Comparison

Deep Shaft vs Glowdial

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

Head to head
About

Deep Shaft

Features
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Sink the shaft. Strike it rich. Deep Shaft is a satisfying idle mining tycoon. Work the rock face by hand, then hire Foremen to automate every level while you dig deeper and deeper — from the dirt at 100m, down past the Core, into endless procedurally-generated depths. DIG, AUTOMATE, GET RICH - Tap to mine by hand, or buy a Foreman to run each level automatically - The elevator rides the shaft, collecting full ore carts and hauling them up to the Refinery to cash in - Level up each seam for faster mining, richer ore, and bigger loads GO DEEPER — FOREVER - Breach sealed bulkheads to open the next 100m: dirt, stone, iron, silver, gold, gems, diamond, mythril… and keep going past the Core DEEP RESET & THE FOUNDRY - Deep Reset to mint prestige Bedrock Cores, then spend them in The Foundry on permanent upgrades that boost every run - Boost the Hoist to carry more and the Refinery to sell for more - Crack open crates for permanent gear, and keep earning with offline income COMPETE EACH WEEK - Climb the weekly Game Center leaderboard — the week's Top Earners win Geodes CLEAN, HANDCRAFTED PIXELS - Cohesive 16-bit pixel art, from the headframe to the deepest void rock - New to mining? A short guided first dig shows you the ropes (replay it anytime) - Cloud backup: reinstall on the same iPhone and your mine comes back automatically - Plays fully offline — no account, no sign-up How deep can you dig?

About

Glowdial

Features
Read full description

Glowdial is an idle game built around one gesture. Drag your thumb around the dial and let go. It coasts, ticking under your finger, and every turn makes Glow. Glow buys lights: a firefly, a candle, a lantern, a laser, a star. They keep the dial warm while you're gone. The dial has numbers, like a safe. Stop it on the right three in order and something opens. The story will tell you where to look. Players who find combinations get new finishes for their dial and permanent bonuses. Sometimes a number lights up. Land the dial on it exactly and it resonates. Sometimes a moth comes by. Catch it. When the dial burns out, you keep its filament and wind it around a new one, brighter than the last. The color climbs: Ember, Amber, Gold, White, Cyan, Violet, Ultraviolet, and one more. The music climbs with it. • One thumb. Spin, flick, tap. • Haptics on every detent. • Your lights work while you're away. • Eight hidden combinations, eight dial finishes, and seven color themes that each change the song. • An original soundtrack that opens up as you progress. • A story that arrives one line at a time. • No ads. No accounts. No tracking. Your save lives on your phone, and you can export it. Turn the dial.

Screenshots

Deep Shaft4 screens
Glowdial4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Glowdial at none against Deep Shaft's shown. Glowdial also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 10 days) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Deep Shaft ships an update every 10 days, Glowdial daily. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Deep Shaft versus Glowdial: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeep ShaftGlowdial
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB52 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLuke GarbettLuke Wade

In-app purchases

None

Deep Shaft

No in-app purchases

None

Glowdial

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Deep Shaft free?
Deep Shaft is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Glowdial free?
Glowdial is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Deep Shaft or Glowdial have ads?
Deep Shaft shows ads; Glowdial does not.
Which is updated more often, Deep Shaft or Glowdial?
Deep Shaft ships an update every 10 days, and Glowdial daily. Most recently, Deep Shaft was updated on November 6, 2026 and Glowdial on October 31, 2026.

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