Comparison

Ember vs Crashlands 2

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

Head to head
About

Ember

Embark on an epic adventure in a dark world threatened by collapse. As a resurrected Lightbringer, protect magical Embers by exploring vast realms, making pivotal decisions, and engaging in tactical combat. This classic-style RPG offers a deep story, robust skill tree, and intricate crafting.

Highlights
  • Classic-style role-playing game
  • Deep branching story
  • Endless exploration
  • Robust skill tree
  • Intricate crafting system
  • Real-time combat with tactical pause
  • Over 70 quests
Features
Read full description

About Ember “Back in the earliest days, there was no sun and the world was dark. The heavens opened up and stars fell like beacons into the pitch black world, and they were known as “Embers”. Powerful and wise druids of a primordial race, “the Lightbringers," roamed the orb searching for this luminous matter. They performed a ritual of awakening to call the “Embers” out of their deep sleep. Suddenly the world became bright, and the veil of darkness was lifted. The Embers were the embodiment of magical flame, light, and life, but as word spread about the sheer power of the Embers, they came to be hunted and captured…and so the War for Ember began…” From the tome “Restoration of the Lightbringer” Gameplay overview A passion project 10 years in the making, Ember is a homage to classic role-playing games. Ember features a deep branching story, endless exploration across dynamic and living environments, a robust skill tree, and an intricate crafting system. In Ember, players are resurrected as a “Lightbringer” and summoned to protect the dying Embers as the world is on the brink of collapse. Beginning in the Deep Barrows, players traverse vast environments divided between aboveground and underground realms – ranging from lush forests to dry deserts and dark abysses – to reach the City of Light. The story unfolds through encounters with strangers, and players are forced to decide their destiny by making pivotal decisions. Key features Classic-style, role-playing game with 30+ hours of epic adventure Epic storytelling filled with fascinating characters, lore, adventure, and humor Over 70 quests with diverse gameplay enabling players to choose their path Engaging party-based real-time combat system with tactical pause Over 65 combat skills for the player to use in customized battle party strategy Encounter hundreds of NPCs with their own tales to tell In-depth crafting system, from baking bread to forging magic weapons More than 20 handcrafted environments and shadowy dungeons Meet different companions with their own backstory quests Experience dynamic weather and time of day system

About

Crashlands 2

Embark on an adventure as an intergalactic trucker stranded on an alien planet. Explore a dynamic world, craft unique weapons and gadgets, build a home, and befriend its inhabitants and creatures. Uncover the mysteries of the planet and fight to make things right.

Highlights
  • Explore a dynamic alien world
  • Craft gadgets, elixirs, and weapons
  • Mix-and-match combat playstyles
  • Construct and customize a home
  • Build friendships with alien characters
  • Raise and train adorable pets
  • Uncover planet mysteries
Features
Read full description

Return to Woanope as Flux Dabes, intergalactic trucker and disgruntled corporate employee. After years away from the planet under a lucrative (if morally dubious) spokesperson contract for the Bureau of Shipping, you return to visit some old pals and recover from corporate burnout. But before your vacation can even begin, a mysterious blast from the planet's surface sends you crashing into a new land, far from friends and alone in an alien wilderness. EXPLORE A DYNAMIC ALIEN WORLD Woanope is alive, thrumming with ecological interactions, curious creatures, friendly alien societies, and heaps of stories to uncover. Lure a Trunkle into an explosive meadow, fish up some Pho-rays by moonlight, or help those mischievous alien kids commune with a (probably) harmless multidimensional being. What could go wrong? FIGHT ON YOUR TERMS As you explore Woanope you'll discover and craft all manner of gadgets, elixirs, and weapons that deliver mix-and-match playstyles. Fight using stealth, traps, environmental hazards, and distance weapons. Or chug an Elixir of Juking, stun your opponent with a Space Wok, and jump right into the fray. Or just get... weird? Turn fish into bombs, or make a Pact with the Void to convert your pain into martial prowess. CONSTRUCT A HOME AWAY FROM HOME After a long day of exploring the wilderness, fighting Sluggabuns, and getting sneezed on by Trunkles, you'll need a place for you and your alien pals to relax. Build a cozy home-away-from-home where you can retreat from the outside world to craft, chat, fish, and farm -- or tame that orphaned Sluggababby you adopted -- in peace. Just don't forget to make space for your newfound friends... and potential roommates. BUILD FRIENDSHIPS Meet a colorful cast of characters in your journey across Woanope, each with their own unique skills and knowledge. Befriend them, help them with their goals, and discover new crafting recipes together through the power of friendship. RAISE ADORABLE PETS Find creature eggs out in the world, figure out how to hatch them, and raise them as little companions. You'll teach them the ways of the world and help them grow into formidable beasts. In return they'll keep you safe during your adventures. CHANGE THE WORLD Being zapped out of orbit was a pretty big clue that something is going awry on Woanope. But what!? Join the locals to figure out what's gone wrong, who's responsible, and how to make things right.

Screenshots

Ember4 screens
Crashlands 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Crashlands 2 at 94% against Ember's 49%. Crashlands 2 also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.4) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). Ember's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Ember costs $9.99 and Crashlands 2 $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Crashlands 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 253 and 921 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Ember's written reviews are positive against 94% of Crashlands 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ember ships an update fortnightly, Crashlands 2 weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Ember versus Crashlands 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmberCrashlands 2
Price$9.99$9.99
Rating3.4 (253 ratings)4.9 (921 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.9% of reviews93.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings253921 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#33 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.6 GB340 MB
Age rating9+9+
Developer505 Games (US), Inc.Butterscotch Shenanigans, Inc.

Customer experience

Ember

All ratings253 ratings
Positive56.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews395 reviews
Positive48.9%
Neutral8.1%
Negative43.0%

Crashlands 2

All ratings921 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews532 reviews
Positive93.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.4%

User reviews

Ember

From 253 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent graphics and animations
  • 🔒 No in-app purchases or ads
  • 👍 Immersive RPG experience
  • 👍 Engaging story and world-building
  • 👍 Streamlined combat system

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems on newer devices
  • 👎 Difficulty balancing issues
  • 👎 Slow progression and leveling
  • 👎 Small UI elements on phones

Crashlands 2

From 921 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Extremely fun and addicting
  • 👍 Fantastic, actual game
  • 👍 Wonderful improvement on the first game
  • 👍 Perfection - Once Again!
  • 👍 The best game on the App Store. Full stop.

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Black screen when entering world

Bugs and requests

Ember

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on new game creation
  • Inability to progress past certain points
  • Saved game loading issues
  • Incompatibility with latest iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Controller support
  • More side quests and content
  • Gradual health/energy regeneration
  • Improved inventory management

Crashlands 2

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Black screen when entering world
  • Crashes to iPad Home Screen

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add a feature that helps with missions, like giving hints
  • Add a feature to easily switch between equipment sets

In-app purchases

None

Ember

No in-app purchases

None

Crashlands 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ember free?
Ember costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Crashlands 2 free?
Crashlands 2 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ember or Crashlands 2?
Crashlands 2 is rated higher. Ember averages 3.4 out of 5 from 253 ratings, while Crashlands 2 averages 4.9 from 921 ratings.
Do Ember or Crashlands 2 have ads?
Neither Ember nor Crashlands 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ember or Crashlands 2?
Ember ships an update fortnightly, and Crashlands 2 weekly. Most recently, Ember was updated on September 30, 2026 and Crashlands 2 on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons