Comparison

DRAGON QUEST vs RPG Dragon Lapis

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

Head to head
About

DRAGON QUEST

Embark on an epic fantasy quest in a world of sword, magic, and monsters. This classic role-playing game lets you become a legendary hero to vanquish a dark lord and save a kingdom. Experience a complete, standalone adventure with no further purchases or downloads required.

Highlights
  • Fantasy RPG adventure
  • Hero's quest to save a kingdom
  • Standalone package, no extra purchases
  • Intuitive mobile controls
  • Retro 80s RPG experience
  • Legendary creator trio
Currently charting
Read full description

******************** The game that started the legend of DRAGON QUEST is here at last for mobile devices! Discover the RPG that won the hearts of two generations! Enter a fantasy world of sword, magic, and monsters in one standalone package! Download it once, and there’s nothing else to buy, and nothing else to download! ******************** ◆ Prologue The peace of fair Alefgard has been shattered by the appearance of the nefarious master of the night known as the Dragonlord, and the Sphere of Light which for so long kept the forces of darkness in check has been stolen! It’s time for you, a young warrior through whose veins flows the blood of the legendary hero Erdrick, to set out on a quest to vanquish the Dragonlord, and save the land from darkness! ◆ Game Features ・First in the Legendary Series Originally released as Dragon Warrior, you can now experience the classic retro RPG experience that swept up millions of Japanese players back in the Eighties...and never let go! Become the descendant of the legendary hero Erdrick, and embark on an epic journey through the historic realm of Alefgard, tackling fearsome foes and perplexing puzzles on your way to the dread Dragonlord’s lair! ・Simple, Intuitive Controls The game’s controls are designed to work perfectly with the vertical layout of any modern mobile device, and the position of the movement button can be changed to facilitate both one- and two-handed play. ・Experience the legendary RPG loved by millions in Japan and worldwide! Created by a legendary trio with the master creator Yuji Horii, the revolutionary synthesizer score and orchestration by Koichi Sugiyama, and art by master manga artist Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball). -------------------- [OS Compatibility] iOS 12.0 or higher

About

RPG Dragon Lapis

Embark on a retro-style adventure as a knight destined to save the world from a reawakened dragon. Team up with companions, master jobs, and explore challenging dungeons filled with secrets and enemies.

Highlights
  • Retro RPG gameplay
  • Intuitive controls
  • Growth plate system
  • Job system with abilities
  • Subquests and extra content
  • Challenging dungeons
  • Enemy guide
Features
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The dawn of a new hero! A thousand years ago, a great battle ensued between two dragons, one gold and the other silver, where they were sealed away. However, the real tale begins many centuries later after the Silver Dragon reawakens, and launches an assault on a frontier village in the far north. There, a royal knight by the name of Lucas serves as a guard after being relegated to the rural and much isolated location by the King. Yet, little does he know he is, in fact, a descendant of the hero, Alaric, who once sealed the Gold and Silver Dragons in human form. Nonetheless, when tragedy strikes, he soon finds his place, and after teaming up with a band of unlikely companions, sets out on an adventure to save the world. Features - Make a return to the golden age of RPGs! - Intuitive controls & retro graphics! - Unlock the growth plates to power up characters! - Change and master jobs to use more abilities! - Plenty of subquests and extra content! - Challenging dungeons full of gimmicks and formidable opponents! - Fight various enemies and complete the Enemy Guide! - Play the Lottery to win strong equipment! - Character's appearance changes depending on their job! - Splendid BGM from the renowned game composer Ryuji Sasai! * The game can be played in its entirety without the need for in-game transactions.

Screenshots

DRAGON QUEST4 screens
RPG Dragon Lapis4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RPG Dragon Lapis at Free against DRAGON QUEST's $2.99. RPG Dragon Lapis also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). DRAGON QUEST's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume 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

RPG Dragon Lapis is free to download; DRAGON QUEST costs $2.99 up front. RPG Dragon Lapis sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. DRAGON QUEST asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RPG Dragon Lapis holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 481 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of DRAGON QUEST's written reviews are positive against 91% of RPG Dragon Lapis's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DRAGON QUEST ships an update every 9 months, RPG Dragon Lapis every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
DRAGON QUEST versus RPG Dragon Lapis: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDRAGON QUESTRPG Dragon Lapis
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (481 ratings)4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.3% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4811.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#88 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB505 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperSQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.Kotobuki Solution Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

DRAGON QUEST

All ratings479 ratings
Positive82.9%
Neutral6.7%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews259 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral9.3%
Negative20.5%

RPG Dragon Lapis

All ratings1,133 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews329 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.7%

User reviews

DRAGON QUEST

From 481 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💰 Affordable price
  • 🕹️ Faithful to the original
  • 🎮 Good controls for mobile
  • 🎨 Charming graphics
  • 🎶 Great soundtrack

Room to improve

  • 🔇 No background audio support
  • 🔌 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔍 Lack of guidance/objectives
  • 🔍 Dated gameplay mechanics
  • 🔍 Forced portrait mode

RPG Dragon Lapis

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great game
  • 🚀 Fun old school RPG
  • 👍 Nostalgic feel
  • 👍 Interesting characters
  • 👍 Funny dialogue

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Confusing growth plate system
  • 🐛 Repetitive dungeons
  • 🐛 Unbalanced difficulty spikes
  • 🐛 Excessive ads after certain point
  • 🐛 Slow loading times after ads increase

Bugs and requests

DRAGON QUEST

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes after battles
  • Audio issues
  • Saving problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Cloud save support
  • Landscape mode option
  • Controller support
  • Difficulty/quality of life options

RPG Dragon Lapis

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Purchased items not reflecting in game
  • Crashes after long playtime

Requested features

5 requests
  • More variety in enemy designs
  • Ability to skip cutscenes
  • Clearer explanations for growth plate system
  • Option to rearrange party members
  • More side quests and exploration

In-app purchases

None

DRAGON QUEST

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

RPG Dragon Lapis

One-time6
  • 100LPP$0.99
  • 600LPP$4.99
  • Ad Eliminator + 600LPP$5.99
Show 3 more
  • 1250LPP$9.99
  • 2600LPP$19.99
  • 7000LPP$49.99

Questions

Is DRAGON QUEST free?
DRAGON QUEST costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RPG Dragon Lapis free?
RPG Dragon Lapis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DRAGON QUEST or RPG Dragon Lapis?
RPG Dragon Lapis is rated higher. DRAGON QUEST averages 4.4 out of 5 from 481 ratings, while RPG Dragon Lapis averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.
Do DRAGON QUEST or RPG Dragon Lapis have ads?
RPG Dragon Lapis shows ads; DRAGON QUEST does not.
Which is updated more often, DRAGON QUEST or RPG Dragon Lapis?
DRAGON QUEST ships an update every 9 months, and RPG Dragon Lapis every 2 weeks. Most recently, DRAGON QUEST was updated on October 30, 2026 and RPG Dragon Lapis on October 29, 2026.

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