dreeps vs Hellrule
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
dreeps
This is an RPG designed for busy individuals. Simply set your alarm, and your character will embark on an adventure while you sleep, automatically progressing through battles and discoveries. Check in on their progress throughout the day at your own pace.
- Alarm clock integration
- Automatic character progression
- Pixel art graphics
- Chiptune soundtrack
- Minimal text gameplay
- Shareable screenshots
Read full descriptionHide full description
dreeps is an award-winning Japanese indie game that received both the "Best of Art" and "Best of Game Design" at Indie Stream FES 2015! It also was #1 in the App Store (for premium RPGs) in 22 countries, like France and Spain! dreeps has been updated! Released in 2015, this unique pixel-based Alarm Clock Game with the killer chiptune soundtrack was released to wide acclaim. Now, we've brushed up the graphics and sounds, and even added a few new things. Hope you like the changes, and thanks for playing dreeps! — introduction — For those who don’t have the time to play RPGs anymore, this is a new type of game—an Alarm Playing Game! To play dreeps, just set the alarm. That’s all. Easy, right? When you head to bed, the robot boy will sleep just like you, regaining HP and recharging for his next day of adventure! When the alarm rings in the morning, both of you will wake up and start your day. When you go to work or school, the robot boy will head out on an adventure through fields, valleys, and peninsulas where monsters roam. Or, he might discover dungeons where strange bosses lurk... Either way, every day is a new day for you and the robot boy! But how does adventuring work? That's real easy! After the alarm sounds, the robot boy's adventure will automatically continue as long as he has enough HP, even while the app is closed. You might miss some events, but don’t worry about it. There’s almost no text in this game. So whenever you feel like it, load dreeps up and check on the robot boy's adventure. Or, leave it running on your desk while you work, study, or snack. Play however you want, and take it at your own pace. Visuals and sound can give you hints to what sort of story is unfolding in this little world. But use your imagination! Take those hints and try to guess just what's happening. Oh! And don't forget that you can share screenshots of and thoughts about the game by pressing the "Share" button. dreeps was created to give the player the ability to enjoy a story little by little, day by day. With beautifully crafted art and animations, this is a new kind of game that's easy to pick up and simple for anyone to learn. This pocket-size adventure has been made for you by three people in Tokyo who put all their hearts into delivering a fresh and charming experience. Thank you for playing dreeps!
Hellrule
Embark on a thrilling hack-and-slash adventure where your umbrella becomes a powerful sword against encroaching horror. Navigate challenging, handcrafted levels, battle formidable bosses, and enjoy a retro gaming experience with a heavy metal soundtrack.
- Hack-and-slash runner action
- Challenging and addictive gameplay
- Manually designed levels
- Big boss battles
- Powerful metal music theme
- Retro mode
Read full descriptionHide full description
You were going for your introspective nightly walk under the rain, but it seems that tonight that won't be possible: horror is here. You'll have to use your sturdy umbrella as a sword to slice all those ill-intentioned beings to save the day (the night?, perhaps even the whole world?). • Right-to-the-point horror hack-and-slash runner action. • Challenging and addictive. • Carefully, manually designed levels. • Big bosses at the end of each chapter. • Powerful metal music theme by El Reno Renardo. • Retro mode, for playing like in 1975! Remember: • This will be a free game forever! • No ads at all! • No in-app purchases! Get Hellrule now and have fun!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Hellrule at Free against dreeps's $3.99. dreeps's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 18 months). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Hellrule is free to download; dreeps costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
dreeps holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: dreeps has 75 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
dreeps ships an update fortnightly, Hellrule every 18 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | dreeps | Hellrule |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (75 ratings) — better | 3.3 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 67.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 75 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 18 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 130 MB | 65 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Hisanori Hiraoka | Pedro J. Estebanez |
Customer experience
dreeps
Hellrule
In-app purchases
dreeps
No in-app purchases
Hellrule
No in-app purchases









