Comparison

DRAGON QUEST V vs Afterplace

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

Head to head
About

DRAGON QUEST V

Embark on a multi-generational epic RPG adventure spanning three lifetimes. Recruit monsters to join your party, converse with companions, and explore a vast world with 360-degree views. Enjoy a wealth of mini-games and intuitive controls designed for mobile.

Highlights
  • Multi-generational story
  • Recruit monsters as allies
  • Party chat function
  • 360-degree camera views
  • AI-controlled battles
  • In-game casino and mini-games
  • Intuitive mobile controls
Currently charting
Read full description

******************** This grand adventure, unfolding over three generations, is now available to play in the palm of your hand! Take your place among a family of heroes, sharing in all the triumphs and tragedies of their storied lives! Enjoy three generations’ worth of adventure in one standalone package! There will be a fee to download the game but download it once, and there’s nothing else to buy, and nothing else to download! *In-game text is available in English only. ******************** ◆Prologue Our hero begins the story as a small boy, travelling the world with his father, Pankraz. Over the course of his many adventures, this lovable lad learns and grows. And when he finally becomes a man, he resolves to continue his father’s unfinished quest—to find the Legendary Hero... This thrilling tale on a stunning scale can now be enjoyed on pocket-sized devices! ◆Game Feature ・Make Friends with Mighty Monsters! The fearsome monsters you face in battle can now become your friends, giving you access to unique spells and abilities—and a whole host of strategic possibilities! ・Converse Freely with your Fellow Party Members! The party chat function allows you to converse freely with the cast of colourful characters who will accompany you on your adventure. So don’t hesitate to turn to them for advice and idle chit-chat whenever the urge assails you! ・360-Degree Views Rotate your viewpoint in towns and villages through a full 360 degrees to make sure you don’t miss a thing! ・AI Battles Tired of giving orders? Your faithful companions can be instructed to fight automatically! Use the various tactics at your disposal to see off even the toughest enemies with ease! ・The Casino With slot machines, poker, the monster arena and the exciting slime races of the slurpodrome, the casino is sure to provide you with a little light relief when the pressures of adventuring prove too great. Better still, you can exchange the tokens you earn for all kinds of exciting items, making taking a break well worth your while! ・Treasures ‘n’ Trapdoors Take dice in hand and roll your way around specially designed game boards, enjoying a whole range of exciting events as you go! Some of the things you’ll see won’t be available anywhere else, and if you manage to make it to the end, you can win some really great rewards! ・Bruise the Ooze is Back! Bruise the Ooze, the slime-smashing minigame introduced in the Nintendo DS version, is back with a bang! Tap the slimes within the time limit to earn points in this super-simple yet fiendishly addictive goo-splatting extravaganza! ・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). -------------------- [Supported Operating Systems] iOS11.0 and above. [Supported Devices] iPhone 5S/iPod touch (6th Generation)/iPad (5th Generation) and above.

About

Afterplace

Embark on an open-world adventure on your mobile device, exploring a vast landscape filled with hidden secrets, treasures, and quirky characters. Engage in combat, uncover mysteries, and forge your own path through a world without waypoints.

Highlights
  • Open world exploration
  • Hidden secrets and treasures
  • Combat with monsters
  • Interactive characters
  • No virtual buttons
  • Dynamic control adaptation
Features
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An open world adventure game filled with silly characters and terrible secrets. Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It's a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You'll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though - you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed nooks. There are no waypoints in Afterplace. You'll have to forge your own path. Afterplace has been designed from the ground up to be a fast, fluid, beautiful experience for mobile. There are no virtual buttons. You can move and attack by touching anywhere. You can tap objects directly to interact or attack, use two thumbs like a traditional controller, or control the game with a physical gamepad. The game will adapt dynamically to your play style. Pick up and set down the game at your own pace, it will always save your progress. Afterplace is made to feel like a full-fledged indie adventure game that fits in your pocket. About the Author: Afterplace is made by one person, Evan Kice. A former software engineer from Austin TX, Evan quit his job (to the dismay of his friends and family) and has been working full time on Afterplace since early 2019. The initial game released in December of 2022, but Evan plans on continuing to support and polish the game when he can!

Screenshots

DRAGON QUEST V4 screens
Afterplace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Afterplace at monthly against DRAGON QUEST V's every 31 months. Afterplace also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (94% vs 76%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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 V costs $8.99 and Afterplace $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Afterplace holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 201 and 613 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of DRAGON QUEST V's written reviews are positive against 94% of Afterplace's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DRAGON QUEST V ships an update every 31 months, Afterplace monthly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
DRAGON QUEST V versus Afterplace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDRAGON QUEST VAfterplace
Price$8.99$6.99 — better
Rating4.5 (201 ratings)4.9 (613 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews94.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings201613 — better
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#54#49 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size501 MB249 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperSQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.Evan Kice

Customer experience

DRAGON QUEST V

All ratings201 ratings
Positive86.1%
Neutral4.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews157 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral7.6%
Negative15.9%

Afterplace

All ratings613 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews250 reviews
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.6%

User reviews

DRAGON QUEST V

From 201 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fantastic game
  • 👍 Great story and characters
  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics
  • 💎 One of the best in the series
  • 📱 Plays well on mobile

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Lack of landscape mode
  • 🎮 No controller support
  • 💾 Unreliable cloud sync
  • 🔇 No background audio support

Afterplace

From 613 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Charming characters and dialogue
  • 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and visuals
  • 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
  • 💡 Unique story and world-building

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • 🔍 Lack of a map or quest log can lead to getting lost
  • 🔍 Some plot points not fully explained
  • 🔍 Limited weapon/item variety

Bugs and requests

DRAGON QUEST V

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game freezes when rotating camera
  • Accidental app switcher activation
  • Progression-blocking bugs
  • Missing sound when device is on silent
  • Inconsistent translation quality

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add landscape mode
  • Implement controller support
  • Allow background audio playback
  • Improve cloud save functionality
  • Optimize performance for newer devices

Afterplace

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on certain devices
  • Saves not loading properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to restart or replay the game
  • More in-depth combat and progression systems

In-app purchases

None

DRAGON QUEST V

No in-app purchases

None

Afterplace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DRAGON QUEST V free?
DRAGON QUEST V costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Afterplace free?
Afterplace costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DRAGON QUEST V or Afterplace?
Afterplace is rated higher. DRAGON QUEST V averages 4.5 out of 5 from 201 ratings, while Afterplace averages 4.9 from 613 ratings.
Do DRAGON QUEST V or Afterplace have ads?
Neither DRAGON QUEST V nor Afterplace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DRAGON QUEST V or Afterplace?
DRAGON QUEST V ships an update every 31 months, and Afterplace monthly. Most recently, DRAGON QUEST V was updated on September 26, 2026 and Afterplace on September 26, 2026.
Which is more popular, DRAGON QUEST V or Afterplace?
DRAGON QUEST V currently peaks at #54 in the App Store charts, and Afterplace at #49. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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