Darkest Exiles vs CrystalReactor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Darkest Exiles
Lead a guild of heroes in a dark fantasy world. Scout, train, and manage their lives and combat performance on a tactical grid. Master unique classes and craft powerful gear to survive a challenging cycle.
- Hero recruitment and training
- Tactical grid-based combat
- 8 unique hero classes
- Equipment crafting and degradation
- Faction alliances
- Dynamic Edicts and World Tiers
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You are not the hero. You are the Guild Master. Scout, train, and sacrifice heroes in a brutal dark fantasy world where no one lives forever. Deploy your party on a tactical grid. Watch the combat unfold. Adapt or fall. BUILD YOUR ACADEMY Scout unproven youth from the Slums, Iron Peaks, or High Gardens. Assign mentors, manage training, and watch your adepts grow into legendary warriors--or break under the pressure. COMMAND THE BATTLEFIELD Deploy your 5-hero party on a tactical 2x4 grid. Position tanks on the frontline, protect your healers in the back, and watch the tick-based combat unfold. Every formation choice matters. MASTER 8 UNIQUE CLASSES Each class brings distinct abilities and aging curves. Physical heroes peak early but decline; mages remain powerful into their twilight years. CRAFT YOUR ARSENAL Discover equipment with powerful effect affixes--Lifesteal, Phoenix Grace, Formation Master. Use Runes of Flux, Power, and Polish to forge the perfect loadout. But beware: all gear degrades, and fallen heroes take their equipment to the grave. NAVIGATE THE FACTIONS Curry favor with The Iron Decree for military might, The Sanguine Conclave for forbidden magic, or The Night-Silver Pact for gold and secrets. Each alliance unlocks unique benefits--and burns bridges with others. SURVIVE THE CYCLE Edicts reshape the rules of combat. Adapt your strategy or watch your guild crumble. Defeat the Final Boss to Ascend, unlock higher World Tiers, and prove your guild's dominance. FEATURES - Deep hero lifecycle: recruitment, training, prime years, decline, retirement - Emergent narratives through traits, trauma, and mentorship - Deterministic combat you can analyze and optimize - Dark fantasy aesthetic inspired by classic dungeon crawlers The Cycle awaits. Will your guild endure?
CrystalReactor
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Crystal Reactor is a neon sci-fi arena defense game where you protect a living crystal core at the center of the battlefield. Waves of machines rush in from every side while your reactor fights automatically — you focus on strategy, upgrades, and survival. After each wave, choose one of three technologies to strengthen your build. Stack lasers, chain lightning, plasma, freeze effects, shields, and orbital drones. Combine compatible powers to unlock fusion upgrades like Cryolaser, Ion Storm, and Thermonuclear Charge for devastating new attack patterns. Pick from five reactor cores, each with its own technology tree and playstyle. Laser favors precise beams, Electric chains lightning across crowds, Plasma delivers heavy explosions, Gravity pulls enemies inward, and Cryo slows the arena under your control. Fight across six unique zones with their own rules. Slippery ice speeds up attackers, low gravity on the space station extends your range, biolab swarms regenerate, desert heat weakens shields, underground corridors bring denser spawns, and volcanic vents damage everyone on the field. Between runs, spend crystals and technology cores in the Meta Lab. Unlock new reactors, open additional zones, expand your technology slots, and buy starting bonuses. Every run teaches you a new build — every victory pushes your core further. Features: • Automatic arena combat with wave-based enemy assaults • Roguelike technology drafts and fusion combinations • Five reactor types with distinct upgrade paths • Six arenas with unique hazards and enemy behavior • Boss fights including Titan, Carrier, Omega Core, and Void Crystal • Permanent meta progression between runs • Neon sci-fi visuals optimized for iPhone and iPad Defend the core. Forge the perfect reactor. Survive the next wave.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CrystalReactor at none against Darkest Exiles's 3. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Darkest Exiles sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. CrystalReactor asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Darkest Exiles | CrystalReactor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 551 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mario Cosme | Bohdan Kalinichenko |
In-app purchases
Darkest Exiles
- Exile's Welcome$0.99
- Frozen Wastes$3.99
- Commander's Kit$4.99
CrystalReactor
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Darkest Exiles free?
Is CrystalReactor free?
Do Darkest Exiles or CrystalReactor have ads?
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