Comparison

Card Crawl vs Dawncaster

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

Head to head
About

Card Crawl

This solitaire-style game blends dungeon crawling with card mechanics. Clear dungeons by strategically using item and monster cards, managing inventory, and employing unique ability cards. Enjoy quick, engaging sessions perfect for short bursts of play.

Highlights
  • Solitaire-style gameplay
  • Four game modes
  • Dungeon deck editor
  • Unlockable ability-cards
  • Mini deck building
  • Game Center integration
Features
Read full description

Card Crawl is a solitaire-style dungeon crawler game played with a modified deck of standard cards. Pocket Tactics – Card game of the year 2015 Pocket Tactics – Reader’s choice game of the year 2015 Pocket Tactics – Editor’s choice game of the year 2015 German Games Award – Nominee for best game design 2016 Clear the dungeon of 54 cards by using item-cards, slaying monsters and managing your limited inventory. On each run, you can use five ability-cards (mini deck building) to gain unique skills. By collecting gold, you can unlock 35 more ability-cards to access new tactics and even higher scores. Card Crawl’s four single-player game modes are enhanced by Game Center to let players compare their scores and the associated decks. A typical game lasts two or three minutes and is a perfect “one more game” experience while waiting in line or commuting. FEATURES • Solitaire-style gameplay • Four game modes (normal, constructed, daily & delve) • Dungeon deck editor for building and sharing custom dungeon decks • 35 unlockable ability-cards • Mini deck building • Game Center integration – To compare high scores and decks – To challenge your friends – To access tricky new achievements • Two to three minutes of playtime per game ACCOLADES "A brilliant distillation of the dungeon crawler, Card Crawl is well worth a look." — Pocketgamer "Card Crawl is an enjoyable, casual card game that feels a touch like Diablo-Meets-Solitaire." — 148Apps "There’s something about a solitaire card game that really does it for me, and Card Crawl is one of the best I’ve played." — Pockettactics "It's got great art, gameplay with cards that isn't like other card-based dungeon crawlers and is perfect for sitting back and relaxing while playing it." — Toucharcade "Taken purely as a variation on Solitaire, Card Crawl is clever as heck, with a standout style and simple yet rewarding gameplay." — JayIsGames "It’s a unique and interesting hybrid that plays out very well. If you love dungeon crawlers and card games like Hearthstone, then this is a no-brainer." — AppAdvice "The most intriguing thing about Card Crawl is its simplicity." — MACNN "Card Crawl is an impressively solid card game that borrows what works from other games and spins it into its own, unique, game." — Gamezebo "Card Crawl is really creative and unique game, in which strategy and luck is equally needed." — iPlayApps "Card Crawl is a very polished card game with a high addiction factor." — AppGemeinde "Card Crawl is easily suited for anybody who loves casual short game." - ModernJamming Learn More about Tinytouchtales & Card Crawl at www.cardcrawl.com

About

Dawncaster

Embark on a tactical deck-building adventure with over 900 illustrated cards. Explore a mysterious world, master unique class abilities, and forge your own path through a rich narrative. Enjoy a complete premium experience with no ads or microtransactions.

Highlights
  • Over 900 hand-illustrated cards
  • Unique class abilities
  • Innovative energy system
  • Richly illustrated world
  • Randomized encounters
  • Unlockable content
Features
Read full description

Dawncaster: Epic Deck-Building Adventure Dive into a world of strategy and magic in Dawncaster, the ultimate deck-building experience with over 900 stunning hand-illustrated cards. Will you become a shadow-dancing rogue, an indomitable warrior, a mysterious Seeker, or forge your own path? Unravel the dark secrets of Aethos in this tactical masterpiece that revolutionizes mobile card gaming. Redefining Card Games - Experience groundbreaking mechanics that seasoned players will love - Blend unique class abilities with powerful weapons and enchantments - Master an innovative energy system, freeing you from traditional deckbuilder constraints A World Shrouded in Mystery - Embark on a quest to find the legendary 'Dawnbringer' lost in the corrupted realm of Umbris - Immerse yourself in a richly illustrated world with compelling dialogue and meaningful choices - Shape the fate of a desperate world through your actions Complete Gaming Experience - Unlock all cards and classes with your purchase - no microtransactions! - Open up new exciting area's with optional expansion packs for even more content - Enjoy a premium game free from ads, timers, or pay-to-win mechanics Endless Replayability - Every run is unique with randomized encounters and battles - Unlock new starting cards, portraits, and challenges - Test your skills with increasing difficulty levels Join the Dawncaster Community - Connect with fellow players and developers on the Discord server - Share strategies, get the latest updates, and influence the game's future - Be part of a passionate community that's shaping the future of Dawncaster Ready to answer the call? Download Dawncaster now and begin your legendary journey! Discord: https://discord.gg/pfeMG9c Website: https://dawncaster.wanderlost.games

Screenshots

Card Crawl4 screens
Dawncaster4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Card Crawl at Free against Dawncaster's $4.99. Dawncaster's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

Card Crawl is free to download; Dawncaster costs $4.99 up front. Card Crawl sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Dawncaster sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Card Crawl against 4.7 for Dawncaster. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 929 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 81% and 80% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Card Crawl ships an update monthly, Dawncaster every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Card Crawl versus Dawncaster: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCard CrawlDawncaster
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.7 (2.1K ratings) — better4.7 (929 ratings)
Positive reviews80.8% of reviews — better80.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.1K — better929
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#8 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size279 MB1.4 GB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperArnold RauersRick van der Wal

Customer experience

Card Crawl

All ratings2,058 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews777 reviews
Positive80.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative11.5%

Dawncaster

All ratings924 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews459 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral7.4%
Negative12.4%

User reviews

Card Crawl

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
  • 🚀 Quick and easy to play
  • 💡 Unique card-based dungeon crawler concept
  • 👍 Charming art style and atmosphere
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs, especially on older devices
  • 🔋 Can drain battery quickly
  • 🔒 Difficulty restoring purchases
  • 👎 Repetitive gameplay after a while
  • 👎 Lack of content and progression

Dawncaster

From 929 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Constant updates
  • 🔥 Addictive gameplay loop
  • 🔍 Discovering new secrets
  • 💎 Excellent value for money
  • 🎨 Beautiful art and visuals

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Steep learning curve
  • 🔁 Repetitive enemy and boss encounters
  • 🕰️ Slow progression and unlock system
  • 🔧 Unbalanced difficulty spikes

Bugs and requests

Card Crawl

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to access certain features
  • Inability to restore purchases
  • Gameplay freezes and lags on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More game modes and challenges
  • Ability to customize decks and characters
  • Improved tutorial and instructions
  • Leaderboards and social features

Dawncaster

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes after certain card interactions
  • Incorrect card behavior or descriptions
  • Progression loss after updates
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Endless or challenge mode
  • More language support (e.g. Chinese, Spanish, Russian)
  • Improved tutorial and onboarding
  • Ability to toggle DLC content on/off
  • Checkpoints or save states during runs

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Card Crawl

One-time2
  • Challenge Season Unlock$0.99
  • Unlock Card Crawl$4.99
13 purchases

Dawncaster

One-time13
  • Vaul of the Void Promo PackFree
  • Synthesis Support Pack$3.99
  • Infinitum Support Banner$3.99
Show 10 more
  • Eclypse Supporter Pack$3.99
  • Buy the devs a coffee$4.99
  • Tribes of Twilight$4.99
  • Death of Divinity$4.99
  • Masks of Misery$4.99
  • Siege of Shadows$4.99
  • Dawncaster Origins Bundle$4.99
  • Nexus of Nightmares$5.99
  • Infernal Invasions$5.99
  • Dawncaster Mega Bundle$12.99

Questions

Is Card Crawl free?
Card Crawl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dawncaster free?
Dawncaster costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Card Crawl or Dawncaster?
Card Crawl is rated higher. Card Crawl averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Dawncaster averages 4.7 from 929 ratings.
Do Card Crawl or Dawncaster have ads?
Neither Card Crawl nor Dawncaster shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Card Crawl or Dawncaster?
Card Crawl ships an update monthly, and Dawncaster every 10 days. Most recently, Card Crawl was updated on October 28, 2026 and Dawncaster on October 27, 2026.

Other comparisons