Comparison

Dots vs Alchemist's Engine

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Fast-paced combo chaining
  • Unlockable powerups
  • Progress and achievements
  • In-game store for upgrades
  • Global leaderboards
  • Immersive audio-visuals
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Dots4 screens
Alchemist's Engine4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dots sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Alchemist's Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dots versus Alchemist's Engine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDotsAlchemist's Engine
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings)5.0 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1013 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.016.7 — better
Further details — not scored
Size217 MB8 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperMichael DeProspoJust Software LLC

Customer experience

Dots

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Alchemist's Engine

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Dots

One-time4
  • Small Coin Pack$0.99
  • Medium Coin Pack$2.99
  • Large Coin Pack$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Extra Large Coin Pack$19.99
None

Alchemist's Engine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dots free?
Dots is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Alchemist's Engine free?
Alchemist's Engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dots or Alchemist's Engine?
Dots and Alchemist's Engine are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 13 ratings respectively.
Do Dots or Alchemist's Engine have ads?
Alchemist's Engine shows ads; Dots does not.
Which is updated more often, Dots or Alchemist's Engine?
Dots ships an update every 4 weeks, and Alchemist's Engine every 4 days. Most recently, Dots was updated on October 25, 2026 and Alchemist's Engine on October 24, 2026.

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