# Virtual Villagers 3 — Explore the Secret City! > Real-time village simulation game focused on survival and exploration. (iPhone/iPad app by LDW Software, LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-3/id336705448 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [LDW Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297606729) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Family, Simulation - Price: $0.99 - Rating: 4.10/5 from 229 App Store ratings · 255 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 8.0 · 55 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2009-10-31 - Data updated: 2026-09-01 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-3/id336705448/reviews.md ## What is Virtual Villagers 3? Villagers: The Secret City is the third chapter in the award-winning Virtual Villagers series from the creators of Fish Tycoon and Virtual Families. This is the same game that became a best-selling Windows and Mac sensation! Care for and nurture a tribe of little people by teaching them the basics of survival. Grow a small village in your iPhone: your little villagers have food needs, housing needs, technologies to research and diseases to fight! As the tribe grows and prospers, the villagers become curious about the ruined city they have discovered and the secrets it holds. The game continues to progress in true real time, even when your iPhone is turned off, so don’t forget to check in regularly to care for your tribe, help them gain skills and technology, and enable them to discover the secrets that lay waiting for them. How will you lead your tribe? More about Virtual Villagers: The Secret City: * Real-time weather! Clouds, fog, and sudden downpours that drench your tribe. * Real-time game play, with new surprises every time you turn on the game! * Discover who among your tribe is destined to become Chief! * Investigate and rebuild the remains of a ruined city! * Find new sources of food for your villagers! * Help your villagers make a variety of unique potions from hidden herbs, many with unpredictable effects. * Dozens of new collectibles for children to retrieve. * Raise children who resemble their parents. * Watch your villagers thrive, and then grow old, slow and grey. * Help your villagers unravel the mysteries of Isola! Virtual Villagers have been awarded with: * Sim Game of the Year – Game Tunnel * The Zeebys – Gamezebo * Parents Choice Recommended Award * iParenting Media Award Recommended for people who enjoy casual sims and adventure stories like the Lost TV series and Survivor! Visit our Official Virtual Villagers site at www.VirtualVillagers.com for instructions, strategy guides, and much more! ## Key features - Real-time weather and gameplay - Village management and survival - Research and technology development - Explore and rebuild a ruined city - Craft unique potions - Raise and age villagers ## Chart rankings - #22 in Top Paid · Family (US App Store) - #88 in Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store) ## What do users think of Virtual Villagers 3? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay - 🚀 Interesting puzzles and challenges - 💡 Unique island setting and story - 👍 Enjoyable virtual villager experience **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs - 🔋 Food sources run out too quickly - 🐛 Glitches with statue and lift - 🐛 Villagers randomly dying of starvation **Commonly reported bugs** - Game crashes when accessing details screen - Villagers get stuck at top of statue hill - Gems/resources disappear or become inaccessible - Villagers refuse to perform certain tasks - Inconsistent villager aging and reproduction **Most requested features** - Ability to pause or freeze game time - More food sources and ways to produce food - Larger and more detailed villager sprites - Ability to name and customize villagers - More puzzles and content to extend gameplay ## Recent user reviews (10 of 255) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-3/id336705448/reviews.md ### 5/5 — One of my Favorites! *2026-01-24, version 1.3.1* I’ve loved this game since I played it the first time. I remember getting introduced to the Virtual Villagers games by my mom when I was little and I was so excited to find them on the app store. I’m in my 20s now and still love them so much! ### 1/5 — Terrible *2025-04-18, version 1.3.1* Tried about four times to keep a game going but it’s impossible to keep everyone alive with no food . the honey runs out after a few collections and there’s no mushrooms for kids to collect. People keep refusing to do a task and wander off worried about food and you can’t make enough points to buy construction level 1 to build the lift and it’s impossible to get three adept builders when you need them to get points in science and two are kids and one has a baby! You’re doomed from the start. Id like to know if anyone gets past the first 48 hours alive. ### 1/5 — Entire save reset *2025-02-23, version 1.3.1* Absolutely devastated, been playing daily for weeks almost completed the game only to be met with when I went to check how my villagers were doing entire save was gone and it’s wiped everything. Don’t waste your time on a game the developers don’t care to update you’ll work so hard getting all your tech points and completing all the puzzles ect just for one day everything to be gone and to be put back to the start of the game. Wasted a few weeks of my time wasn’t worth the purchase just bump the real game on pc, much better experience. ### 1/5 — Don’t Buy the cheap version *2021-09-20, version 1.3.1* Don’t buy the 99 cent. It is very bad and cheap to look at just pay the 1.99 ### 3/5 — Population limit *2021-07-05, version 1.3.1* I can’t seem to have more baby villagers. ### 5/5 — Wish it was optimized *2020-10-21, version 1.3.1* This is by far my favorite of the virtual villagers games. Although it’s not optimized for iPhone X and up phones. Disappointing but still a great game. ### 1/5 — Vv3 *2020-10-15, version 1.3.1* This game is super slow and it’s hard to keep food.. Need to upgrade ASAP ### 2/5 — Game got stuck *2020-07-20, version 1.3.1* I want my money back! Overall the game is enjoyable and I like it just fine... but during the statue repair, it got stuck at the top of the hill and I can’t get my chief or any of my master builders to continue. I looked it up and apparently lots of people have had this issue... yet it wasn’t fixed. Not cool! I had almost finished all the puzzles. I don’t want to start over just to get this far and it get stuck again. ### 4/5 — Great story line, but keeps randomly restarting my village. *2019-05-11, version 1.3.1* I’ve always loved these games, I grew up playing them, so when I found them on the App Store I was more than thrilled! The development of the series has been very enjoyable. After completing the first two I was excited to start the 3rd. However after I had finally gotten my village stable, techs unlocked, population growing, etc. I closed the app and when I came back my village was gone and it had started over?? I’m now back at 8 villagers with no tech nor collectibles. This has happened a few times now and it’s making it hard wanting to continue playing. ### 5/5 — Refund *2019-05-02, version 1.3.1* Nice game, but I accidentally bought this version instead of the “for iPad” version and would like a refund. Please. ## Frequently asked questions about Virtual Villagers 3 ### What is Virtual Villagers 3 about? Virtual Villagers 3 is a real-time simulation game where you care for and nurture a tribe of people. You teach them survival skills, manage their needs like food and housing, research technologies, and help them fight diseases. The game also involves exploring and rebuilding a mysterious ruined city. ### What are the key features of this game? Key features include real-time weather and gameplay that progresses even when the app is closed. Players can manage their villagers' survival, research new technologies, discover food sources, craft potions, and investigate the secrets of a ruined city. You can also raise children who resemble their parents and watch your villagers grow old. ### How much does Virtual Villagers 3 cost? Based on the provided information, this application is a paid app. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or ads, indicating a one-time purchase model. ### What kind of devices is Virtual Villagers 3 compatible with? The description mentions that this game was a best-selling sensation on Windows and Mac, and is available for iPhone. While specific iOS versions are not detailed, it is designed for mobile devices. ### Who would enjoy playing Virtual Villagers 3? This game is recommended for people who enjoy casual simulation and adventure stories. Fans of titles like the Lost TV series or Survivor, who appreciate nurturing gameplay and uncovering mysteries, would likely find this game engaging. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.3.1 — 2017-09-19 This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included. Hello Virtual Villagers fans! We've updated Virtual Villagers 3: Secret City to support the latest devices and iOS versions! Millions of loyal fans have enjoyed the award-winning Virtual Villagers series, and we're happy to invite you back one of our favourites. Revisit the classic third instalment of the franchise, and guide your fledgling tribe to investigate and discover the mysterious remains of a ruined city! Return to Isola and help your villagers thrive and prosper! If you enjoy the Virtual Villagers series, don't forget to check us out at www.virtualvillagers.com. We love to hear your feedback, and have plenty of exciting new things planned in the future! ### 1.1.1 — 2011-08-26 Improved icon Links to Twitter and Facebook Added link to browse our other games ### 1.1.0 — 2010-09-18 - Memory management improvements - Savegame fixes - Many small bug fixes ### 1.0.0 — 2009-10-31 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Virtual Villagers 3 | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Dream House Days DX](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dream-house-days-dx/id6479295005) | 4.8 (45) | $6.99 | Games | | [WorldNeverland - Elnea Kingdom](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/worldneverland-elnea-kingdom/id1139047809) | 4.6 (1,846) | Free | Games | | [Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvest-moon-home-sweet-home/id6458877203) | 3.9 (131) | $17.99 | Games | | [Zoo Park Story](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoo-park-story/id1672004303) | 4.7 (135) | $5.99 | Games | | [Tropical Resort Story](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tropical-resort-story/id1617006551) | 4.9 (294) | $5.99 | Games | | [Cafe Master Story](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cafe-master-story/id6447606411) | 4.7 (224) | $6.99 | Games | ## More apps by LDW Software, LLC - [Fish Tycoon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-tycoon/id297606726) - [Fish Tycoon Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-tycoon-lite/id298856977) - [Virtual Villagers 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-2/id306610000) - [Virtual Villagers 2 Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-2-lite/id308377432) - [Virtual Families](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families/id320300350) - [Virtual Families Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families-lite/id323390111) All apps by LDW Software, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/297606729 ## Related topics [virtual villagers 3](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-3) · [virtual villagers 3 lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-3-lite) · [virtual villagers 5 lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-5-lite) · [virtual villagers 6](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-6) · [virtual villagers 2 lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-2-lite) · [virtual villagers origins 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-origins-2) · [virtual villagers](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers) · [virtual villagers 4 lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-villagers-4-lite) --- *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.*