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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Dragon City

65
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Dragon City remains a popular and engaging dragon-collecting game, but recent updates and monetization strategies have led to significant user frustration regarding excessive ads, pay-to-win mechanics, and persistent bugs.

4.8★ lifetime (1,497,002) Free + in-app purchases since 2013 by Socialpoint updated 0.0 mo ago recent negative 10% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Monetization & Ads Enjoyment & Engagement Bugs & Glitches Progression & Pacing Age Restrictions Misleading Ads
5★709
4★122
3★68
2★24
1★77
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Dragon City is a long-standing dragon-collecting and breeding game that many users enjoy for its engaging gameplay and variety of dragons. However, recent reviews highlight issues with frequent and intrusive ads, a strong push towards in-app purchases, and various technical glitches that detract from the overall experience.

What users like

  • Engaging gameplay with dragon hatching, breeding, and battlingR21R48R31
  • Offers a wide variety of dragons with appealing animationsR8R27R48
  • Good for passing time and can be relaxingR1R5R35R47
  • Has a loyal player base, with many playing for yearsR13R8R34

What users complain about

  • Excessive and intrusive ads frequently interrupt gameplayR12R29R352R388
  • Strong pay-to-win elements and pressure to make in-app purchasesR71R43R118R190
  • Numerous bugs, including loading screen freezes and battle glitchesR9R46R193R305
  • Some players are restricted from summoning or obtaining certain dragonsR7R100R113R301
  • Game progression is slow and time-consuming without spending moneyR71R123R179R343
  • Misleading advertising, particularly regarding real-life dragon scanning featuresR3R48R557
  • Customer support is perceived as unhelpful or unresponsive regarding issues like lost progress or gem discrepanciesR55R224R262
  • Age restrictions prevent some users from playing despite being above the stated age ratingR261R278R279R297

Latest update · v26.9.1

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Collector's Hunt - Play a brand-new Island by collecting and strengthening dragons! - Complete missions to earn points and reach milestones full of Rewards. - Missions include breeding, leveling up, Ranking Up, and Empowering your dragons! - Earn even more points with unique Point Boosters. Breeding Update - Discover 200+ more breedable dragons! - Use new Soulmate pairings to obtain specific dragons. - Take advantage of the new Breeding button when looking for a specific dragon.

Recurring themes

Monetization & Ads negative
Many users complain about the overwhelming number of pop-up ads and forced advertisements, even after voluntarily watching ads. There's also a strong sentiment that the game is 'pay-to-win,' requiring significant spending to progress or obtain desirable dragons, with some feeling manipulated by 'offers' and gem linking scams.R12R29R55R71
Bugs & Glitches negative
Players frequently report various bugs, including the game getting stuck at 98% on the loading screen, battle glitches where opponents' health reaches zero but the battle doesn't end, and issues with quests not registering progress. Some users also report being unable to summon dragons despite having the necessary orbs.R7R9R46R100
Progression & Pacing negative
Many users find the game's progression to be very slow and time-consuming, especially without spending money. Waiting times for breeding, hatching, and upgrades are often described as 'crazy long,' leading to frustration and a feeling of being stuck.R71R123R179R325
Age Restrictions negative
A recurring issue is that the game prevents users from playing due to age restrictions, even when they are above the stated 9+ age rating. This has led to frustration, especially for long-time players who suddenly find themselves locked out of their accounts.R261R278R279R297
Misleading Ads negative
Several reviews mention that the game's advertising, particularly the feature to 'scan your own stuff in real life and find dragons,' is not present in the actual game, leading to disappointment.R3R48R557
Enjoyment & Engagement positive
Despite the negatives, many users still find Dragon City to be a fun, engaging, and relaxing game. They appreciate the variety of dragons, the breeding mechanics, and the overall experience of building their dragon empire.R1R4R5R6

Who it's for

Dragon City is for players who enjoy collecting, breeding, and battling with a wide variety of dragons and are looking for a game to pass the time R1R8R21R34. It is suitable for those who don't mind frequent advertisements and are patient with slow progression or willing to make in-app purchases to speed things up R13. It is not for players who are easily frustrated by intrusive ads, 'pay-to-win' mechanics, or persistent technical bugs R12R118R262.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew significantly negative, with a 0.101 recent-negative signal. This contrasts sharply with the lifetime rating of 4.78, indicating a downward trajectory in user satisfaction. The themes of excessive ads and pay-to-win mechanics are very prevalent and consistently reported across multiple regions, suggesting a widespread issue. Bugs and age restrictions are also frequently mentioned. Positive reviews often focus on the core gameplay and dragon collecting, sometimes acknowledging issues but still recommending the game.

Frequently asked

Are there many ads in Dragon City?
Yes, many recent reviews indicate that Dragon City has an excessive number of intrusive pop-up ads that frequently interrupt gameplay, even after watching voluntary ads R12R29R352R488.
Is Dragon City a pay-to-win game?
Many players describe Dragon City as having strong 'pay-to-win' elements, where progression is very slow and difficult without making in-app purchases, especially for obtaining rare dragons or advancing in events R71R43R118R190.
Can I summon all dragons in Dragon City?
No, some players report being restricted from summoning certain high-rarity dragons, even after accumulating enough orbs, with support sometimes confirming this is a selective restriction for 'a few players' R7R100R113R301.
Does Dragon City have a feature to scan real-life objects for dragons?
No, despite some advertisements suggesting a feature to scan real-life objects to find dragons, this functionality is not present in the actual game, leading to user disappointment R3R48R557.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R21] 5/5 · US Perfect: I love this game you hatch dragon eggs, duel, breed, and more it does have ads but not a lot. It is so fun and satisfying I totally recommend it 🐉🐲
  2. [R48] 5/5 · US Great game: I rate this game five stars because you can hatch all sorts of amazing dragons in you can breed them to hatch more dragons. The game is really good, but the ad is a lot different than the real game because the ad had a scanner and you could create your own dragon, but the real game doesn’t which I was kind of disappointed, but I would recommend this game to everyone that could be playi
  3. [R31] 5/5 · US DragonCity: Perfect game for matching things and creating dragons
  4. [R8] 5/5 · US Love this game!: I've had this game for quite a while. Whenever I get bored of it I just offload it because I know that I'll always come back. The dragon animations are absolutely adorable and I love seeing them. This really is a game near and dear to my heart and I recommend it to anyone who loves these type of games! ❤️❤️❤️
  5. [R27] 5/5 · US One reason I really really love dragon city: The dragons are so cute as babies and cool as adults I love it!!!!❤️❤️❤️Play it RIGHT NOW anyways bye!!!
  6. [R1] 5/5 · US Great game: Best game to pass time
  7. [R5] 5/5 · US This is your own dragon empire there’s no limit to your creativity and this dragon seat: First, I knew that if you’re in it in time and you’re outside or off-line, but it doesn’t make you off-line and when you reconnect, you could have more fun
  8. [R35] 5/5 · US How much fun I had playing this game: This game is so relaxing 10/10
  9. [R47] 5/5 · US chill game: Low-key kimda chilll game
  10. [R13] 5/5 · US I’ve been playing for years: Of course what the title says is true and I’ve been grinding at this game and honestly I love it still! Though there is some problems that I have like when I get on there’s a hundred things popping up and making offers. Besides that it’s a great game and I recommend it to anybody of almost any age
  11. [R34] 5/5 · US Dragon city: Have played this game since I was a kid and still love it
  12. [R12] 3/5 · US Adds: Too many pop ups when you open the game, the red notification circles never go away or come back randomly, adds can be annoying bc they pop up randomly while playing
  13. [R29] 1/5 · US Quá nhiều quảng cáo: Quảng cáo nhiều quá Chơi khó chịu
  14. [R352] 3/5 · GB Good but..: It was a amazing game until they added ads every 30 seconds. I was fine with the optional ads but they added ads every time I pressed a button I need those optional ads back, and not a ad every 30 secs Less ads please
  15. [R388] 3/5 · GB A great game, spoilt by profiteering: Unfortunately, this issue isn’t unique to this game, but, whilst ads and special offers are prominent, Dragon City is a wholly playable game. Before I begin speaking about the game itself, I’d like to highlight the ads. Since last year, pop-ups have existed in the game, and many ads are either false advertising or inappropriate for its target audience (again,
  16. [R71] 3/5 · US So/so: It’s and ok game it’s can be fun but it’s a lot of being force to by things to upgrade because the time wait is crazy long ,witch means you can’t upgrade that leads to not being about to battle then you can’t level up so you’ll stuck just collecting until you earn enough to do everything witch will Mean a longer wait for the next level ..so I really don’t see my self passing the game on or
  17. [R43] 2/5 · US Unable to get Dragon without Paying: I like the game but am unable to get a certain dragon without purchasing it, so I can not move forward in the permanent events. It is extremely frustrating.
  18. [R118] 1/5 · US Pay to play: Use to be a fun game. Now if you are not willing to drop at least 100 a week you can not play. Big spenders ruin any fairness in the combats. You are congested just to keep enough habits.
  19. [R190] 1/5 · US Apex dragon: p2w
  20. [R9] 5/5 · US Bugs: This a fun game especially when I’m bored out of my mind during the day but I’ve had to delete and download it again twice today for some random bugs that keep happening. And they don’t fix when I close and re-open the app, like for the race it told me to do 2 league battles and I did both but didn’t register and said I didn’t do them so I bought a refill to try again with my gems but no mat
  21. [R46] 1/5 · US FRAUD!: I’ve been playing Dragon City for a long time, and it’s become incredibly frustrating because the game feels more unfair than fun. One of the biggest issues is the Arena and League battles, where I constantly lose to opponents that I have already defeated before, even though my dragons have gotten stronger, gained levels, and improved since then. Sometimes an enemy dragon’s health bar reac
  22. [R193] 3/5 · US Loading is longer then the game: The game is great ngl but it takes forever to load on my iPad
  23. [R305] 3/5 · GB Gets stuck on the loading screen: Great game but the loading screen gets stuck at 98%, I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling the game but it just doesn’t work
  24. [R7] 1/5 · US I can’t summon while others can: Please fix this, this will stay a 1 start till it goes away if I still play it.
  25. [R100] 2/5 · US I can’t not summon dragon: Game is fun and I love it but I can not summon dragon althouth I got 30lv. Im quite disapoited for that
  26. [R113] 2/5 · US Some players restricted from using orbs and others are not: Game is fun and there are a huge number of dragons but they have randomly restricted some players from using the stronger orbs to summon dragons. This makes the rewards worthless. I was given this info directly from tech support. No clarity on why certain players were chosen for this restriction or when it will be lifted. Extremely
  27. [R301] 2/5 · GB Tree of life test for only a certain few people is horrible: I have loved this game and had it since being under the age of 10 but ran out of storage so only recently downloaded it again only to find out you guys are playing some bloody power trips with the only a few people get summoning options. You either give it everyone or no one and we would like it. This has honestly ruined mine and a lot
  28. [R123] 3/5 · US It’s very fun but lots of cons: I’d say it’s pretty slow at the beginning for sure and pretty time consuming.
  29. [R179] 3/5 · US Fun: This game is fun, but like many other games annoying because if you don’t want to pay for every little thing you have to wait hours before you can do anything.
  30. [R343] 2/5 · GB nonsense: fun game. so many ads it feels like a gambling website and constant waiting for days for upgrades on the dragons that barely do anything
  31. [R3] 3/5 · US Can’t find the find dragons in real life: I mean they say you can scan your own stuff in real life and find dragons but I haven’t found this feature please someone let me know I’m just missing something
  32. [R557] 3/5 · CA It’s good but: It’s a good game but you can’t find pillow monsters un like the ad
  33. [R55] 1/5 · US DO NOT PLAY: This game is such a rip off. They give you +10 gems to link an account, so i linked my apple. Then it STILL says +10 gems to link FB, so I did. Then it doesn’t give me the gems so i contact support and they say you can only link one account for the gems. THEN DON’T PUT +10 gems on there because you are lying trying to trick people to link FB. Everything takes so long you will have to
  34. [R224] 3/5 · US Gem Quests: Dragon City is a great game filled will entertaining dragons and enthralling quests. I have no notes except for the free gem quests. I assume the app updated and converted into a new software that allows people to play external games to win gems, however, the new cite deleted all of my progress concerning the attainment of gems in previous games I had been playing. This game owes me ap
  35. [R262] 1/5 · GB Don’t waste your time or money: The game is full of glitches to use up all your resources to force you to spend money buying more. No customer support as the excuse is always they have a small team, no refunds or compensation for loses just fake promises we’ll get back to you which is never 😡
  36. [R261] 1/5 · GB Bruh: Am 16 and I can’t even play this game even tho it says 9+ like bro 😭💔
  37. [R278] 3/5 · GB I was 9 and it was saying you cannot play because your country and IT SAYS 9+: 3 stars
  38. [R279] 1/5 · GB Played from so long: I played for one to two years and now is says I can’t play because of my age😡😡👿👿👎👎
  39. [R297] 1/5 · GB I’m 15 and can’t play ?: Why . It’s really stupid
  40. [R325] 2/5 · GB Thank you for reading: I recently redownloaded dragon city but the game is not really enjoyable due to fact that it got very boring very fast there’s no momentum it’s all rushed not to mention how hard it is to get good dragons I know this is supposed to be a game that you are supposed to earn it but for beginners they give very little help and levels are so hard to get at first it is easy but af
  41. [R4] 5/5 · US Oh yeah: I love this game so much
  42. [R6] 5/5 · US So fun toooo play with my brother: This game is amazing
  43. [R488] 3/5 · GB Great just ads: Love this game been playing since i was nine, but giving me an ad when i close popups is annoying especially when im tryna sort or hatch my dragons, also getting an ad right after i voluntarily watched an ad is also annoying.. also i dont know if you’re aware but some of the ads being shown are porn ads , just thought id put that out there

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store