Comparison

dreeps vs Hellrule

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Alarm clock integration
  • Automatic character progression
  • Pixel art graphics
  • Chiptune soundtrack
  • Minimal text gameplay
  • Shareable screenshots
Features
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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!

About

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.

Highlights
  • Hack-and-slash runner action
  • Challenging and addictive gameplay
  • Manually designed levels
  • Big boss battles
  • Powerful metal music theme
  • Retro mode
Features
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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

dreeps4 screens
Hellrule4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hellrule is free to download; dreeps costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

dreeps ships an update fortnightly, Hellrule every 18 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
dreeps versus Hellrule: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterdreepsHellrule
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (75 ratings) — better3.3 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews67.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings75 — better4
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 18 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB65 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperHisanori HiraokaPedro J. Estebanez

Customer experience

dreeps

All ratings75 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive67.3%
Neutral12.9%
Negative19.8%

Hellrule

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

dreeps

No in-app purchases

None

Hellrule

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is dreeps free?
dreeps costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hellrule free?
Hellrule is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, dreeps or Hellrule?
dreeps is rated higher. dreeps averages 4.8 out of 5 from 75 ratings, while Hellrule averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.
Do dreeps or Hellrule have ads?
Neither dreeps nor Hellrule shows ads.
Which is updated more often, dreeps or Hellrule?
dreeps ships an update fortnightly, and Hellrule every 18 months. Most recently, dreeps was updated on November 6, 2026 and Hellrule on November 6, 2026.

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