Comparison

Close Encounters RPG vs DustFall

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

Head to head
About

Close Encounters RPG

Embark on a fantasy adventure that transforms your real-world surroundings into a game. Create a unique character, explore your local area to find players and creatures, and engage in strategic combat. Collect loot, learn spells, and develop your adventurer over time.

Highlights
  • Location-based exploration
  • Custom character creation
  • Strategic combat encounters
  • Character progression and loot
  • Dynamic weather and time-of-day
  • Fantasy creature battles
Features
Read full description

Close Encounters RPG is a location-based fantasy role-playing game that turns the world around you into an adventure. Create a custom character by choosing a kindred and class, assigning attributes, and learning spells. Explore nearby locations, discover players, creatures, and loot, then enter strategic encounters. Equip weapons and armor, collect gold, learn magic, improve your attributes, and develop a unique adventurer over time. Features include: • Location-based exploration and nearby encounters • Multiple character kindreds and classes • Combat against players and fantasy creatures • Weapons, armor, spells, loot, and progression • Dynamic weather and time-of-day atmosphere • Optional consumable gold purchases Location access is used while playing to provide nearby game activity and encounters.

About

DustFall

Embark on a narrative-driven RPG where your real-world steps advance a post-apocalyptic story. Make impactful choices that shape your journey, interact with diverse characters, and face the harsh realities of a ruined world. Experience a unique adventure that blends physical activity with engaging gameplay.

Highlights
  • Real-world step tracking for in-game progression
  • Branching narrative with meaningful choices
  • Over 300 scenes and multiple endings
  • Companion and faction system
  • Offline play
  • Hardcore permadeath mode
Features
Read full description

DustFall is a narrative RPG set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. You were born underground, in Refuge 19, knowing nothing of the world outside. When the water starts running out, you must step into a desert of ruins, caravans and survivors who learned to live without hope. EVERY STEP COUNTS, LITERALLY DustFall moves forward with your real steps. The pedometer turns your everyday walks into miles across the wasteland: the commute, a stroll, the way home… it all pushes the story forward. Walk in real life, advance in the game. CHOICES THAT WEIGH There are no easy answers. Do you help the gravedigger who gives water away, or find out where he gets it? Do you heal the wounded dog and gain a companion, or travel on alone and light? Your choices change the world, your reputation among the factions and the ending of your journey. A WORLD WITH ITS OWN VOICE Talk to everyone: every character holds a piece of the wasteland. The Changed, the caravan traders, the scrap cults, the pirate radio in the background. A world painted in oils to lose yourself in. HARDCORE MODE Think you're tough? Turn on permadeath: if you fall, your save is wiped. • Narrative RPG with real choices and consequences • Over 300 scenes and a dozen endings • Companions, factions, dark humour and tenderness • Offline, no accounts, no purchases • Free, with ads; rewarded ads are always optional • In 10 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Russian, Italian, Turkish, Polish and Indonesian Leave the refuge. The wastes are waiting.

Screenshots

Close Encounters RPG4 screens
DustFall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Close Encounters RPG at 4.7 against DustFall's 4.0. Close Encounters RPG also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). DustFall's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Close Encounters RPG sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. DustFall asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Close Encounters RPG holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Close Encounters RPG ships an update every 2 days, DustFall every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Close Encounters RPG versus DustFall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClose Encounters RPGDustFall
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size690 MB178 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperEric NeumullerAdrian Flores

Customer experience

Close Encounters RPG

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DustFall

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Close Encounters RPG

One-time3
  • 250 Gold$0.99
  • 600 Gold$1.99
  • 1500 Gold$3.99
None

DustFall

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Close Encounters RPG free?
Close Encounters RPG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DustFall free?
DustFall is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Close Encounters RPG or DustFall?
Close Encounters RPG is rated higher. Close Encounters RPG averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while DustFall averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Close Encounters RPG or DustFall have ads?
DustFall shows ads; Close Encounters RPG does not.
Which is updated more often, Close Encounters RPG or DustFall?
Close Encounters RPG ships an update every 2 days, and DustFall every 4 days. Most recently, Close Encounters RPG was updated on November 5, 2026 and DustFall on October 31, 2026.

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