iNethack2 vs Dwarf Fortress Remote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iNethack2
Embark on a single-player dungeon crawl to collect treasure, find the Amulet of Yendor, and survive perilous mazes. This port offers graphical tilesets, touch controls, and customizable shortcuts for an enhanced roguelike experience.
- Single-player dungeon exploration
- Treasure collection and escape
- Multiple graphical tilesets
- Touchscreen gesture controls
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Bones file sharing integration
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"NetHack is a single player dungeon exploration game. Your goal is to grab as much treasure as you can, retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, and escape the Mazes of Menace alive." -- iNethack2 is an iOS port of Nethack 3.6.7. Original port in 2009 by Dirk Zimmermann which was called iNethack. Updated by Jeff King to work on modern devices, and renamed iNethack2. Initial 3.6 update by Joe Doucette. Various other contributions from the open source community. iNethack2 features: · 9 graphical tilesets (plus IBMGraphics mode, and regular ASCII mode in color and monochrome) · 1 animated tileset: DawnHack Animated · Touchscreen gesture controls: swipe to pan, pinch to zoom · Customizable keyboard shortcut controls · Hearse (bones file sharing) integration · Works on iOS12+ Some facts about NetHack: · The first version of NetHack was released in 1987 · NetHack was a roguelike before people used the term roguelike · You can play NetHack for years and still make new discoveries · NetHack is one of the greatest games of all time
Dwarf Fortress Remote
Control your fantasy world simulation game remotely on your mobile device. Manage a group of dwarves, build a thriving fortress, and explore a procedurally generated world with complex systems. Requires the original game and a server connection.
- Remote Fortress Mode control
- Complex world simulation
- Dwarf management
- Fortress construction
- Procedurally generated worlds
- Detailed geology and weather
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Dwarf Fortress is a famous fantasy world simulation/management game from Bay 12 Games. This app allows you to play Fortress Mode remotely on your mobile device. Dwarf Fortress is an open-ended fantasy world simulation/management game from Bay 12 Games, which is in constant development since 2002. In Fortress mode, player indirectly controls a group of dwarves, attempting to construct a successful and wealthy fortress. The game features a highly detailed procedurally generated fantasy world with multiple civilizations and wildlife, realistic geology, weather effects. You will have dozens of different building and items to construct, hundreds of materials, advanced military system, agriculture, sieges and underground monsters, diplomacy and trading. ATTENTION: Internet connection is required to play. The original game with a plugin (both free) running at your home or on a cloud server will be required, visit mifki.com/df/setup for details. Alternatively, you can purchase a server subscription from within the app, in which case we will manage a server for you, visit mifki.com/df/subscription for details. Supported Dwarf Fortress version is 0.47.05. Visit bay12games.com/dwarves for full information about Dwarf Fortress. However, please report any issues with this application to mifki.com/df/support and NOT to the original game authors.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iNethack2 at 4.4 against Dwarf Fortress Remote's 3.3. iNethack2 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (84% vs 60%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Dwarf Fortress Remote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. iNethack2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
iNethack2 holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 137 and 142 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of iNethack2's written reviews are positive against 60% of Dwarf Fortress Remote's.
iNethack2 ships an update every 2 months, Dwarf Fortress Remote monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and August 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iNethack2 | Dwarf Fortress Remote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (137 ratings) — better | 3.3 (142 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 84.1% of reviews — better | 59.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 137 | 142 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Future Shock Software LTD | MIFKI PTY LTD |
Customer experience
iNethack2
Dwarf Fortress Remote
User reviews
iNethack2
From 137 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Faithful port of classic NetHack game
- 📱 Well-designed touch interface for mobile
- 🎨 Multiple tileset options available
- ♾️ Infinite replayability and depth
- 🆓 Free to play with no paywalls
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 💾 Game files corrupted or lost unexpectedly
- ⌨️ Limited external keyboard support
- 🎮 Clunky movement controls
- 🖱️ Double-tap sensitivity issues
Dwarf Fortress Remote
From 142 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Intuitive touch interface superior to PC controls
- 💡 Innovative remote play solution for complex game
- 🎮 Enables playing Dwarf Fortress on mobile devices
- ⚙️ Works smoothly with home network setup
- 🔧 Free option available with self-hosted server
Room to improve
- 💳 Requires paid subscription or PC setup (confusing to users)
- 🐛 Frequent server connection errors and failures
- ⚠️ App abandoned/outdated for extended periods
- 📦 Missing tilesets causing functionality issues
- 🔌 Inconsistent server reliability
Bugs and requests
iNethack2
Reported bugs
14 issues- Game crashes when using inventory (I command)
- Crashes on Plane of Water during save restore
- File corruption errors when switching apps
- Game freezes with Chinese pinyin keyboard input
- Crashes when equipping rings
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- Crashes when dropping items
- Crashes when accessing discoveries list
- Cannot open level files error (501mobile.50)
- Game unrecoverable after certain actions
- Double-tap causes unintended character movement
- Floor tiles not rendering in corridors
- Crashes on iOS 11+ when dropping items
- Waiting for logfile access message loops
- Game crashes immediately on startup for some users
Requested features
17 requests- Separate button labels from command values
- External Bluetooth keyboard support
- Directional pad for movement
- Swipe-based movement controls
- Character name customization
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- Pet naming functionality
- Partial item stack management
- Cloud save synchronization across devices
- iPad Magic Keyboard support
- Japanese language localization
- Toggle for sparkle effects
- Multiple simultaneous game saves
- NetHack version 3.6+ support
- Slash'Em port for iOS
- Voice over support for accessibility
- Options file editing capability
- Discoveries list access without crashes
Dwarf Fortress Remote
Reported bugs
10 issues- Server subscription errors preventing gameplay
- App crashes when opening squad command menus
- Endless initialization loops on server subscription
- Connection failures when connecting to home PC
- Black screen on map load (tileset issue)
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- Password invalid errors during server setup
- Permanent server lockout errors
- World generation crashes mid-process
- Inconsistent connection drops
- Limited location search options during new game setup
Requested features
14 requests- Adventure mode support
- Custom embark location selection
- DFHack plugin support (workflow, autolabor, digvein)
- World map visualization
- Sound effects
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- iPad keyboard support
- Finger-drawing for mining designation
- Select-all functionality for storage yards
- Bedroom zone creation
- Status and announcements quick access
- Legends viewer
- 3D graphics support
- UI customization options
- Donation option in app menu
In-app purchases
iNethack2
No in-app purchases
Dwarf Fortress Remote
- Server Subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Month
Questions
Is iNethack2 free?
Is Dwarf Fortress Remote free?
Which has better reviews, iNethack2 or Dwarf Fortress Remote?
Do iNethack2 or Dwarf Fortress Remote have ads?
Which is updated more often, iNethack2 or Dwarf Fortress Remote?
Other comparisons
