Merchant sees five offers in every shop. The Carrier's sentries stay out for the whole wave. The Phantom can dodge up to 80% of attacks but never has more than 25 HP. Most ships also add their signature item to the shared pool the first time you win with them. FOUR WORLDS, EIGHT BOSSES Fly from Meridian Reach into Bellgrave, Cinderbloom, and Parallax Vault. Every world brings its own enemies, hazards, and music. Elites hit hard, but each one drops a Legendary Crate and heals you to full. At wave 20, one of two bosses shows up, or a titan in some worlds, and you won't know which until it does. Somewhere out there are the Sexton, Widow Sun, and something called the Unwritten. HOW HIGH CAN YOU GO Win at one Ascension level to open the next: more enemies, harder hits, elite waves, and at Ascension 5, both bosses at once. Go long enough without taking damage and your kill streak climbs from Ignition to Ascendant. 226 achievements and 5 Game Center leaderboards keep score. When a run ends, the game turns your build into a card you can share, so your friends can see exactly how you broke it. Want it gentler? Assist sliders set enemy health, damage, and speed anywhere from 50% to 150%. Runs below 100% don't unlock anything, so every unlock is earned. FREE, AND FAIR ABOUT IT No energy. No timers. No currency to buy. The game plays fully offline with no account, and your progress backs up to iCloud. It's free, with ads. After wave 5, 10, or 15, an ad may play before the next wave starts. You'll see at most 2 in a run and 4 in a day, and never in your first run, in the middle of a fight, or on the death screen. Rather skip them for good? The Supporter Pack is a one-time purchase that removes ads forever and puts a gold badge on your share cards. It changes nothing in a run. Text scales with Dynamic Type. Music, sound effects, and haptics each have their own switch, and Game Center is optional. Contains flashing lights. Reduce Motion in the game's settings turns off screen shake and steadies pulsing effects.

Screenshots

D.E.A.D. Protocol4 screens
Starlight Ascendant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: D.E.A.D. Protocol at none against Starlight Ascendant's shown. D.E.A.D. Protocol also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. D.E.A.D. Protocol sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Starlight Ascendant sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for D.E.A.D. Protocol against 5.0 for Starlight Ascendant. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
D.E.A.D. Protocol versus Starlight Ascendant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterD.E.A.D. ProtocolStarlight Ascendant
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings7 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size677 MB281 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperNathan SheetsContemplative Software LLC

Customer experience

D.E.A.D. Protocol

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Starlight Ascendant

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

D.E.A.D. Protocol

One-time4
  • Lunchbox$0.99
  • Cooler$1.99
  • Pantry$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Truckload$9.99
1 purchases

Starlight Ascendant

One-time1
  • Supporter Pack$3.99

Questions

Is D.E.A.D. Protocol free?
D.E.A.D. Protocol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Starlight Ascendant free?
Starlight Ascendant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, D.E.A.D. Protocol or Starlight Ascendant?
D.E.A.D. Protocol and Starlight Ascendant are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do D.E.A.D. Protocol or Starlight Ascendant have ads?
Starlight Ascendant shows ads; D.E.A.D. Protocol does not.
Which is updated more often, D.E.A.D. Protocol or Starlight Ascendant?
D.E.A.D. Protocol ships an update every 3 days, and Starlight Ascendant every 3 days. Most recently, D.E.A.D. Protocol was updated on October 12, 2026 and Starlight Ascendant on October 15, 2026.

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