# Descent vs Drillwake

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Descent at 100% against Drillwake's 0%. Descent also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). Drillwake's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). On iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Drillwake is free to download; Descent costs $1.99 up front. Drillwake sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Descent asks for nothing beyond the download.

Descent ships an update every 9 days, Drillwake every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Descent | Drillwake |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/descent-mining-game/id6789160896/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 7 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Cartographer ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1816295970) | [Andrew Do](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815171417) |

## What reviewers say

### Descent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/descent-mining-game/id6789160896)

Embark on an old-school mining adventure on your iPhone. Dig through six unique strata, collecting increasingly valuable ores as you descend. Upgrade your rig, strategically use dynamite, and uncover buried secrets to find your way home.

**Highlights:** Six unique strata to explore, Collect various ores including gold and platinum, Upgrade drill, fuel, cargo, hull, and engine, Use dynamite for difficult rock, Discover buried bones for rewards, Offline play with autosave

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Drillwake

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drillwake/id6791994787)

Embark on an offline mining adventure where you build your rig to drill deeper and discover richer ore. Manage resources, upgrade gear, and face challenges in a variety of underground worlds. Progress through a complete expedition or explore endless depths.

**Highlights:** Offline mining adventure, Build and upgrade your rig, Explore six distinct strata, Manage fuel, hull, and heat, Collect and merge gear, Face bosses and uncover artifacts, Endless Deep Bore mode

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80 Core Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full Expedition | $2.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 450 Core Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Core Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2,200 Core Gems | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Descent free?

Descent costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Drillwake free?

Drillwake is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Descent or Drillwake have ads?

Drillwake shows ads; Descent does not.

### Which is updated more often, Descent or Drillwake?

Descent ships an update every 9 days, and Drillwake every 4 days. Most recently, Descent was updated on October 28, 2026 and Drillwake on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*