# The Palace on the Hill — Slice-of-life rural adventure > Slice-of-life rural adventure game set in 90s India with exploration and management. (iPhone/iPad app by Niku Games.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-on-the-hill/id6751082969 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Niku Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833390585) - Category: Games, Adventure, Role Playing - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.60/5 from 147 App Store ratings · 38 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 587 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2025-09-12 - Data updated: 2026-09-01 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-on-the-hill/id6751082969/reviews.md ## What is The Palace on the Hill? A heartfelt story of ambition, struggle, and friendship told from the perspective of a young boy in fictional 90s rural India. Explore ancient palace ruins, set up your garden, cook Indian food, run errands for quirky characters, and learn about your history by making art. Features: Vibrant hand-painted watercolour graphics. Indian Cooking and tea shop management. A relaxing play style with an open-world exploration and questing. Over 25 regionally & culturally diverse cast of characters to interact. A feel-good story of achievement despite social marginalization. 15th century Indian royal palace exploration. ## Key features - Hand-painted watercolor graphics - Indian cooking and tea shop management - Relaxing open-world exploration - Interact with diverse characters - Explore 15th-century Indian palace ruins - Art-based history learning ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Full Game | $9.99 | one-time | | Full Game 40% Off | $5.99 | one-time | | Pack of Gems | $0.99 | one-time | | Chest of Gems | $2.49 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 38) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-on-the-hill/id6751082969/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Stuck On Loading Screen *2026-07-18* I’ve purchased the whole game but i can’t play the game, its stuck on the loading screen ### 3/5 — Ugghhh *2026-07-08* It’s fun has great graphics storylines are great but 5, and 7 gems like literally u don’t even get an hour of gameplay u go to bed n spend way too much on gems definitely not worth it id love to continue playing but at least energy not gems they don’t even roll over after you’ve ran out the u have to watch multiple ads. So developers I will be deleting this just not worth it ### 4/5 — I need help *2026-06-27* The game is not opening for me and I spent a lot of time on it doing the quests and stuff so I was wondering what to do ### 5/5 — Such a beautiful game *2026-06-16* Really wholesome, and w the inclusion of ads for gems you can play easily- absolute gold that it’s free, I played non stop ❤️ ### 5/5 — Honest Review *2026-06-04* As an artist myself, I found this game incredibly refreshing and enjoyable. The inclusion of herbs and spices, each with their own little descriptions upon discovery, was one of my favourite features. The sense of foraging, exploration, and uncovering new details felt truly magical and unlike anything I’ve experienced in similar games. The story of a young man striving to become an artist while exploring his native town was beautifully told. The world felt alive, rich with small details that added depth and charm. I especially loved the story of the runaway princess, the abandoned weaving shop, and the many subtle touches that made the village feel authentic. The characters were memorable, and the side quests, while limited in number, were thoughtfully written and enjoyable. There were a few areas where I felt the game could be expanded. The upper city area outside the fort felt somewhat underutilised, and several characters could have benefitted from additional quests or return appearances. The subplot involving the schoolmaster disapproving of his daughter spending time with the protagonist felt a little sudden near the end and might have been stronger if it had been developed earlier in the story. I would also have loved more interactions with the protagonist’s father to further explore their hardships and strengthen the emotional connection between them. A few gameplay improvements could make the experience even better. The seating arrangement outside the tea stall could not be rearranged after being placed, which felt limiting. Adding one more cow to the village would help balance paneer availability. I also wished there was slightly more time to explore the village at night after tea time. Restricting foraging and long-distance travel for safety would make sense, but the current transition to the end of the day feels a little abrupt and cuts short opportunities for nighttime interactions. Despite these minor criticisms, I absolutely loved the game. Its atmosphere, storytelling, exploration, and attention to detail made it a genuinely memorable experience. I’ve already started creating fan art for Tea Time and sharing it on Pinterest. Thank you for creating such a beautiful world, and please keep making more games. You have a lifelong fan right here. ### 3/5 — Why gems required ? *2026-04-25* Whenever I try to go to the next day it requires more and more gems if it continues then this game will not be able to be more engaging , it have potential to be very famous .. I love the graphics and overall detailing , but the gem problem needs to solved asap ### 3/5 — Great game but it shuts down randomly *2026-03-30* This game would have been a 5 star but I don't know if its just my problem but whenever i play this game for a while it shuts down by itself. This has happened many times. I even tried restarting the game but it did not work. Even when i tried entering the tea shop the game automatically stops. I tried getting into the tea shop about 6-7 times but every time the game shuts down. It doesn’t let me get to the tea shop and continue. Please fix this problem ### 4/5 — great game but *2026-03-18* this game is really great with the story and the ambience and everything.there is just one problem,the gems are given every 24 hours and that is not even enough to play one time ### 1/5 — So annoying! *2026-03-14* Too much wait for gems & no sounds in free version! ### 5/5 — Poignant and Beautiful *2026-03-12* In awe with this game. I couldn’t stop myself from completing it like the graphics, the gameplay, the music everything kept me so hooked. We definitely need more indie games like this one!! Hope the creators do give us more such amazing creations ## Frequently asked questions about The Palace on the Hill ### What is The Palace on the Hill about? The Palace on the Hill is a slice-of-life rural adventure game set in fictional 90s India. It tells a heartfelt story of ambition, struggle, and friendship from the perspective of a young boy. Players can explore ancient palace ruins, manage a garden, cook Indian food, and interact with a diverse cast of characters. ### What are the main gameplay features? Key features include vibrant hand-painted watercolor graphics, Indian cooking and tea shop management, and a relaxing play style with open-world exploration and questing. You can interact with over 25 regionally and culturally diverse characters and explore 15th-century Indian royal palace ruins. ### Is The Palace on the Hill free to play? The game is free to play with optional in-app purchases and advertisements. This allows players to experience the core story and gameplay without an upfront cost, with additional content or conveniences available for purchase. ### What kind of story does the game offer? The game offers a feel-good story focused on achievement despite social marginalization. It explores themes of ambition, struggle, and friendship, all told through the eyes of a young boy navigating life in rural India. ### What platforms is The Palace on the Hill available on? Based on the provided information, this app is designed for mobile devices. Specific operating system compatibility (e.g., iOS or Android) is not detailed, but it is intended for mobile play. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.73 — 2026-04-29 - Updated engine version - Fixed a bug with cloud save sometimes not working properly - Added Herbal Preparation as a dialogue option - Updated story ending condition to allow players to continue playing - Minor bug fixes ### 1.72 — 2026-02-26 - A bugfix update ### 1.71 — 2026-02-25 - Fixed a case of soft lock for the waterfall painting. - Applied a potential fix for a rare case of the game getting stuck after finishing a conversation. - Updated library versions to improve stability ### 1.70 — 2026-01-23 - Added a setting to disable dialogue text reveal effect. - Fixed a bug with the inventory opening during dialogue. - Fixed a bug which allowed single use items to be bought more than once. ### 1.69 — 2025-12-02 - Added a setting to disable dialogue text reveal effect. - Fixed a bug with the inventory opening during dialogue. - Fixed a bug which allowed single use items to be bought more than once. ## Apps similar to The Palace on the Hill | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bloomtown: A Different Story](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bloomtown-a-different-story/id6740777696) | 3.8 (38) | Free | Games | | [Forest Fables: Cozy pixel sim](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-fables-cozy-pixel-sim/id6478765308) | 4.8 (1,529) | Free | Games | | [My Dream Restaurant Story](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-dream-restaurant-story/id6754842007) | 4.3 (407) | Free | Games | | [Chicken Police: Try & Buy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicken-police-try-and-buy/id6744697394) | 4.6 (7) | Free | Games | | [Check, please! - Dream Cafe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/check-please-dream-cafe/id6478344415) | 4.8 (71) | Free | Games | | [Teacher Life: Classroom Sim](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teacher-life-classroom-sim/id6751103448) | 3.6 (30) | Free | Games | --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*