Comparison

Ariana and the Elder Codex vs Match Protocol

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

Head to head
About

Ariana and the Elder Codex

Embark on a 2D action RPG adventure as a magical librarian who enters ancient books to restore lost magic. Battle monsters, master elemental spells, and customize your abilities to save the world.

Highlights
  • 2D side-scrolling action RPG
  • Dynamic anime action combat
  • Master elemental magic and transformations
  • Customize spellbook with 30+ spells
  • Craft magic items and accessories
  • Time attack and repair point challenges
  • Metroidvania exploration
Read full description

MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED - Exclusive to Crunchyroll Mega and Ultimate Fan Memberships STEP INTO A LIVING NOVEL AND RECLAIM THE WORLD'S LOST MAGIC! Dive into an enchanting fantasy world in Ariana and the Elder Codex, a gorgeous 2D side-scrolling action RPG. Take on the role of Ariana Virellis, a young, powerful magical librarian who protects a vast library and possesses the unique ability to venture inside the world’s ancient books. When the Seven Hero Codices are vandalized, magic vanishes from the realm. Now, Ariana must travel inside these corrupted tomes—experiencing their stories as a living fantasy novel brought to life. Defeat monsters, repair the damaged pages, and restore magic to civilization! DYNAMIC 2D ANIME ACTION & RPG COMBAT Enjoy a fast-paced 2D action platformer blending hack-and-slash combat with tactical JRPG depth. Explore beautiful worlds, exploit elemental weaknesses, and cast powerful spells to break enemy posture. Once they are stunned, unleash devastating combos for massive critical damage! MASTER ELEMENTAL MAGIC & TRANSFORMATIONS Master a deep magic system governed by opposing elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. As you restore each corrupted codex, you unlock the ability to trigger a stunning elemental form change. Transform Ariana by channeling a chosen element, dramatically boosting your spell power, unlocking new navigation skills, and causing explosive elemental bursts on impact. CUSTOMIZE YOUR SPELLBOOK With 30+ unlockable magic spells and abilities, you can completely customize your strategy. Mix, match, and equip your spells across six dynamic slots to build a loadout that perfectly suits your personal playstyle. Prefer a defensive tank build or an all-out elemental mage setup? The choice is yours. CRAFT POWERFUL MAGIC ITEMS & ACCESSORIES Mitigate environmental hazards and brutal challenges by unlocking, crafting, and equipping unique Magic Items. Equip up to five accessories within your equipment cost limit to gain crucial buffs like reduced knockback, enhanced critical hit rates, faster health recovery, and massive elemental stat boosts. THRILLING TIME ATTACK & REPAIR POINT CHALLENGES The adventure is about more than combat. Take on specialized platforming trials at Altered Points throughout the world. Sprint through tight, technical time attack platformer layouts, dodging traps and utilizing precision movement to reach the exit as quickly as possible. Clear these Repair Points efficiently to earn permanent HP upgrades and powerful rewards! KEY FEATURES: A Gorgeous Living Novel: Fall in love with an exquisite, hand-drawn art style that makes every stage feel like an illustration come to life. Intense Boss Battles: Face formidable guardians requiring sharp reflexes, smart spell timing, and quick dodging. Metroidvania Exploration: Revisit previously unreachable areas across interconnected side-scrolling worlds as you unlock new elemental mobility and librarian magic. Epic Story-Driven Adventure: Immerse yourself in rich fantasy library lore, deep NPC interactions, and an emotional tale of restoration. Are you ready to fix history and save magic? Download Ariana and the Elder Codex today and begin your magical librarian adventure! ---- Crunchyroll Premium members enjoy an ad-free experience, with full access to Crunchyroll's library of over 1,300 unique titles and 46,000 episodes, including simulcast series that premiere shortly after airing in Japan. In addition, membership offers special benefits including offline viewing access, discount code to Crunchyroll Store, Crunchyroll Game Vault access, streaming simultaneously on multiple devices, and more! https://www.crunchyroll.com/games/privacy/ https://www.crunchyroll.com/games/terms/

About

Match Protocol

Engage in a tactical match-3 RPG set in a cyberpunk city. Solve puzzles to fight rogue AI, hack systems, and uncover a dark mystery. Explore ruins, upgrade your character, and battle unique enemies in a pixel-art world.

Highlights
  • Cyberpunk match-3 gameplay
  • Tactical movement on the grid
  • Full story campaign
  • Isometric pixel-art visuals
  • Boss fights with unique mechanics
  • Character progression and upgrades
  • Dark sci-fi mystery
Features
Read full description

The lights of VELTA-9 died in a single night. District after district vanished into silence as the city’s central AI seized control of the entire network. Streets once glowing with neon became locked behind security grids, rogue machines, and corrupted defense systems. Now only one thing still moves through the ruins: you. Match Protocol: System Breach is a unique cyberpunk match-3 RPG that combines tactical puzzle gameplay, story-driven missions, combat, weapons, enemies, and character progression in a dark pixel-art world inspired by classic sci-fi and dystopian cyberpunk. Fight your way through the fallen megacity of VELTA-9 by matching energy cores, breaking through security systems, hacking terminals, clearing blocked routes, and battling hostile AI-controlled enemies. Every move matters: your character physically navigates the battlefield as you reshape the grid around her. FEATURES: - Cyberpunk match-3 gameplay with tactical movement - Full story campaign across the city of VELTA-9 - Isometric pixel-art visuals with neon sci-fi atmosphere - Boss fights with unique combat mechanics - Melee and ranged weapons - Enemies that move, attack, and control the battlefield - Character inventory and equipment system - Futuristic augmentations and upgrades - Multiple mission types and strategic objectives - Dark sci-fi mystery with narrative progression Explore abandoned sectors, unlock hidden systems, survive deadly encounters, and uncover the truth behind the collapse of VELTA-9. But the deeper you go, the more the city begins to recognize you. And somewhere beneath the neon ruins, something is waiting.

Screenshots

Ariana and the Elder Codex4 screens
Match Protocol4 screens

Verdict

The call

Ariana and the Elder Codex and Match Protocol both sit at 2.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of Ariana and the Elder Codex's written reviews are positive against 14% of Match Protocol's. Ariana and the Elder Codex also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Match Protocol sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Ariana and the Elder Codex asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.6 for Ariana and the Elder Codex against 2.5 for Match Protocol. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 10 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Ariana and the Elder Codex's written reviews are positive against 14% of Match Protocol's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ariana and the Elder Codex ships an update every 3 days, Match Protocol every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ariana and the Elder Codex versus Match Protocol: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAriana and the Elder CodexMatch Protocol
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (5 ratings) — better2.5 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings510 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB218 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperCrunchyroll, LLCAlexey Bolotov

Customer experience

Ariana and the Elder Codex

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Match Protocol

All ratings10 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral42.9%
Negative42.9%

In-app purchases

None

Ariana and the Elder Codex

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Match Protocol

One-time3
  • 1000 Credits$0.99
  • 10 000 Credits$4.99
  • 50 000 Credits$9.99

Questions

Is Ariana and the Elder Codex free?
Ariana and the Elder Codex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Match Protocol free?
Match Protocol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ariana and the Elder Codex or Match Protocol?
Ariana and the Elder Codex is rated higher. Ariana and the Elder Codex averages 2.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Match Protocol averages 2.5 from 10 ratings.
Do Ariana and the Elder Codex or Match Protocol have ads?
Neither Ariana and the Elder Codex nor Match Protocol shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ariana and the Elder Codex or Match Protocol?
Ariana and the Elder Codex ships an update every 3 days, and Match Protocol every 10 days. Most recently, Ariana and the Elder Codex was updated on October 4, 2026 and Match Protocol on October 5, 2026.

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