Comparison

Dawnfolk vs Keepsweeper

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

Keepsweeper

Engage in strategic kingdom building combined with Minesweeper-style deduction. Uncover tiles, develop your settlement, and explore hidden treasures. Choose from multiple quest paths or compete with friends in multiplayer modes.

Highlights
  • Minesweeper-style tile deduction
  • Real-time kingdom building
  • Economic simulation
  • Multiple quest paths
  • Offline play
  • Online multiplayer
  • Map editor
Features
Read full description

It starts with a grid. Then you build a kingdom. Keepsweeper mixes Minesweeper-style deduction with a living, real-time fantasy kingdom. Read the number clues. Send workers to uncover tiles. Turn a small clearing into farms, homes and defenses. Then decide whether you're ready to wake the dragon. A LITTLE KINGDOM. BIG POSSIBILITIES. Build an economy that works together. Windmills support farms. Blacksmiths equip your soldiers. Chapels keep the army fighting. Discover combinations that turn a modest settlement into something wonderfully overpowered. EVERY SQUARE HAS A STORY Hidden gold, treasure chests, goblin lairs, crypts and sleeping dragons wait beneath the grid. Explore forests, cross lakes and settle mountain country. Dig carefully. The numbers are trying to tell you something. CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE Follow four quest paths: Dragon Hunt, Royal Treasury, Reclaim the Realm and Rival Kingdoms. The full game adds two twenty-level campaigns: Into the Badlands, with ruined roads, buried archives and Ancient Gates, and Beyond the Pines, where outlaw strongholds and dragon-summoning wizards hide in the northern forests. Head into the Wilds for a larger expedition, or see how long you can survive endless Siege. A NEW REALM EVERY DAY Explore a shared Daily Realm with special objectives. Record your victories in the Realm Journal and earn Royal Seals for first completions. MAKE THE NEXT RUN YOURS Earn Royal Seals and spend them in Research. Unlock new buildings, upgrades and permanent Passives for future runs. Discover treasures that change the rules: sunbeam-firing towers, floating settlements, unlikely allies and creatures you probably shouldn't have disturbed. FRIENDS, RIVALS AND YOUR OWN WORLDS Play online with two to four players. Fight for the last Keep standing, form teams, face AI kingdoms together or hold the line in Co-op Siege. Share an invitation link and friends join your game for free. Build and play your own scenarios in the Map Editor. OLD-SCHOOL WINDOWS. LIVING PIXELS. A familiar beveled interface opens onto busy little worlds. Workers harvest. Soldiers march. Dragons breathe fire. An adaptive fantasy soundtrack follows the action. Pause solo play whenever you need a moment to think. TRY IT. KEEP IT. Play the first two levels of Dragon Hunt, Royal Treasury, Reclaim the Realm and Rival Kingdoms for free, with unlimited randomized replays. Try one Daily Realm for free, with unlimited retries of that selected realm. One optional purchase unlocks the full game, including the remaining quest levels, Into the Badlands, Beyond the Pines, Daily Realm, Wilds, Siege, hosting multiplayer games and Map Editor. Solo quests, Wilds, Siege and local custom maps can be played offline. Daily calendar updates, optional reminders, online multiplayer, community maps, purchases and restoring purchases need an internet connection. Progress is saved on your device.

Screenshots

Dawnfolk4 screens
Keepsweeper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Keepsweeper at 4.9 against Dawnfolk's 4.1. Keepsweeper also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (92% vs 73%). On price, ratings volume, 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. Dawnfolk sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Keepsweeper asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Keepsweeper holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Dawnfolk's written reviews are positive against 92% of Keepsweeper's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dawnfolk ships an update every 3 days, Keepsweeper daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dawnfolk versus Keepsweeper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDawnfolkKeepsweeper
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (36 ratings)4.9 (27 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.2% of reviews92.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size323 MB37 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperShort Circuit StudioFlarup Industries

Customer experience

Dawnfolk

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

Keepsweeper

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral7.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dawnfolk

One-time1
  • Dawnfolk$7.99
None

Keepsweeper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dawnfolk free?
Dawnfolk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Keepsweeper free?
Keepsweeper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dawnfolk or Keepsweeper?
Keepsweeper is rated higher. Dawnfolk averages 4.1 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Keepsweeper averages 4.9 from 27 ratings.
Do Dawnfolk or Keepsweeper have ads?
Neither Dawnfolk nor Keepsweeper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dawnfolk or Keepsweeper?
Dawnfolk ships an update every 3 days, and Keepsweeper daily. Most recently, Dawnfolk was updated on October 15, 2026 and Keepsweeper on October 17, 2026.

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