Comparison

Dawnfolk vs Ultrapool

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

Head to head
About

Dawnfolk

Lead a kingdom lost to shadows, using a mythical fiery companion to push back darkness. Explore, build cities, manage resources, and survive dangers in a minimalist strategy and city-building experience. Discover new systems and shape your people's fate through interactive storytelling.

Highlights
  • Minimalist city building
  • Exploration of medieval fantasy world
  • Resource management
  • Interactive story with player choices
  • Skill-based minigames
  • Multiple game modes
Features
Read full description

In a world of darkness, you are the ruler of a kingdom lost to shadows. On a quest to save your people, you discover Lueur—a mythical, fiery companion who will light your way. Created by solo developer Darenn Keller, Dawnfolk blends minimalist strategy, exploration, and city-building into a relaxing yet deeply rewarding experience. Decades ago, obsidian monoliths fell from the sky, bringing a creeping darkness that consumed the land. Now, with the power of Lueur, you can push back the shadows and reclaim your realm. But what kind of ruler will you be? Explore an uncharted medieval fantasy world, manage resources, build cities, and survive against many dangers. Minigames add a unique challenge to supporting your people. The better you perform, the more resources you gain—helping your community weather the darkness. Every choice matters as you explore different strategies and play styles. Grow your settlement from a handful of tents into a thriving city in less than an hour, with no need for long tutorials or complex systems. Designed to feel familiar yet fresh, the game focuses on exploration and experimentation—where discovery is part of the journey. Your choices will shape the fate of your people. Will you succeed in bringing light back to the world? Features - A Comfy Game: A strategy experience designed for relaxed play, wherever you are. - Easy to learn: No long tutorials or complex menus—jump in and start building. - Short sessions: Grow from nothing to a thriving city in under an hour. - Mixing Macro and Micro: Blend city-building with mini-games inspired by farming sims and RPGs. Earn bonus resources through skill-based challenges that break up city management. - Game Modes: Multiple ways to play, including real-time, turn-based, and adjustable difficulty. - Incentivized Discovery: Explore, experiment, and uncover systems at your own pace—the game won’t tell you everything. - Minimalist Design: Focused mechanics that deliver depth without unnecessary complexity. - Interactive Story: Your buildings shape evolving stories. Your choices determine outcomes and directly impact your city—will you rule with kindness or pragmatism?

About

Ultrapool

Experience a unique pool game with roguelite elements and wacky ball effects. Craft strategic builds and pull off incredible trickshots to impress the bartenders. Survive 10 rounds of arcade-style pool with a variety of unique ball abilities.

Highlights
  • Roguelite pool gameplay
  • Wacky ball abilities
  • Strategic build crafting
  • Arcade-style trickshots
  • 10-round survival mode
  • Ball combination mechanics
Features
Read full description

The pool bar is always open! Ultrapool is a colorful roguelike about playing pool with a bunch of wacky balls with crazy effects. Carefully craft a perfect build and get the craziest trickshots! Get comfy, choose a cocktail, and get ready for a very special game of pool. Assemble a triangle of balls with strange effects and get the sickest trickshots. The bartenders won't be easy to impress! Ultrapool is an arcade-y colorful roguelike that plays like a pool version of Balatro and Super Auto Pets. Pocketing balls gives you score, and extra score gives you money you can spend at the bar to buy and improve your set of balls. Try to survive 10 rounds! We got both! Easy to pick up pool mechanics: just get the balls in the holes! But as you discover the wacky abilities the balls have, you'll get new ideas of how to get your score ever higher. A ghost ball that reappears on the table? A chicken ball that lays spherical eggs? A bomb that explodes if you bump it too much? The Earth? Anything is possible (as long as it's round and it rolls nicely, no cubes allowed!) Once you think you know the game, the cocktail bar opens. Ask the bartender to mix any two balls and he will serve you something special! Some of these will feel like they should break the game wide open, but you'll need every edge you can get if you want to pull off an all nighter.

Screenshots

Dawnfolk4 screens
Ultrapool4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ultrapool at 4.6 against Dawnfolk's 4.1. Ultrapool also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 73%) and chart position (#60 vs unranked). Dawnfolk's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Dawnfolk sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ultrapool sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ultrapool holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 171 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Dawnfolk's written reviews are positive against 89% of Ultrapool's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dawnfolk ships an update every 3 days, Ultrapool every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Dawnfolk versus Ultrapool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDawnfolkUltrapool
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (36 ratings)4.6 (171 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.2% of reviews88.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36171 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#60 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size323 MB408 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperShort Circuit Studiooffbrand games

Customer experience

Dawnfolk

All ratings36 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral12.2%
Negative14.6%

Ultrapool

All ratings171 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative9.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dawnfolk

One-time1
  • Dawnfolk$7.99
1 purchases

Ultrapool

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Game$5.99

Questions

Is Dawnfolk free?
Dawnfolk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ultrapool free?
Ultrapool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dawnfolk or Ultrapool?
Ultrapool is rated higher. Dawnfolk averages 4.1 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Ultrapool averages 4.6 from 171 ratings.
Do Dawnfolk or Ultrapool have ads?
Neither Dawnfolk nor Ultrapool shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dawnfolk or Ultrapool?
Dawnfolk ships an update every 3 days, and Ultrapool every 4 days. Most recently, Dawnfolk was updated on October 15, 2026 and Ultrapool on October 16, 2026.

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