Comparison

Direhollow vs Iron Descent

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Faithful remake of classic roguelike
  • True permadeath with save deletion
  • Complete A-Z bestiary
  • Loot and identify mechanics
  • Authentic ASCII graphics
  • Touch-first controls
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Procedurally generated dungeons
  • Three distinct hero classes
  • Loot and gear system
  • Hub town with shops and quests
  • Offline play
  • Retro visuals and soundtrack
Features
Read full description

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

Direhollow4 screens
Iron Descent4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Direhollow ships an update fortnightly, Iron Descent every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Direhollow versus Iron Descent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDirehollowIron Descent
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings45 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB53 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperHYMEL VENTURES LLCPastime Foundry, LLC

Customer experience

Direhollow

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Iron Descent

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Direhollow

No in-app purchases

None

Iron Descent

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Direhollow free?
Direhollow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Iron Descent free?
Iron Descent is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Direhollow or Iron Descent?
Direhollow and Iron Descent are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do Direhollow or Iron Descent have ads?
Iron Descent shows ads; Direhollow does not.
Which is updated more often, Direhollow or Iron Descent?
Direhollow ships an update fortnightly, and Iron Descent every 3 weeks. Most recently, Direhollow was updated on October 31, 2026 and Iron Descent on October 31, 2026.

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