Comparison

Chosen's MUD Client vs Proto Gene 37

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

Head to head
About

Chosen's MUD Client

Features
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A modern client for Ancient Anguish โ€” the text-based multiplayer fantasy world that's been running continuously since 1991 โ€” built for iPhone and iPad. If you've played AA before, welcome home. If you haven't: a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) is a text-driven online game where words do the work pictures do in most games. You read a room, decide what to do, and type a command. It's theatre of the mind, with thousands of other players writing the scenes with you. This client is a purpose-built front end for AA โ€” a cockpit that knows how its prompt works, how its areas sound, and how its culture plays. WHAT'S INSIDE โ€ข A real terminal โ€” Full telnet with automatic negotiation (NAWS, TTYPE, SGA, ECHO). GMCP- and MCCP-aware. ANSI 16/256/truecolor rendering with bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, inverse. 5,000-line scrollback with drag-to-select auto-copy and clickable URLs. Snaps to the bottom on every command you send. โ€ข Tap-to-send links โ€” Data-driven text link rules turn matched MUD output into tappable shortcuts. "The dark door is closed." becomes a tap that sends "open dark door". Edit rules in Settings with a live preview. Display only: nothing fires until you tap. โ€ข Game-state HUD โ€” 30+ configurable elements across vitals, combat (aim, attack, defend, wimpy), experience (lifetime and session XP-per-minute), character, wealth, world (game time, reboot countdown), and survival (hunger, thirst, drunk, poison, alignment, followers, and more). The client rebuilds your prompt and syncs it to the MUD. โ€ข Mobile-first input โ€” Eight-direction D-Pad with a door action, customizable Quick Commands with an icon catalog, and a history chip that re-sends any of your last five commands plus smart counterparts (enter โ†” leave, open โ†” close). Star up to three aliases for one-tap mobile slots; long-press a slot to edit. โ€ข Triggers (Immersions) โ€” Pattern-matched rules that highlight, gag, or play sounds on matching text. Display only โ€” never auto-send. Respects Ancient Anguish's no-bots rule by design. โ€ข Aliases โ€” Short keywords that expand into full commands with $0/$1/$2 variable substitution and ; chaining. Ships with sensible defaults. Recursion-safe. โ€ข Area-based ambient music โ€” The client detects your location from coordinates or room descriptions and crossfades between tracks. Pick area tracks and battle themes from your native Apple Music library, or load your own files. โ€ข Chat, Tells, Party, and Notes โ€” Floating, dockable, resizable social panels. Tabs or independent windows. Autocomplete for recipients. Optionally hidden from the main log so your adventure keeps its thread. โ€ข Themes & accessibility โ€” RPG Dark (the default), Classic Dark, and High Contrast (built for low-vision players). Scalable fonts (8โ€“32 pt), input-line wrap slider, and native VoiceOver support. PRIVACY No analytics. No tracking. No ads. No third-party SDKs. Credentials, aliases, triggers, and settings stay on your device. The only network traffic is your single connection to the MUD server โ€” you control the host. NEW PLAYERS The MUD is free to play. Create a character, follow the newbie area, and type `newbie hello!` to say hi. The community is famously welcoming. This is an independent third-party client, developed in coordination with the AA team and promoted on the official Connect page at https://anguish.org/connect.php. The game has been continuously operated by its own team since 1991. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Optional Support tiers are auto-renewable monthly subscriptions (Small $1.99, Medium $3.99, Large $5.99 USD). Purely cosmetic โ€” nothing is gated. Charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Auto-renews unless cancelled 24h before period end. Manage anytime in Apple ID settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://ancient-anguish.duckdns.org/privacy.html Adventure awaits. See you in the realms.

About

Proto Gene 37

Features
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Survival belongs to those who adapt. Enter the hostile microscopic world of Proto Gene 37. Gather food, manage your energy, evade predators, and fight through increasingly dangerous waves. Death is not the end. It begins a new generation. Use your earned Skill Points in the Mutation Tree to shape your organism. Improve its attack, defense, energy, movement, and senses, and return better equipped for the challenges ahead. Choose your phenotype, discover powerful items, and combine mutations with abilities to create your own build. Learn how different enemies behave and adjust your strategy as the pressure rises. Every run is another chance to experiment, evolve, and push further. What worked for one generation may not be enough for the next. SURVIVE. GROW. EVOLVE. OUTLAST. How far can your organism go?

Screenshots

Chosen's MUD Client4 screens
Proto Gene 374 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chosen's MUD Client at none against Proto Gene 37's 1. Chosen's MUD Client also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Proto Gene 37's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Proto Gene 37 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chosen's MUD Client asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chosen's MUD Client ships an update monthly, Proto Gene 37 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 2 level
Chosen's MUD Client versus Proto Gene 37: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChosen's MUD ClientProto Gene 37
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ€” betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better15.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size30 MB93 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSami LamtiMurat Erdem Bostancioglu

In-app purchases

None

Chosen's MUD Client

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Proto Gene 37

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Chosen's MUD Client free?
Chosen's MUD Client is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Proto Gene 37 free?
Proto Gene 37 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chosen's MUD Client or Proto Gene 37 have ads?
Proto Gene 37 shows ads; Chosen's MUD Client does not.
Which is updated more often, Chosen's MUD Client or Proto Gene 37?
Chosen's MUD Client ships an update monthly, and Proto Gene 37 every 3 days. Most recently, Chosen's MUD Client was updated on October 24, 2026 and Proto Gene 37 on October 25, 2026.

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