Direhollow vs Iron Descent
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Direhollow
Experience a faithful mobile remake of the classic 1980 roguelike game. Navigate unforgiving dungeons, face a complete bestiary, and strive to claim the Amulet of Yendor with true permadeath. Enjoy the authentic ASCII graphics and a free, fair gameplay experience.
- Faithful remake of classic roguelike
- True permadeath with save deletion
- Complete A-Z bestiary
- Loot and identify mechanics
- Authentic ASCII graphics
- Touch-first controls
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Direhollow is a faithful mobile remake of Rogue — the 1980 game that started the roguelike. The same Dungeons of Doom. The same A–Z bestiary. The same unforgiving permadeath. Rebuilt for a phone: touch-first, free, and true to the original. We modernize the shell, not the rules. THE REAL GAME, ON A PHONE The same seeded dungeons, the same monsters, the same merciless math — with a 3×3 move pad, pinch-to-zoom, a tap-driven pack, and saves that actually survive a phone call. WHAT YOU'LL FIND DOWN THERE • True permadeath — one life, one seed. The save is deleted on death. No reloading an earlier turn. • The full bestiary — the complete A–Z roster, depth-ordered exactly as the original intended. • Loot & identify — per-run appearances for scrolls, potions, rings, and wands. Learn them, or risk them. • The Amulet of Yendor — descend to claim it, then climb back to the surface alive. Few will. • True ASCII — the authentic 1980 glyph grid. No tiles, no remix. The terminal classic, on a phone. FREE, AND FAIR No pay-to-win. No energy timers. No reloads sold back to you. The whole game is earned — exactly as it was in 1980. ——— "Rogue" is used here only descriptively, to say what kind of game this is. Direhollow is an independent work inspired by the BSD-licensed original; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by any trademark holder.
Iron Descent
Embark on a roguelike dungeon crawl where each playthrough offers a unique, procedurally generated labyrinth. Choose from distinct hero classes, battle diverse enemies, and gather loot to survive increasingly dangerous depths. Return to town between runs to upgrade and prepare for the ultimate challenge.
- Procedurally generated dungeons
- Three distinct hero classes
- Loot and gear system
- Hub town with shops and quests
- Offline play
- Retro visuals and soundtrack
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Iron Descent is a classic roguelike dungeon crawler for your pocket. Every run drops you into a freshly generated labyrinth where one wrong step can end everything. Choose your hero. Descend into the dark. See how deep you can go. **CHOOSE YOUR CLASS** Three heroes, three ways to play: • Warrior - heavy armor, heavy hits. Wade into the fray and outlast anything. • Rogue - fast, deadly, and dripping with poison. Dual-wield your way through the horde. • Mage - bend the dungeon to your will with a spell book of destruction, restoring mana with every kill. **DESCEND 10 DEADLY FLOORS** The dungeon is never the same twice. Rooms, corridors, traps, and treasure are procedurally generated every run, so no two descents play alike. Explore by torchlight, reveal the map one tile at a time, and never trust an empty room. **FIGHT - OR DIE** Orcs, trolls, goblins, rats, and worse prowl the depths, each with its own behavior. Some hunt you the moment they catch your scent; others lie in wait. That chest in the corner? It might have teeth. Face down the Orc Warlord at the dungeon's midpoint and the Demon Lord waiting at the very bottom. **LOOT, GEAR, AND GLORY** Crack open chests, gather gold, and equip weapons, armor, and rings suited to your class. Sip potions, read scrolls, and pray at shrines for a blessing - or a curse. Every upgrade is another step toward surviving the descent. **RETURN TO TOWN** Between runs, regroup in town. Shop for fresh gear, pay the healer to patch your wounds, and take on quests from the board for extra gold and glory. Then it's back down into the dark. **CLAIM THE DARK CRYSTAL** Deep beneath the earth lies the Dark Crystal. Reach it, seize it, and carry it back to town alive to claim victory. Few will make it. Will you? **FEATURES** • Three distinct classes with unique playstyles • 10 procedurally generated floors - endless replayability • Two epic boss battles • Traps, mimics, shrines, and hidden loot • A hub town with a shop, healer, and quest board • Striking retro dungeon visuals and an atmospheric original soundtrack • Save and continue your run anytime • Fully playable offline Grab a torch. Draw your blade. The descent begins.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Direhollow at none against Iron Descent's shown. Direhollow also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Direhollow against 5.0 for Iron Descent. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Direhollow ships an update fortnightly, Iron Descent every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Direhollow | Iron Descent |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | HYMEL VENTURES LLC | Pastime Foundry, LLC |
Customer experience
Direhollow
Iron Descent
In-app purchases
Direhollow
No in-app purchases
Iron Descent
No in-app purchases









