# Shadowgate vs Castlevania

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shadowgate at monthly against Castlevania's every 29 months. Shadowgate also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (62% vs 54%). Castlevania's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 55) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Shadowgate costs $2.99 and Castlevania $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shadowgate holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castlevania has 1.8K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Shadowgate's written reviews are positive against 54% of Castlevania's.

Shadowgate ships an update monthly, Castlevania every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadowgate | Castlevania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.2 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowgate/id996262760/reviews)** | [3.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 55 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **62.1% of reviews** | 53.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#13** |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 326 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zojoi](https://appshunter.io/developer/559255765) | [KONAMI](https://appshunter.io/developer/299580230) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadowgate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowgate/id996262760)

Embark on a perilous quest in a reimagined point-and-click adventure. Solve mind-bending puzzles, explore stunning hand-painted rooms, and choose your playstyle with customizable UI and difficulty levels. Uncover secrets and defeat an ancient evil in this classic reborn.

**Highlights:** Customized UI with modern or classic commands, Four difficulty levels that alter gameplay, First-person adventuring with inventory and mapping, Beautifully illustrated rooms with new and familiar locations, Mind-bending new and updated puzzles, Retro mode with classic graphics and sound, Over 50 player achievements

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Faithful and nostalgic remake
- ✨ Updated graphics and BGM
- 🎮 Great point-and-click adventure
- 💡 Tricky but not impossible puzzles
- 👍 Immersive story and atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on startup/intro
- 📱 Poorly optimized for phones
- 🤏 Small text and hitboxes
- 🥶 Overheats M1 Mac
- 🔄 Crashes when minimizing

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after intro cinematic
- App closes when minimized
- Force quits on loading
- Game turns black after a minute
- Unplayable on iPhone X

**Requested features**

- Remake Deja Vu and Uninvited
- Add original game as bonus
- Sequel to Shadowgate
- Fix background crash issue
- Add original soundtrack option


### Castlevania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830)

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Paid · Adventure, #26 Top Paid · Action, #81 Top Paid · Games, #132 Top Paid (US App Store)

Experience a classic action RPG on mobile. Explore a vast castle, battle unique enemies, and uncover secrets as Alucard. This port features updated controls and achievements.

**Highlights:** Direct port of the console classic, Play as Alucard, Jump, dash, and slash combat, Vast castle exploration, Game controller compatibility, New continue feature, Unlockable achievements

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful port of a classic game
- 🎮 Works well with controllers
- 💰 Great value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 Unresponsive touch controls
- 🔍 Small action buttons
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (clock room issue, save system issues)

**Reported bugs**

- Clock room not functioning properly
- Save system issues (not saving, losing progress)
- Audio issues (no sound, pitch/speed problems)

**Requested features**

- Customizable controls and button layout
- Original voice acting option
- Improved cutscene quality
- Cloud save support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadowgate free?

Shadowgate costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Castlevania free?

Castlevania costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shadowgate or Castlevania?

Shadowgate is rated higher. Shadowgate averages 4.2 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Castlevania averages 3.9 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Shadowgate or Castlevania have ads?

Neither Shadowgate nor Castlevania shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shadowgate or Castlevania?

Shadowgate ships an update monthly, and Castlevania every 29 months. Most recently, Shadowgate was updated on October 6, 2026 and Castlevania on October 14, 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.*