# Hocus Puzzle vs Deadstar

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Deadstar at none against Hocus Puzzle's 10. Deadstar also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hocus Puzzle sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Deadstar asks for nothing beyond the download.

Deadstar holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Deadstar has 393 ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 93% and 94% positive.

Hocus Puzzle ships an update fortnightly, Deadstar every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hocus Puzzle | Deadstar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hocus-puzzle/id952183548/reviews) | **[4.8 (393 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deadstar-the-game/id1299856754/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 42 | **393** |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 265 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **6.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Bigpoint GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/421914256) | [Richard Bettridge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1299856753) |

## What reviewers say

### Hocus Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hocus-puzzle/id952183548)

Embark on a magical puzzle adventure to restore a dried-up river by mixing potions and casting spells. Explore enchanting worlds, defeat villains, and challenge friends on leaderboards. Collect costumes for powerful advantages in over 200 levels.

**Highlights:** Mix and match potions, Cast spells, Over 200 spellbinding levels, Challenge friends, Collect costumes, Leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Welcome Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack n°1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack 5 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Special Pack 10 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack n°2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Win The Level | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack n°3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack n°4 | $16.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack n°5 | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive game
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🕹️ Challenging but enjoyable gameplay
- 🕰️ Good time-passer
- 🎨 Cute and colorful design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔍 Lack of support and explanation for higher levels
- 🔋 Can be draining on battery

**Reported bugs**

- Lottery wheel not working properly
- Game freezing during updates
- Losing progress after updates

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to convert coins to gems
- Option to disable ads or in-app purchases


### Deadstar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deadstar-the-game/id1299856754)

Step into the shoes of Smokepurpp in this unique game. Listen to his music, gather in-game currency, and evade spectral adversaries. A surreal experience blending music and gameplay.

**Highlights:** Play as Smokepurpp, Listen to music, Collect cash, Avoid ghosts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔥 Awesome game
- 🎶 Unreleased music
- 🔊 Great music
- 🔥 Lit game
- 🎮 Fun gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Music not playing
- 🔍 Lack of customization options
- 🤕 Xanny mode removed

**Reported bugs**

- Offline progress reset
- Music not playing

**Requested features**

- Add more music
- Bring back Xanny mode
- Add customization options (different characters, backgrounds, etc.)
- Add ability to purchase items with in-game currency


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hocus Puzzle free?

Hocus Puzzle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Deadstar free?

Deadstar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hocus Puzzle or Deadstar?

Deadstar is rated higher. Hocus Puzzle averages 4.5 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Deadstar averages 4.8 from 393 ratings.

### Do Hocus Puzzle or Deadstar have ads?

Hocus Puzzle shows ads; Deadstar does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hocus Puzzle or Deadstar?

Hocus Puzzle ships an update fortnightly, and Deadstar every 4 days. Most recently, Hocus Puzzle was updated on November 1, 2026 and Deadstar on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*