Barcode Dungeon vs Grindcrawl
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barcode Dungeon
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[Every barcode around you becomes your adventure] Scan QR codes or product barcodes — characters and gear are generated deterministically. Same code, same hero. Always. ■ Core Loop · QR code → Companion (character) · Product barcode → Gear (weapon or armor) · Bring up to 3 companions on dungeon expeditions (progress even when the app is closed) · Auto-battle earns Gold and EXP ■ Gacha & Limit Break (latest update) · Mythic Gacha: spend Gold to pull T7–T10 legendary gear from world mythology · Limit Break: re-scan the same barcode daily → spend Gold to raise star level (no cap) · Full Scan Set (barcode weapon + armor): Attack +15% · Full Mythic Set (gacha weapon + armor): Gold earned +20% ■ Determinism & Permanence "Same barcode = same hero, forever." Even if the app is gone, your barcode brings back the same companion. Like a charm. ■ Deep Systems · Prestige & Seals: reincarnate when your hero reaches the required level (scales up with each prestige) for permanent bonuses + stackable seals (Attack / Gold / Soul) · Collection Multiplier: more gear and monsters discovered = stronger party · ~3,000 monster species codex · T1–T10 gear (history of technology → world mythology) · Five Elements, race bonuses, prefix hack & slash ■ Three Principles (never change) ① Fully offline, zero servers ② Deterministic generation (same code = same result, always) ③ Zero ads [Pro] · Team 2 (two simultaneous expeditions) · Companion renaming · Camera scan for T10 gear QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
Grindcrawl
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Your hero fights, levels up, and collects gear on their own. You just check in. Grindcrawl is a retro pixel-art idle hack-and-slash RPG. Dive floor by floor, chase Rare and Epic gear, and reincarnate to go even deeper. HANDS-OFF BATTLES • Your hero fights monsters automatically and earns EXP and gear. No tapping needed. • Your adventure keeps going while the app is closed. Collect your rewards the next time you open it (up to a time limit, which you can extend). • Assign level-up points by hand, or let them be assigned automatically at a ratio you choose. DIVE DEEPER • Defeat five monsters to reach the next floor. Each new floor band brings tougher monsters and stronger gear. • Rare and Epic monsters are tough. With too little Defense, they may get away. • Past floor 300, a second area opens up with new monsters and new gear. GEAR THAT ROLLS ITS OWN STATS • Weapons, armor, and accessories come in three rarities: Normal, Rare, and Epic. • Every drop rolls its own stats, and higher rarities get more bonus slots. • Switch to Auto equip mode, and Rare and Epic gear stronger than what you have is equipped as soon as it drops. Or stay in Manual mode and choose for yourself. • Polish Epic gear with Shards of Brilliance to reroll its slots. Lock the slots you want to keep. • Equip two or more pieces of the same rarity (Rare or Epic) from the same floor band for an all-stat set bonus. COLLECT IT ALL • Defeat the same monster again and again to earn its Monster Medals, from Bronze to Platinum. Medals raise the chance of a gear drop when that monster appears as a Rare or Epic. • Donate gear to the Equipment Museum to fill its displays. Complete a Species Set for a big all-stat bonus. REINCARNATE AND GO FURTHER • The deeper you reach, the more Reincarnation Points you earn. • Spend them on permanent Attack, Defense, and Luck, more inventory slots, and a longer offline reward limit. Your gear, medals, and museum stay with you. MORE • Available in English and Japanese. • Get a notification when your offline rewards reach their limit. A few minutes here and there is all it takes. Check in, see how far your hero got, and close the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Barcode Dungeon at none against Grindcrawl's shown. Barcode Dungeon also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). Grindcrawl's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Barcode Dungeon ships an update every 3 days, Grindcrawl weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barcode Dungeon | Grindcrawl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Daisaku Seto | Arbor Lab. App |
In-app purchases
Barcode Dungeon
No in-app purchases
Grindcrawl
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Barcode Dungeon free?
Is Grindcrawl free?
Do Barcode Dungeon or Grindcrawl have ads?
Which is updated more often, Barcode Dungeon or Grindcrawl?
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