# A Dark Room vs DYSMANTLE

The clearest difference is price: A Dark Room at $1.99 against DYSMANTLE's $9.99. A Dark Room also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (93% vs 75%). DYSMANTLE's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

A Dark Room costs $1.99 and DYSMANTLE $9.99 up front. DYSMANTLE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. A Dark Room asks for nothing beyond the download.

A Dark Room holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Dark Room has 2.7K ratings behind it against 469, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 75% of DYSMANTLE's.

A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, DYSMANTLE every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | A Dark Room | DYSMANTLE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-dark-room/id736683061/reviews)** | [4.6 (469 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dysmantle/id1403738209/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 469 |
| Positive reviews | **92.7% of reviews** | 75.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | #24 |
| Size | 100 MB | 905 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Amirali Rajan](https://appshunter.io/developer/736683064) | [10tons Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/295046390) |

## What reviewers say

### A Dark Room

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-dark-room/id736683061)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · Role Playing, #43 Top Paid · Adventure, #190 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### DYSMANTLE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dysmantle/id1403738209)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Paid · Role Playing, #45 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Explore a post-apocalyptic world after emerging from a shelter. Gather resources by breaking objects, fight or evade creatures, and build outposts. Craft weapons, farm, hunt, and solve puzzles to uncover the island's mysteries and escape.

**Highlights:** Break objects for materials, Fight or evade creatures, Explore open world, Build outposts, Craft weapons and tools, Hunt and farm, Solve puzzles

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pets & Dungeons | $3.99 | one-time |
| Underworld | $4.99 | one-time |
| Doomsday | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Huge open world to explore
- 🔨 Satisfying destruction and crafting
- 👍 Engaging story and quests
- 🎮 Great controller support
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and performance issues
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤖 Repetitive enemy encounters
- 🗺️ Lack of fast travel options
- 💾 No cloud save support

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when entering certain areas
- Audio issues like sound cutting out
- Progression-blocking bugs in DLC content
- Inconsistent controls and targeting system

**Requested features**

- Cloud save functionality
- More enemy and environmental variety
- Improved fast travel system
- Multiplayer co-op mode
- Ability to customize the player character


## Frequently asked questions

### Is A Dark Room free?

A Dark Room costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DYSMANTLE free?

DYSMANTLE costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, A Dark Room or DYSMANTLE?

A Dark Room is rated higher. A Dark Room averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while DYSMANTLE averages 4.6 from 469 ratings.

### Do A Dark Room or DYSMANTLE have ads?

Neither A Dark Room nor DYSMANTLE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, A Dark Room or DYSMANTLE?

A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, and DYSMANTLE every 2 weeks. Most recently, A Dark Room was updated on October 20, 2026 and DYSMANTLE on October 20, 2026.

### Which is more popular, A Dark Room or DYSMANTLE?

A Dark Room currently peaks at #20 in the App Store charts, and DYSMANTLE at #24. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*