Comparison

Idle Deepcore vs The Long Descent

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

Head to head
About

Idle Deepcore

Embark on an epic pixel-art mining adventure, tapping to break blocks and collect ore. Automate your progress with upgradeable machines, even while offline, and descend through diverse biomes to discover rarer resources. Reset your progress for permanent boosts and unlock new systems to dig deeper and get richer.

Highlights
  • Tap-to-mine with pixel-art feedback
  • Automate with upgradeable mining machines
  • Smelt raw ore into valuable ingots
  • Descend through distinct biomes
  • Prestige for permanent power
  • Build a rocket and mine asteroids
  • Offline progress
Features
Read full description

Idle Deepcore is a pixel-art idle mining game about digging from the surface all the way down to the planet's molten core — and beyond, into orbit. Tap to break blocks and collect ore, then buy machines — jackhammers, steam drills, seismic hammers, excavators and more — to mine for you, even while you're away. The deeper you dig, the rarer the ore and the tougher the blocks. FEATURES • Tap-to-mine with crunchy pixel-art feedback • Automate with a roster of upgradeable mining machines • Smelt raw ore into valuable ingots in your furnaces • Descend through distinct biomes to ever-deeper layers • Prestige to reset for permanent power and unlock new systems • Skill tree, mastery nodes and a research lab to specialize each run • Build a rocket and mine asteroids out in orbit • Offline progress — your machines keep mining while the app is closed • Cloud save via Game Center — back up and restore your progress • Playable in 29 languages Optional rewarded ads can double your offline haul — never required to progress. Dig deeper. Get richer. Idle Deepcore.

About

The Long Descent

Embark on an idle deep-sea adventure, piloting an exploration probe to uncover the mystery of a silent ocean. Harvest energy, discover unique species, and upgrade your vessel as you descend through increasingly challenging zones. Enjoy offline progress and optional purchases to support development.

Highlights
  • Idle deep-sea exploration
  • Harvest energy and upgrade ship
  • Discover and catalogue species
  • Skippable reflex minigame
  • Offline progress
  • Fully painted world
Features
Read full description

The ocean went silent. You're being sent down to find out why. The Long Descent is an idle deep-sea odyssey: pilot the last exploration probe, harvest energy from the dark, and descend through 31 hand-written zones — from the sunlit shallows to places the sea itself doesn't talk about, and past them into a deep with no floor. DESCEND — Every zone multiplies your output and deepens the story. Your pressure hull must be re-certified at each boundary: reinforce the ship, watch it visibly armor up, and push past the wall. DISCOVER — Catalogue 93 painted deep-sea species, each with its own lore and passive bonus. Rare editions (Shiny → Abyssal) make every sighting a roll of the dice. DIVE — A skippable reflex minigame: steer by headlamp through painted mines and jellyfish for an energy burst. The deeper you go, the dimmer your light. REFIT — Surface, trade your depth for Cores, and descend again — permanently stronger. ◆ Fully painted world: ship, creatures, machines, story vistas ◆ Offline progress — your drones keep working while you're away ◆ Plays in minutes-a-day sips or long hauls; no energy timers on gameplay ◆ No forced ads, ever — every ad is a button you choose to press, and it pays you for pressing it ◆ No account, no server — your save lives on your device ◆ Analytics are opt-in, anonymous, and off until you say otherwise ◆ Optional Pearl bundles support development — the weekly featured bundle carries real bonus Pearls, and there are no fake sales here The road on the seabed is paved, straight, and older than the coastlines above. Who built a road down here? Descend and find out.

Screenshots

Idle Deepcore4 screens
The Long Descent4 screens

Verdict

The call

Idle Deepcore and The Long Descent both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 69% of The Long Descent's written reviews are positive against 50% of Idle Deepcore's. Idle Deepcore's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Idle Deepcore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Long Descent sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Idle Deepcore against 4.5 for The Long Descent. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 80 and 30 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Idle Deepcore's written reviews are positive against 69% of The Long Descent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle Deepcore ships an update every 5 days, The Long Descent every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Idle Deepcore versus The Long Descent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdle DeepcoreThe Long Descent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (80 ratings) — better4.5 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews69.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings80 — better30
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB42 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperFlavio ValceschiniShai Ankori

Customer experience

Idle Deepcore

All ratings51 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.0%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

The Long Descent

All ratings29 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive69.2%
Neutral7.7%
Negative23.1%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Idle Deepcore

One-time1
  • Supporter Pack$5.99
12 purchases

The Long Descent

One-time12
  • 100 Pearls$0.99
  • Aurora Hull$1.99
  • Deep Start$2.99
Show 9 more
  • Remove Ads$3.99
  • Abyssal Engine$4.99
  • Pressure Vault Crack$4.99
  • Premium Season Track$4.99
  • 550 Pearls (+55 bonus)$4.99
  • Deep Permit$9.99
  • Pressure Vault Crack II$9.99
  • 1,200 Pearls (+240 bonus)$9.99
  • Pressure Vault Crack III$19.99

Questions

Is Idle Deepcore free?
Idle Deepcore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Long Descent free?
The Long Descent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Idle Deepcore or The Long Descent?
Idle Deepcore is rated higher. Idle Deepcore averages 4.6 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while The Long Descent averages 4.5 from 30 ratings.
Do Idle Deepcore or The Long Descent have ads?
Both Idle Deepcore and The Long Descent show ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle Deepcore or The Long Descent?
Idle Deepcore ships an update every 5 days, and The Long Descent every 9 days. Most recently, Idle Deepcore was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Long Descent on October 24, 2026.

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