Comparison

Dropbound vs Detective Protocol

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

Head to head
About

Dropbound

Features
Read full description

Set the switches. Press DROP. Rescue every critter, in the right order. Dropbound is a puzzle played in glass pipes. The ball waits at the top behind a gate. Below it, one pipe splits at switches into a tangle that weaves over and under itself, and critters sit trapped in bubbles under its exits. Set the route, then drop. One ball frees one critter. Free them all before your balls run out. HOW TO PLAY - Tap a switch to choose which way it sends the ball - Press DROP when you are ready. There is no timer and nothing to time - Reach a critter and its bubble pops. End anywhere else and the ball is spent WHO GOES FIRST? Every critter is on the board from the start, and you choose the order. From board 16, flip switches can't be tapped: every one of them turns at the end of every drop, wherever the ball went. So each rescue changes which critters you can reach next. Free the wrong one first and you may need your spare ball. Every board can be cleared with one ball per critter. 300 BOARDS One switch on board 1, seven exits later on. Blocked pipes from board 11: two pipes to the same critter, and a cork in one of them. Two ways into one critter from board 21. Teleports from board 31: drop into the hole and come out of a bent pipe somewhere else. THREE STARS Every board has three to earn: cleared, first try, and fewest balls. DAILY BOARD One board a day, the same for every player. One try. Keep your streak and share your result. CRITTERS, MISSIONS AND BALLS Six species to rescue and collect, and golden critters to find. Three missions at a time: finish the set to level up and earn a new ball. NO LIVES, NO TIMER Out of balls? Try again straight away. Coins are earned by clearing boards and buy an extra ball when you want one. No accounts. Plays offline. No gambling and no in-app purchases. Anonymous analytics you can switch off. Download Dropbound and rescue your first critter today.

About

Detective Protocol

Engage in realistic interrogations with AI suspects who react dynamically to your questions. Solve procedurally generated crime cases using deduction, evidence, and by uncovering contradictions. Experience unique investigations across diverse settings with no scripted dialogue.

Highlights
  • Unscripted AI suspect interrogations
  • Procedurally generated crime cases
  • Natural language questioning
  • Deduction and evidence analysis
  • Multiple case settings
  • Dynamic suspect reactions
Features
Read full description

THEY CAN LIE TO YOU. CAN YOU CATCH THE CRIMINAL? Interrogate unscripted AI suspects that react to every question, hide details, and crack under pressure. Solve procedurally generated murder, theft, and arson cases using clues, alibis, and contradictions. No dialogue trees. No scripted conversations. Just your deduction skills, the evidence, and a suspect who wants to walk free. INTERROGATE THE SUSPECT Skip the multiple-choice buttons. Type your own questions and chat naturally with AI suspects. They have secrets to protect, and they may lie, deflect, or turn hostile under pressure. ENDLESS CASE FILES Every investigation is generated to feel fresh, with new suspects, motives, and contradictions in every session. CHOOSE YOUR SETTING Take on high-stakes cases across distinctive worlds, from gritty noir investigations to futuristic crime scenes and classic deduction mysteries. PRIVATE, IMMERSIVE GAMEPLAY Experience dynamic on-device case generation and interrogation designed to keep every investigation tense, replayable, and personal. Think you can catch the guilty suspect? Open your first case file and start the interrogation.

Screenshots

Dropbound4 screens
Detective Protocol4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dropbound at none against Detective Protocol's 5. Dropbound also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 27.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Detective Protocol sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Dropbound asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dropbound ships an update every 9 days, Detective Protocol every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Dropbound versus Detective Protocol: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDropboundDetective Protocol
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB82 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDevCraftMiguel Vieira

In-app purchases

None

Dropbound

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Detective Protocol

One-time5
  • Global Jurisdiction$2.99
  • Elite Training Module$2.99
  • Visual-Freq Upgrade$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Restricted Case Files$2.99
  • Director's Clearance$9.99

Questions

Is Dropbound free?
Dropbound is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Detective Protocol free?
Detective Protocol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dropbound or Detective Protocol have ads?
Both Dropbound and Detective Protocol show ads.
Which is updated more often, Dropbound or Detective Protocol?
Dropbound ships an update every 9 days, and Detective Protocol every 8 days. Most recently, Dropbound was updated on October 25, 2026 and Detective Protocol on October 25, 2026.

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