Comparison

Severed vs Shakedown

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

Head to head
About

Severed

Embark on a surreal journey as a one-armed warrior wielding a sentient sword. Master touch-based combat, explore a nightmarish world, and sever enemies to gain powers. This critically acclaimed title features a unique art style and an award-winning soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Dungeon combat with touch controls
  • Sever enemies for new powers
  • Branching exploration routes
  • Award-winning original soundtrack
  • Upgrade equipment and abilities
  • Puzzle solving and hazard avoidance
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

** Winner of Apple Design Award 2017 ** ** Apple iPad Game of the Year 2016 ** Take control of a one-armed warrior named Sasha, wielding a living sword on her journey through a nightmare world in search of her family. ----- ACCOLADES ----- • "Apple Design Award 2017", Apple • "iPad Game of the Year 2016", Apple • "Best Mobile Game of 2016", Destructoid • "Best Mobile Game + Best Musical Score", Canadian Video Game Awards 2016 • "Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game", 2017 New York Game Awards • "Handheld Game of the Year -- Nominee", 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards • "Mobile Game of the Year -- Nominee", 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards • "Best Mobile Game -- Nominee", The Game Awards 2016 • "5 best mobile games of 2016", GameSpot • "Best Mobile Game of 2016 -- Nominee", IGN • "10 best video games of 2016", Mashable "Severed is a super compelling game that looks great. Its mechanics go to surprising depths and the sword-swiping combat feels fantastic on iOS." 5/5 - 148Apps "With great game mechanics, unique artwork and tough to master gameplay, Severed is well worthy of your time." 8/10 - Post Arcade "Severed is just a game that's all-around cool. Its aesthetic is top-notch, its combat is deep and engaging." 5/5 - TouchArcade ----- KEY FEATURES ----- • Dungeon Combat: Master offensive and defensive touch combat techniques to survive intense battles against a menagerie of enemies. • Severing: Best enemies in combat for a chance at severing their body parts -- then wear them to gain new powers or consume them to upgrade your equipment and abilities. • Exploration: Follow branching routes through the unknown, using your wits to avoid hazards and solve puzzles. • Award-Winning Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in the haunting original score from Juno- and Polaris-nominated band YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN, featuring Pantayo. Also includes: • Graphical optimizations for Metal-enabled devices • Gameplay video recording with ReplayKit (requires Metal-enabled device running iOS 9+) • Multiple difficulty modes • Game Center Achievements • Cloud Save • iMessage Sticker Pack (requires iOS 10) • 3D Touch support (3D Touch-enabled device required)

About

Shakedown

Embark on a 16-bit open-world adventure where you build a business empire. Complete missions, acquire properties, and sabotage rivals to dominate the island. Explore by land, sea, or air, uncovering secrets and engaging in arcade challenges.

Highlights
  • 16-bit open world exploration
  • Business acquisition and management
  • Mission-based gameplay
  • Sabotage competitors
  • Vehicle and boat traversal
  • Arcade challenges and side quests
Features
Read full description

A brand new open world adventure from the creator of Retro City Rampage DX! The entire island is up for grabs. Build your own "legitimate" corporation by completing missions, acquiring businesses, sabotaging competitors, "re-zoning" land, and shaking down shops for protection money. Explore the 16-bit open world by foot, by car, or by boat. It's filled with arcade challenges, side quests, stores to shop at, houses to burgle, civilians to interact with, and secrets to discover. Build your empire and destroy the competition... in Shakedown: Hawaii.

Screenshots

Severed4 screens
Shakedown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Severed at 1.3K against Shakedown's 20. Severed also leads on price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and chart position (#187 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Severed costs $1.99 and Shakedown $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Severed against 4.9 for Shakedown. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Severed has 1.3K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Severed's written reviews are positive against 92% of Shakedown's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Severed ships an update every 3 weeks, Shakedown fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Severed versus Shakedown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeveredShakedown
Price$1.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (1.3K ratings)4.9 (20 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.6% of reviews91.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better20
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#187 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size224 MB124 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperDrinkBox StudiosVblank Entertainment Inc.

Customer experience

Severed

All ratings1,338 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral0.5%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews739 reviews
Positive88.6%
Neutral3.4%
Negative8.0%

Shakedown

All ratings21 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%

Bugs and requests

Severed

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Compatibility issues on newer iPhone models
  • Crashes and freezes reported by some users

Requested features

3 requests
  • Difficulty options for more challenge
  • Expanded skill tree and progression system
  • Ability to revisit areas and see new content

Shakedown

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Severed

No in-app purchases

None

Shakedown

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Severed free?
Severed costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shakedown free?
Shakedown costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Severed or Shakedown?
Shakedown is rated higher. Severed averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Shakedown averages 4.9 from 20 ratings.
Do Severed or Shakedown have ads?
Neither Severed nor Shakedown shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Severed or Shakedown?
Severed ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shakedown fortnightly. Most recently, Severed was updated on November 6, 2026 and Shakedown on November 8, 2026.

Other comparisons