Dots vs Alchemist's Engine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dots
Engage in a fast-paced arcade game that tests your reflexes and strategic thinking. Tap and swipe to create combos, unlock powerups, and achieve new high scores. Progress through milestones and customize your gameplay with store upgrades.
- Fast-paced combo chaining
- Unlockable powerups
- Progress and achievements
- In-game store for upgrades
- Global leaderboards
- Immersive audio-visuals
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Tap, swipe, and chain combos in Dots — the arcade game that rewards lightning reflexes and smart strategy. Build up your skills, unleash powerful upgrades, and push for new high scores in quick, thrilling sessions. Tap, swipe, and chain combos to rack up massive scores while unlocking new achievements, rewards, and powerups. Every game is a chance to sharpen your skills and push further than before. Features: - Progress & Achievements – 50+ milestones to conquer with rewards that keep you coming back. - Level Up in the Store – Spend Dot Coins to boost your stats (like combo multipliers or even extra lives) and unlock game-changing powerups. Earn coins through play or purchase more to accelerate your climb. - Leaderboards — compare scores with friends and players worldwide, and see if you can break into the top percentiles. Powerups to Change the Game: - Ultra Combo – Multiply your score with an insane combo boost. - Slow Mo – Slow down the action for precision tapping. - Swipe – Slice through multiple dots in one motion. - Black Hole – Tilt your device to pull dots into shifting holes. Immersive Play – Layered music tracks and refined haptic feedback make every tap feel amazing. Track your highest scores, streaks, and progress over time. Polished & Responsive – Clean visuals and smooth animations designed for endless replayability. Whether you’re upgrading your abilities, experimenting with powerups, or chasing a new personal best, Dots delivers that “just one more game” feeling every time.
Alchemist's Engine
Tend to a dormant engine in a ruined world by gathering fuel, crafting resources, and researching upgrades. Forge golems to assist in your tasks as you explore a labyrinthine mine and uncover a forgotten story.
- Feed and stoke the engine
- Merge sparks on an alchemical table
- Forge and upgrade golems
- Research forgotten techniques
- Explore a seeded labyrinth
- Unravel the story
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A sleeping engine. A blasted world. Tend to the fire, and uncover what was left behind. Alchemist's Engine is an incremental, idle crafting & adventure game. FEED THE FIRE - gather fuel, stoke the engine, and keep its heat rising. MERGE THE SPARKS - pluck sparks from the embers and merge them on the alchemical table to grow your power. RAISE YOUR WORKFORCE - forge golems of stone, quartz, and metal who gather, haul, and craft while you plan. Feed them back to the engine when you outgrow them. UPGRADE - smelt bronze and steel, research forgotten techniques, and upgrade the engine from a cold firebox into a towering machine. DESCEND - explore an ever-changing labyrinth of mines, crystal chambers, sunken temples, flooded galleries, and stranger rooms the deeper you go. UNRAVEL THE STORY - cold hearths, sibling machines, and a sealed gate that has waited a very long time for you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alchemist's Engine at none against Dots's 4. Alchemist's Engine also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.7 vs 18.0). Dots's advantage is ads (none vs shown). 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
Both are free to download. Dots sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Alchemist's Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Dots against 5.0 for Alchemist's Engine. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 13 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Dots ships an update every 4 weeks, Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dots | Alchemist's Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 13 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.7 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 217 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Michael DeProspo | Just Software LLC |
Customer experience
Dots
Alchemist's Engine
In-app purchases
Dots
- Small Coin Pack$0.99
- Medium Coin Pack$2.99
- Large Coin Pack$9.99
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- Extra Large Coin Pack$19.99
Alchemist's Engine
No in-app purchases









