The Guides Compendium vs Severance
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Guides Compendium
This illustrated and photographic novel offers supplementary details and clues for the primary game, The Guides. While not essential for progression, it provides inspiration for solving puzzles and continuing your cryptic journey.
- Illustrated and photographic novel
- Supplementary game details
- Provides clues
- Inspiration for puzzle-solving
- Cryptic journey assistance
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The Guides Compendium is the illustrated and photographic novel intended to give supplementary detail to the primary game, The Guides. Though not essential to progressing and solving puzzles in the primary game, The Guides Compendium provides clues and may serve as an inspiration to help you continue your cryptic journey. Peculiar, isn't it?
Severance
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Welcome to your workstation. Your job is simple: refine the macrodata. A retro-CRT terminal puzzle game inspired by corporate office mystery. Stare into the green-on-black screen, scan the field of drifting numbers, and find the ones that make you feel something. Box the "scary" clusters into the five bins below — and watch your completion percentage climb toward 100%. THE WORK • Scan a living grid of numbers on an authentic vintage terminal. • Select the unsettling number clusters and sort them into bins. • Complete each file to fill the progress meter. • Beat the clock — your best refinement time is recorded for every file. CONTENT • 5 starter files included, free. • Expansion Pack 1: files 06-20 plus an endless Infinite mode. • Expansion Pack 2: files 21-40 for the dedicated refiner. • 40 numbered files in total, plus the never-ending MDR-∞. ATMOSPHERE • Faithful CRT look: scan lines, flicker, glitch and phosphor glow. • Ambient hum, terminal blips and tactile haptic feedback. • Department archive with your personal performance records and rankings. • A mysterious corporate world that takes itself very, very seriously. PERFORMANCE TRACKING • Every refined file logs your best time. • Climb the internal leaderboard in the Department archive. • Chase a perfect run across all 40 files. No accounts. No ads. No tracking. Just you and the numbers. The work is mysterious and important. Please enjoy each file equally. — Unofficial fan tribute. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any television production. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Severance at Free against The Guides Compendium's $0.99. Severance also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 25 months). The Guides Compendium's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#99 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Severance is free to download; The Guides Compendium costs $0.99 up front. Severance sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. The Guides Compendium asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Guides Compendium ships an update every 25 months, Severance every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Guides Compendium | Severance |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (18 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #99 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 2 Fountains LLC | Maxime Pontoire |
In-app purchases
The Guides Compendium
No in-app purchases
Severance
- MDR Expansion Pack 1$2.99
- MDR Expansion Pack 2$2.99
Questions
Is The Guides Compendium free?
Is Severance free?
Do The Guides Compendium or Severance have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Guides Compendium or Severance?
Other comparisons
