Comparison

DEVICE 6 vs A Dark Room

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

Head to head
About

DEVICE 6

A surreal thriller where text serves as your map and narrator. Immerse yourself in an intriguing mystery of technology and neuroscience by reading, listening, and exploring three-dimensional photographs to solve puzzles and uncover secrets.

Highlights
  • Text-based navigation and narration
  • Interactive puzzles
  • 3D photographic elements
  • Intriguing mystery narrative
  • Exploration of technology and neuroscience themes
  • Unique blend of game and literature conventions
Features
Read full description

** Winner of Apple Design Award 2014 ** A surreal thriller in which the written word is your map, as well as your narrator. DEVICE 6 plays with the conventions of games and literature, entwines story with geography and blends puzzle and novella, to draw players into an intriguing mystery of technology and neuroscience. Anna wakes up in a castle on a remote island, with little recollection of how she got there. All she remembers is an unusually unpleasant doll. Why are there two identical castles on the island? Who is the mysterious man in the bowler hat? And above all, what is the purpose of the tests Anna is put through? Read, listen and peek into three-dimensional photographs to solve the bizarre mysteries of DEVICE 6. "DEVICE 6 is designed to linger in the mind long after the last code has been cracked and the last sentence read. Spy stories - even traditional ones - often haunt their readers' dreams once they've been completed. It's only appropriate, really. Is that a final full-stop or a microdot? Is this the end of the affair or an invitation to go deeper?" Eurogamer - 9/10 "In using its text both as narrative and as geography – and through its impressively restrained use of illustration and sound – it generates an almost unrivalled sense of place. It isn’t embarrassed to allow Device 6 to be a game when it needs to be, and yet it knows precisely when to let the story take over. The result is a sharp, striking mystery that is at once provocative, extraordinarily stylish and altogether essential" EDGE - 9/10 "In turning a text adventure into a world map, Simogo has resurrected a long-dead genre with style and confidence. Great presentation and brilliant puzzles complete a stellar package" Pocketgamer – 9/10 "Ever exceeding expectations, the developer has followed up one of 2013′s highlights with another title that can be classed as such. With a compelling story that keeps you guessing, and a pin-point utilisation of the platform, Device 6 is an accomplishment in games design, mobile or otherwise" God is a Geek - 9/10 "DEVICE 6 not only explores the boundaries of narrative storytelling, it also demonstrates the creative potential of touchscreen gaming" Appspy – 5/5 "Simogo’s doing something few others are doing, and it’s wonderful that someone is both providing great experiences and testing the limits of interactive media" 148apps - 5/5 "An ingenious slice of puzzling adventure that's as imaginative as it is stylish" Modojo - 4.5/5

About

A Dark Room

Awaken in a mysterious world with a throbbing head and blurry vision. Follow the voices' instructions to survive and explore this text-based adventure. Experience a game free from ads, loot boxes, in-app purchases, and tracking, fully playable with VoiceOver.

Highlights
  • Text-based adventure
  • Survival mechanics
  • Exploration
  • Resource management
  • VoiceOver compatible
  • No ads or IAP
Features
Read full description

awake. head throbbing. vision blurry. the voices say to survive. - One of Apple's most downloaded apps of 2014. - Ranked in the top 10 games in 70 countries, #1 app overall in 7 countries. - No ads, no loot boxes, no IAP, no tracking. - 100% playable via VoiceOver. - Relive the glory days of gaming from the era of Zork.

Screenshots

DEVICE 64 screens
A Dark Room4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: A Dark Room at every 2 months against DEVICE 6's every 21 months. A Dark Room also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (93% vs 81%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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

DEVICE 6 costs $3.99 and A Dark Room $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

A Dark Room holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 882 and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of DEVICE 6's written reviews are positive against 93% of A Dark Room's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DEVICE 6 ships an update every 21 months, A Dark Room every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
DEVICE 6 versus A Dark Room: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDEVICE 6A Dark Room
Price$3.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.5 (882 ratings)4.8 (2.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews92.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8822.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#75#43 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size760 MB100 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperSimogo ABAmirali Rajan

Customer experience

DEVICE 6

All ratings882 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews660 reviews
Positive81.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative13.9%

A Dark Room

All ratings2,655 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews1,398 reviews
Positive92.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.7%

Bugs and requests

DEVICE 6

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Sound not working on some devices
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Longer or more expansive story
  • Difficulty settings or hints for puzzles
  • Accessibility options like subtitles
  • More games or sequels in a similar style

A Dark Room

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

DEVICE 6

No in-app purchases

None

A Dark Room

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DEVICE 6 free?
DEVICE 6 costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is A Dark Room free?
A Dark Room costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DEVICE 6 or A Dark Room?
A Dark Room is rated higher. DEVICE 6 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 882 ratings, while A Dark Room averages 4.8 from 2.7K ratings.
Do DEVICE 6 or A Dark Room have ads?
Neither DEVICE 6 nor A Dark Room shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DEVICE 6 or A Dark Room?
DEVICE 6 ships an update every 21 months, and A Dark Room every 2 months. Most recently, DEVICE 6 was updated on September 24, 2026 and A Dark Room on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, DEVICE 6 or A Dark Room?
DEVICE 6 currently peaks at #75 in the App Store charts, and A Dark Room at #43. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons