Comparison

PROTOCOL vs Subterranean

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

Head to head
About

PROTOCOL

Features
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The day dimensional rifts opened, monsters and the Dimension Awakened appeared at the same time. As monsters spread across the world, the government gathered students with dimensional powers and established the Tactical Academy. Become its commander, train your students, and deploy to a city under threat. Control the leader directly and give orders to two fellow agents. Combine their abilities, weapons, and parts to lead a three-person squad. โ€ข Survive the waves of monsters. โ€ข Train distinctive students and build your squad. โ€ข Find powerful combinations, overcome each battle, and protect the city. A two-person indie game. PROTOCOL: Zero Rift

About

Subterranean

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Dig deep in a retro pixel world and see how far underground you can go. Control a small mining vehicle, dig through the earth, and uncover gems, ore, fossils, and other valuable resources. Sell what you find, upgrade your vehicle, and head back down to dig even deeper. Improve your drill, light, cargo, temp, fuel, and hull to stay underground longer and reach rare riches hidden far below the surface. Inspired by classic mining games, this 2D side-scrolling adventure is easy to pick up and satisfying to play, whether you have a few minutes or want to keep digging just one more run. Dig, mine, upgrade, repeat. How deep can you go?

Screenshots

PROTOCOL4 screens
Subterranean4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Subterranean at none against PROTOCOL's 10. Subterranean also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. PROTOCOL sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Subterranean asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PROTOCOL ships an update every 3 days, Subterranean every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
PROTOCOL versus Subterranean: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPROTOCOLSubterranean
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days โ€” better
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size258 MB142 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperSungGwon HanTayin Wallace

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PROTOCOL

One-time10
  • Beginner Package 1$0.99
  • Sale Package 3$1.99
  • Sale Package 1$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Sale Package 2$4.99
  • Beginner Package 2$4.99
  • Remove Ad$5.99
  • Daily Special Mission Ticket$7.99
  • Mission Energy Booster (30 Days)$9.99
  • Stage Pass$9.99
  • Beginner Package 3$14.99
None

Subterranean

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PROTOCOL free?
PROTOCOL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Subterranean free?
Subterranean is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PROTOCOL or Subterranean have ads?
PROTOCOL shows ads; Subterranean does not.
Which is updated more often, PROTOCOL or Subterranean?
PROTOCOL ships an update every 3 days, and Subterranean every 2 days. Most recently, PROTOCOL was updated on October 19, 2026 and Subterranean on October 13, 2026.

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