Comparison

DRAGON QUEST vs Shattered Pixel Dungeon

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

Shattered Pixel Dungeon

Embark on a challenging roguelike dungeon crawl with six unique heroes. Explore procedurally generated levels, collect hundreds of items, and battle diverse enemies and bosses. Master unique hero mechanics and unlock powerful abilities to survive the depths.

Highlights
  • Six unique heroes with distinct playstyles
  • Procedurally generated dungeons and randomized enemies
  • Hundreds of items to collect, upgrade, and craft
  • Talent trees and subclass progression for heroes
  • Challenging bosses and optional achievements
  • Regular content updates
Read full description

Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a traditional roguelike dungeon crawler RPG that's simple to get into but hard to master! Every game is a unique challenge, with six different heroes, randomized levels and enemies, and hundreds of items to collect and use. ShatteredPD is also updated with new content roughly every three months, so there's always something new. ◀ Choose Your Hero ▶ Each of ShatteredPD's six playable heroes has their own unique mechanics and gameplay style. Cut down foes as the durable Warrior or deadly Duelist, fry your enemies as the arcane Mage or divine Cleric, or use terrain to your advantage as the stealthy Rogue or the markswoman Huntress! As you progress through the dungeon you'll earn points to spend on talents, choose a subclass, and gain powerful lategame abilities. You can turn the Duelist into a dual-wielding Champion, the Cleric into a righteous Paladin, the Huntress into a precise Sniper, or explore loads of other possibilities! ◀ Explore the Dungeon ▶ ShatteredPD's dungeon is procedurally generated with random layouts, room types, items, traps, and enemies. In each game you'll find equipment and collect or craft consumable items to power you up or help you out in a pinch. There is a huge variety to what you might see from run to run and region to region. As you progress through the dungeon you'll find equipment that can be enchanted, upgraded, and augmented as you outfit your hero. Set foes ablaze with an enchanted weapon, wade through enemies with upgraded armor, or gain powerful damage, defensive, or utility benefits from one of the many magical wands, rings, artifacts, or trinkets. ◀ Succeed or Die Trying ▶ The Dungeon is filled with enemies, traps, hazards, and bosses intent on ending your run! Battle hostile wildlife in the sewers and caves, mad thieves and guards in the prison, occult servants in the fallen dwarven city, and maybe something even worse further down... All these hazards can make the game quite tough, but don't be discouraged! You probably won't win on your first try, but there are many tricks and strategies to discover and learn on the path to getting your first win. Afterward, there are optional challenges and achivements if you want to put your skills to the test! ◀ Over A Decade in the Making ▶ Shattered Pixel Dungeon is an open source game based on the source code of Pixel Dungeon by Watabou (first released in late 2012). It started in 2014 as a project to rebalance Pixel Dungeon but has steadily grown into its own game over the last 10 years! Features Include: • 6 Heroes, each with 2 subclasses, 3 endgame abilities, and over 25 talents. • Over 300 items including equipment, consumables, and items crafted via alchemy. • 5 dungeon regions, 26 floors, over 100 room types, and trillions of possible floor layouts. • Over 60 regular enemy types, 30 traps, and 10 bosses to test your skills. • An in-game catalog to fill in, with just over 500 entries. • 9 stackable challenges and over 100 achievements for completionists. • Interface modes for large and small screens, and support for multiple input types. • Updates roughly every 3 months with new content, fixes, and improvements. • Support for many languages thanks to the game's dedicated communities.

Screenshots

DRAGON QUEST4 screens
Shattered Pixel Dungeon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shattered Pixel Dungeon at 4.9 against DRAGON QUEST's 4.4. Shattered Pixel Dungeon also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (93% vs 70%). DRAGON QUEST's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

DRAGON QUEST costs $2.99 and Shattered Pixel Dungeon $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shattered Pixel Dungeon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shattered Pixel Dungeon has 4.3K ratings behind it against 482, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of DRAGON QUEST's written reviews are positive against 93% of Shattered Pixel Dungeon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DRAGON QUEST ships an update every 9 months, Shattered Pixel Dungeon fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
DRAGON QUEST versus Shattered Pixel Dungeon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDRAGON QUESTShattered Pixel Dungeon
Price$2.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.4 (482 ratings)4.9 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.3% of reviews92.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4824.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#65#14 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB134 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperSQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.Evan Debenham

Customer experience

DRAGON QUEST

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

Shattered Pixel Dungeon

All ratings4,210 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral0.6%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews973 reviews
Positive92.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative5.7%

User reviews

DRAGON QUEST

From 482 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

Shattered Pixel Dungeon

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Endless replayability
  • 👍 Polished and well-designed
  • 🎨 Excellent pixel art and aesthetics
  • 💡 Innovative mechanics and depth
  • 🕹️ Challenging yet rewarding gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Extremely challenging and punishing
  • 🕰️ Runs can feel too long
  • 🤖 Overpowered enemy mechanics (e.g. evasion)

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

Shattered Pixel Dungeon

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Sound effects not working on iOS
  • Occasional crashes or freezes

Requested features

3 requests
  • Permadeath optional mode
  • Ability to continue progress across devices
  • More character classes and customization options

In-app purchases

None

DRAGON QUEST

No in-app purchases

None

Shattered Pixel Dungeon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DRAGON QUEST free?
DRAGON QUEST costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shattered Pixel Dungeon free?
Shattered Pixel Dungeon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DRAGON QUEST or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?
Shattered Pixel Dungeon is rated higher. DRAGON QUEST averages 4.4 out of 5 from 482 ratings, while Shattered Pixel Dungeon averages 4.9 from 4.3K ratings.
Do DRAGON QUEST or Shattered Pixel Dungeon have ads?
Neither DRAGON QUEST nor Shattered Pixel Dungeon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DRAGON QUEST or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?
DRAGON QUEST ships an update every 9 months, and Shattered Pixel Dungeon fortnightly. Most recently, DRAGON QUEST was updated on November 7, 2026 and Shattered Pixel Dungeon on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, DRAGON QUEST or Shattered Pixel Dungeon?
DRAGON QUEST currently peaks at #65 in the App Store charts, and Shattered Pixel Dungeon at #14. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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