The Ensign vs Ord.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Ensign
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.
- 100% VoiceOver playable
- Challenging gameplay
- Narrative-driven
- No ads
- No data collection
- No in-app purchases
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death awaits. their humanity makes them strong. - 100% playable via VoiceOver - Pre-sequel to the #1 viral smash hit, A Dark Room. - Made with love by indie game developers. - No ads. - No data collection. - No IAP. - No crippled gameplay. - No data requirements. - No elevated device privileges. - Stupid difficult, but that's why you'll love it.
Ord.
Embark on quests to defeat evil or create worlds as a god. This app tells stories that emphasize player choices and fast-paced narratives. It includes multiple stories, visual polish, sound effects, and achievements.
- Player choice emphasis
- Fast-paced narratives
- Multiple stories included
- Visual polish
- Sound effects
- Achievements
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Whether it is embarking on a quest to defeat an evil warlock or creating your own world as a god, Ord. tells stories that emphasise player choices and evocative fast-paced narratives. THREE additional stories for a total of four. New visual polish and sound effects. More achievements to hunt for!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Ord. at fortnightly against The Ensign's every 3 months. Ord. also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). The Ensign's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 71%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
The Ensign costs $1.99 and Ord. $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 Ord.. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 552 and 315 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of The Ensign's written reviews are positive against 71% of Ord.'s.
The Ensign ships an update every 3 months, Ord. fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Ensign | Ord. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (552 ratings) | 4.7 (315 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews — better | 71.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 552 — better | 315 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #98 | #35 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Amirali Rajan | Crescent Moon Games LLC |
Customer experience
The Ensign
Ord.
User reviews
The Ensign
From 552 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 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
Room to improve
- 🤯 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
Ord.
From 315 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Imaginative and creative gameplay
- 👍 Minimalistic design sparks imagination
- 📚 Good for language learning practice
- ✨ Inspiring and thought-provoking
- 📖 Excellent storytelling through words
Room to improve
- 💀 Frequent instant deaths
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay due to restarts
- ❓ Unclear choice outcomes
- 💰 Perceived as a waste of money by some
- 🤷 Confusing and difficult to understand
Bugs and requests
The Ensign
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashing when trying to collect loot
- Inconsistencies between item descriptions and inventory
- Saved progress being lost after closing the app
Requested features
4 requests- 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
Ord.
Reported bugs
3 issues- Stuck in loops with no option to change
- German translation has spelling errors
- Some text is too dark to read outdoors
Requested features
9 requests- Add more stories/adventures
- Implement a story maker
- Add checkpoints to avoid full restarts
- Consider a free version with IAPs for content
- Option to pet the dog
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- Add a story mode with a deity/alien
- Consider an inventory and stat system
- More tangible branching paths
- Availability on Apple Watch
In-app purchases
The Ensign
No in-app purchases
Ord.
No in-app purchases
