The Ensign vs Doom Daycare
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.
Doom Daycare
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Welcome to the Underworld's Department of Soul Crowd-Control. You took the daycare-wing job. The pay is bad. The kids are demons. The souls keep escaping. Every shift, you go in alone with a clipboard and survive as long as you can while the chaos multiplies. Pick a weapon. Pick a utility. Move with one thumb. Auto-attack with the rest. Die a lot. Earn coins. Buy upgrades. Eventually quit your job (prestige), get hired right back, and do it all again. FEATURING - 4 staff members, each with a unique passive and starting weapon - 8 weapons + 6 utilities -- pick a few per run - 10 enemies + 2 bosses (one of which is a manager's mom) - Persistent coin economy + a workshop tree of upgrades - A whole-game prestige system, because you're going to quit eventually - A narrator who has clearly given up Free to play. Optional purchases for coin packs and a permanent pay raise. Ads are mostly optional and tasteful (we hate the gross ones too). "Tragic. We'll need to file an incident report. Again." -- narrator, on your death
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Doom Daycare at Free against The Ensign's $1.99. Doom Daycare also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). The Ensign's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and chart position (#75 vs unranked). On ads 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
Doom Daycare is free to download; The Ensign costs $1.99 up front. Doom Daycare sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. The Ensign asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Ensign ships an update every 3 months, Doom Daycare every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Ensign | Doom Daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (553 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 553 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #75 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Amirali Rajan | Christian Pedersen |
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
Doom Daycare
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Ensign
No in-app purchases
Doom Daycare
- Pocket Change$0.99
- Doom Daycare Pro$3.99
- Vacation Days$3.99
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- Permanent Pay Raise$4.99
- Bulk Coupons$4.99
- Allowance$4.99
- Manager's Bonus$9.99
- College Fund$9.99
- Trust Fund$19.99
Questions
Is The Ensign free?
Is Doom Daycare free?
Do The Ensign or Doom Daycare have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Ensign or Doom Daycare?
Other comparisons
