# The Ensign vs Ord.

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ord. at fortnightly against The Ensign's every 3 months. Ord. also leads on chart position (#39 vs #119) and 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.

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 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Ensign | Ord. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (552 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ensign/id908073488/reviews) | **[4.7 (315 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ord/id1523539543/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **552** | 315 |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #119 | **#39** |
| Size | 33 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Amirali Rajan](https://appshunter.io/developer/736683064) | [Crescent Moon Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/370521012) |

## What reviewers say

### The Ensign

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

**Currently charting:** #119 Top Paid · Role Playing (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


### Ord.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ord/id1523539543)

**Currently charting:** #39 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Player choice emphasis, Fast-paced narratives, Multiple stories included, Visual polish, Sound effects, Achievements

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Imaginative and creative gameplay
- 👍 Minimalistic design sparks imagination
- 📚 Good for language learning practice
- ✨ Inspiring and thought-provoking
- 📖 Excellent storytelling through words

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💀 Frequent instant deaths
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay due to restarts
- ❓ Unclear choice outcomes
- 💰 Perceived as a waste of money by some
- 🤷 Confusing and difficult to understand

**Reported bugs**

- Stuck in loops with no option to change
- German translation has spelling errors
- Some text is too dark to read outdoors

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Ensign free?

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

### Is Ord. free?

Ord. costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Ensign or Ord.?

Ord. is rated higher. The Ensign averages 4.6 out of 5 from 552 ratings, while Ord. averages 4.7 from 315 ratings.

### Do The Ensign or Ord. have ads?

Neither The Ensign nor Ord. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Ensign or Ord.?

The Ensign ships an update every 3 months, and Ord. fortnightly. Most recently, The Ensign was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ord. on November 5, 2026.

### Which is more popular, The Ensign or Ord.?

The Ensign currently peaks at #119 in the App Store charts, and Ord. at #39. 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.*