When comparing Hyper Rift vs Pixel Dungeon, the Slant community recommends Hyper Rift for most people. In the question“What are the best Android games?” Hyper Rift is ranked 18th while Pixel Dungeon is ranked 26th. The most important reason people chose Hyper Rift is:
There is a graphical view above the text story area that allows for some interaction as well as a visual representation of what is happening in the story.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Visual representation of the story
There is a graphical view above the text story area that allows for some interaction as well as a visual representation of what is happening in the story.
Pro 14 different endings
There is a total of 14 different endings to be found in Hyper Rift, making for a good amount of play time for those that want to find them all.
Pro Single in-app purchase to remove advertisements
Keeping the game fully playable for free users as well as singular priced for paid users is refreshing to see in the in numerous app purchase fueled Play Store.
Pro Good Rift experience
Pro Original unpredictable story
The story in Hyper Rift has quite a few plot twists that keep the game fresh and engaging.
Pro Puzzle elements to the gameplay
There are a few puzzle sections in the game that are all logic based, meaning no randomness to them. There are clues on how to solve them as well as direct answers scattered around each level, so for those that do get stuck, don't worry as there may be something up ahead that helps solve it.
Pro A variety of mods are available, which extend the gameplay by a large margin
There are multiple mods available that extend the gameplay or even just change it outright. This way there are many choices to the player as to how they would like the game to play.
Pro Tons of replayability thanks to the randomly generated level
In true roguelike fashion, levels are randomly generated each time a new game is started. On top of this mechanic, Pixel Dungeon goes one step further by randomizing effects of all items as well, so it's impossible to tell if a dropped item will have a positive or a negative effect based on its sprite representation.
Pro Challenging and fun gameplay that lends itself well to repeat plays
Pixel Dungeon's gameplay is intuitive, allowing for it to be easy to get into. What is great though is that it's also very challenging, quickly making the experience both rewarding and addictive. Just one more game is a thought many will have before actually turning off their device.
Pro Detail-oriented design lends itself well to many gameplay elements, giving a feeling of polish and care not normally found on mobile
Small details in the art design helps to add immersion to the gameplay.
Pro A good variation in items allows the player to constantly discover new and exciting ways to tackle the game
Next to the typical selection of buffs, de-buffs, potions (that can be either consumed or thrown), weapons and armor (the latter two have to identified and can carry with them bonuses and curses), there are also less common items like random teleportation scrolls, map reveals, etc.
Pro Easily play without an internet connection as the game can be played in-full offline
Pixel Dungeon does not require an internet connection to use, making for a good game to play when there is no internet to connect to such as on flights.
Pro Beautiful pixel artwork that should offer a good bit of nostalgia for anyone who grew up with games that look similar
This looks like one of the good SNES RPGs. For someone who grew up loving those games, that's a huge plus.
Pro Being completely free and open-source means that anyone can try the game in order to see if they like it
No advertisements, no in-game store, and available for free with the source code available on GitHub.
*There is a link in the game where users can donate money to the developer. This of course does not mean you have to, but it is marked as a game with in-app-purchased because of it.
Pro Has a reasonable amount of strategical depth where the player can easily plan out their next move
The top-down, turn-based nature of the game gives the opportunity to plan out a complex series of moves. This way there is no time constraint, and the player can leisurely strategize what they would like to do next.
Pro Hold your device as you like as the game can be played in portrait or landscape
Allowing the user to switch from portrait or landscape makes for an easy way to switch playstyles (one handed, two handed) depending on what device is being used (tablet, phone) as well as what is most comfortable for the user.
Cons
Con Does not properly scale
Hyper Rift does not properly scale on all devices leaving large black bars on each side of the game.
Con Only one save slot
There is only one save slot in the game meaning each playthrough will have to e done one after the other instead of simultaneously.
Con Pixel Dungeon is hard
Pixel Dungeon's difficulty can be a turn off for some players as it is quite challenging. While there will be those that enjoy such difficulty, those looking for something easy may not enjoy the game.
Con Overly random
A lot of people see roguelike design as being based around randomness. It's actually a far more precise set of balances than that. A lot of roguelike developers shy way from "randomly generated content" in favor of the term "procedurally generated content." The reason for this is that a well designed roguelike is well balanced enough that if you lose or win, it's all because of the actions you took.
Pixel Dungeon has a habit of sometimes generating dungeons that are basically impossible and sometimes generating dungeons that are laughably easy.
Con Randomness cannot be turned off
Since everything in Pixel Dungeon is randomized, sometimes a player's character can get killed in ways that cannot be avoided. There is no way to escape this issue since randomization is baked in with no way to turn it off.