Ariana and the Elder Codex vs Last Mantis
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/
Last Mantis
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THE GARDEN IS FULL OF BUGS. YOU ARE THE LAST MANTIS. They come from every side: maggots, beetles, wasps, spiders. You run, you strike, you grow. And when the pack closes in, you stop time. STOP TIME, THEN CUT Fill the blue bar with kills. Tap it whenever you want and the world freezes. Now draw your path with your finger: curves, loops, hooks, straight through the thickest part of the swarm. Let go and the mantis races along your line and tears apart everything on it. GROW WITH EVERY LEVEL Collect crystals, pick from three cards after every wave. Orbs that circle you. Chain lightning. A swarm of flies that becomes fireflies, then wasps. A shadow that strikes behind your back. Longer arms, sharper blades, a wider swath. MOLT INTO SOMETHING WORSE At the right moment you shed your skin. Become the ice mantis and freeze what touches you, or the fire mantis and leave a burning trail behind. Your old shell stays behind as bait. TEN LEVELS, THEN ENDLESS Every level has its own ground, its own bugs and its own final wave. Stars you earn make the next mantis stronger from the start. After level ten it never stops. NO ACCOUNT. NO LOGIN. Your progress stays on your device. How long does the last mantis last?
Screenshots
Verdict
Ariana and the Elder Codex and Last Mantis are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ariana and the Elder Codex ships an update every 3 days, Last Mantis every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ariana and the Elder Codex | Last Mantis |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.2 GB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Crunchyroll, LLC | Fatos Gashi |
In-app purchases
Ariana and the Elder Codex
No in-app purchases
Last Mantis
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ariana and the Elder Codex free?
Is Last Mantis free?
Do Ariana and the Elder Codex or Last Mantis have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ariana and the Elder Codex or Last Mantis?
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