# The Ensign vs Pathos

The clearest difference is price: Pathos at Free against The Ensign's $1.99. The Ensign's advantage is chart position (#61 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Pathos is free to download; The Ensign costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for The Ensign against 4.7 for Pathos. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 549 and 360 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of The Ensign's written reviews are positive against 89% of Pathos's.

The Ensign ships an update every 2 months, Pathos every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Ensign | Pathos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (549 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ensign/id908073488/reviews) | **[4.7 (360 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathos-nethack-codex/id1045848120/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **549** | 360 |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **88.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#61** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +12 | 9+ |
| Developer | [Amirali Rajan](https://appshunter.io/developer/736683064) | [Callan Hodgskin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1045848119) |

## What reviewers say

### The Ensign

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ensign/id908073488)

**Currently charting:** #61 Top Paid · Role Playing, #105 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on a challenging narrative-driven adventure where your choices have dire consequences. This game offers a fully accessible experience for VoiceOver users, delivering a difficult yet rewarding gameplay loop.

**Highlights:** 100% VoiceOver playable, Challenging gameplay, Narrative-driven, No ads, No data collection, No in-app purchases

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Compelling story and world-building
- 🤖 Unique and challenging gameplay
- 🎮 Rewarding progression and sense of accomplishment
- 💎 Excellent prequel to A Dark Room
- 🧠 Encourages strategic thinking and decision-making

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely difficult and punishing at times
- 🔁 Frustrating to restart from the beginning after dying
- 🕹️ Lack of checkpoints or save options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🧭 Unclear navigation and objectives at times

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashing when trying to collect loot
- Inconsistencies between item descriptions and inventory
- Saved progress being lost after closing the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to save progress and resume later
- Difficulty settings or optional modes
- More narrative depth and character development
- Improved accessibility and UI for visually impaired players


### Pathos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathos-nethack-codex/id1045848120)

Embark on a challenging roguelike adventure inspired by Nethack's rule set. Select from 13 distinct classes and delve into a perilous dungeon. Your mission is to confront your nemesis in hell and escape with as much treasure as possible.

**Highlights:** Nethack-inspired gameplay, 13 playable classes, Deep dungeon exploration, Defeat nemesis in hell, Loot collection and escape

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Ensign free?

The Ensign costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pathos free?

Pathos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Ensign or Pathos?

Pathos is rated higher. The Ensign averages 4.6 out of 5 from 549 ratings, while Pathos averages 4.7 from 360 ratings.

### Do The Ensign or Pathos have ads?

Neither The Ensign nor Pathos shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Ensign or Pathos?

The Ensign ships an update every 2 months, and Pathos every 4 months. Most recently, The Ensign was updated on September 24, 2026 and Pathos on September 25, 2026.

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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.*