A Dark Room vs Sometimes You Die
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Text-based adventure
- Survival mechanics
- Exploration
- Resource management
- VoiceOver compatible
- No ads or IAP
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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.
Sometimes You Die
This game challenges your perception of death and invincibility. It features disturbing puzzles that require thoughtful solutions and explores the meaning of dying in a digital realm. With over 80 levels and hidden content, it offers a unique and thought-provoking experience.
- Unique death mechanic
- Disturbing and surprising puzzles
- Explores reality and illusion
- Over 80 levels
- Hidden content
- Interactive art
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In a game, you die. And imply that it has no effect on you. You feel invincible in the realm behind the screen. This one is different. In this game, you have to die. ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ G A M E ∙ ∙ ∙ What is your motivation? What do you expect from this game? Do you want to beat it? How do you know it can be beaten? This game plays with expectation, illusion, and reality. ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ P U Z Z L E S ∙ ∙ ∙ Think before you act. Who knows what it means to die behind the screen? Is it only a number that goes up? Pixels that change their intensity? Solve disturbing, surprising, and malicious puzzles. ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ D E A T H ∙ ∙ ∙ Is it possible to go through the game without dying even once? Will you aim for it? ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ D I F F I C U L T Y ∙ ∙ ∙ Some think the game is easy. I think, those haven't discovered the hidden levels yet. ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ slidetoplay.com > "interactive art" appspy.com > "manipulates expectations" 148apps.com > "borderline brilliant" ilounge.com > "messes with the players' heads" toucharcade.com > "incredibly unique" tabtimes.com > "extremely clever" cultofmac.com > "must play" pocketgamer.co.uk > "deliciously unputdownable" tuaw.com > "play it, and love it" 80+ levels. Hidden content. Wow factor. Epilepsy warning: One level includes fast flashing lights.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: A Dark Room at 4.8 against Sometimes You Die's 4.3. A Dark Room also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 155). Sometimes You Die's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
A Dark Room costs $1.99 and Sometimes You Die $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
A Dark Room holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Dark Room has 2.7K ratings behind it against 155, 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 82% of Sometimes You Die's.
A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, Sometimes You Die every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | A Dark Room | Sometimes You Die |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.7K ratings) — better | 4.3 (155 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.7% of reviews — better | 81.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.7K — better | 155 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #30 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Amirali Rajan | Philipp Stollenmayer |
Customer experience
A Dark Room
Sometimes You Die
Bugs and requests
A Dark Room
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Sometimes You Die
Reported bugs
2 issues- Pause button not functioning properly
- Game freezing on certain devices
Requested features
3 requests- Leaderboard for fastest completions
- More content and levels
- Ability to reset/restart the game
In-app purchases
A Dark Room
No in-app purchases
Sometimes You Die
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is A Dark Room free?
Is Sometimes You Die free?
Which has better reviews, A Dark Room or Sometimes You Die?
Do A Dark Room or Sometimes You Die have ads?
Which is updated more often, A Dark Room or Sometimes You Die?
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