MELS Tactics vs Dead By Extraction
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MELS Tactics
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MELS is a turn-based tactical RPG set in a zombie apocalypse. Lead a squad of three fighters, expand your base, send teams on expeditions and work with players across the server to develop a vaccine before the mutation spreads. Turn-based combat without autoplay Battles take place on a grid where position, distance and action order decide the outcome. Move each fighter yourself, choose the right target and adapt to enemies with different behavior. There is no auto button and no single pattern that wins every map. Track down wanted targets and claim their rewards. Build and upgrade your base Develop eight buildings, including headquarters, an armory, training camp, research center and biolab. Base upgrades unlock better shop stock, faster expeditions and new research. Operation Vaccine All players contribute to the same global goal: developing a vaccine against the infection. Send scientists to analyze zombie remains, support pathogen research and track your contribution on the leaderboard. The mutation keeps advancing — can the whole server stay ahead of it? Create your squad Alpha, Beta and Kappa each have their own health, armor, damage, critical chance, speed and range. Equip helmets, vests, backpacks, firearms and melee weapons. Choose between close-range attacks, heavy firepower and long-range precision. Skills, gear and customization Develop combat abilities such as field medkits, mines, rockets, fire and frost. Improve passive attributes including damage, armor and critical chance. Collect equipment across eight rarity grades, from common to gold, and unlock dozens of appearance sets. Expeditions and loot Send search teams into green, gray and red zones. Longer and more dangerous expeditions offer better chances of valuable equipment. Visit the market for refreshed gear and take part in special raider operations for rare rewards. Game modes • Campaign with 70+ levels and three difficulty settings • Endless Waves with escalating enemies and seasonal records • Battle for Glory seasonal leaderboard • Wanted targets with special rewards • Daily missions, achievements, seasons and the War Pass
Dead By Extraction
Explore abandoned ruins, scavenge for valuable scrap, and fight off supernatural entities. Craft unique builds with powerful tools and rescue survivors to rebuild your sanctuary. Escape before the ruins claim you forever in this roguelike survival experience.
- Scavenge for scrap in abandoned buildings
- Fight off ghouls with exorcist tools
- Roguelike combat with triple-threat evolution
- Collect over 50 unique Talismanic Tools
- Rescue survivors to rebuild your camp
- Explore 8+ distinct gothic environments
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The sun set long ago in the world you knew, leaving behind only the ink-stained silence of the discarded. Welcome to the grey between life and loss—a sketchbook of crumbling brick and forgotten dust where the architecture is as hungry as the ghosts. You are a Scavenger, a flickering candle in a forest of grey, rummaging through the ribcages of dead buildings to reclaim the scrap of the past. But beware: every hallway is a throat waiting to swallow you whole, and every shadow has a name. Escape the ruins... or become part of them. THE LOOP: SEARCH. FIGHT. ESCAPE. The rules of the ruin are simple but deadly. Enter the zone, fill your pockets with relic scrap, and find the extraction point before the clock strikes midnight. • Scavenge the Shadows: Rummage through the rot of schools, hospitals, and houses to find the materials you need. • Banish the Residents: Use ancient exorcist tools to fight back the ghouls that haunt the halls. • The Final Run: If you don't reach the exit in time, the ruins will claim you—and everything you’ve gathered—forever. CRAFT YOUR CURSE: Roguelike Combat No two descents into the dark are the same. As you battle through the corridors, the ghosts you defeat grant you flickering memories of power. • Triple-Threat Evolution: Choose between three twisted power-ups in the heat of battle to evolve your survival. • Synergize to Survive: Will you focus on blinding light, serrated steel, or protective charms? Your build is the only thing between you and a permanent stay in the ward. ARSENAL OF THE EXORCIST With over 50 unique Talismanic Tools to collect, your playstyle is yours to define. From rusted ritual blades to spectral lanterns, every tool features a deep Perk Tree. SHELTER OF SCRAP: Camp Operation You aren't the only one trapped in the grey. Deep within the ruins, you’ll find "The Broken"—hostages of the haunts who are waiting for a savior. • Rescue & Rebuild: Bring survivors back to your camp to unlock specialized shops and powerful services. • Management of the Macabre: Your camp is your only sanctuary. Use your extracted loot to fortify your home and prepare for the next night. GAME FEATURES: • Gothic Hand-Drawn Art: A beautiful eerie world inspired by classic lite-horror sketches. • High-Stakes Extraction: The thrill of "Search-Fight-Extract" compressed into bite-sized, casual sessions. • Urban Exploration (Urbex): Explore 8+ distinct environments, from the Hollow High School to the Echoing Offices. • Endless Variety: Dozens of heroes to unbind and hundreds of weapon/perk combinations to master. THE RUINS ARE CALLING. WILL YOU ANSWER, OR WILL YOU FADE?
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: MELS Tactics at every 5 days against Dead By Extraction's every 2 weeks. Dead By Extraction's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. MELS Tactics sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Dead By Extraction sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MELS Tactics ships an update every 5 days, Dead By Extraction every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MELS Tactics | Dead By Extraction |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.6 (772 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 28.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 772 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 222 MB | 413 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Lenur Muratov | PIXEL RABBIT LIMITED |
In-app purchases
MELS Tactics
- Bottles 100$2.99
- Credits 28000$3.99
- Coins 3000$3.99
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- Box Field Commander Set$3.99
- Box Forest Cat Set$4.99
- Coins 10000$7.99
- Box Russian Special Forces Set$7.99
- Box Corporal & Sergenant Sets$9.99
- Box Warrant Set$12.99
- Battle Pass Season 2$12.99
Dead By Extraction
- Aid Pack 4$0.99
- Aid Pack 1$4.99
- Aid Pack 2$9.99
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- Aid Pack 5$19.99
- Aid Pack 3$29.99
- Aid Pack 6$49.99
- Aid Pack 7$99.99
Questions
Is MELS Tactics free?
Is Dead By Extraction free?
Do MELS Tactics or Dead By Extraction have ads?
Which is updated more often, MELS Tactics or Dead By Extraction?
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