# 怨念 vs POOLS™

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 怨念 at none against POOLS™'s 1. 怨念 also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). POOLS™'s advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 怨念 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for 怨念 against 4.5 for POOLS™. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.7K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of 怨念's written reviews are positive against 80% of POOLS™'s.

怨念 ships an update every 5 months, POOLS™ monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 怨念 | POOLS™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1024401393/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 79.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 71 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [NANO Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/312028048) | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) |

## What reviewers say

### 怨念

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1024401393)

Embark on a chilling horror adventure set in a mysterious school at the bottom of a dam. Solve puzzles and evade spirits in a game of hide-and-seek with a tragic ghost. Uncover the shocking truth behind the school's secrets.

**Highlights:** Horror adventure gameplay, Mysterious school setting, Ghost encounters, Hide-and-seek mechanics, Story progression, Simple controls

**In-app purchases:** none


### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Slow, reflective exploration, Atmospheric and immersive environments, Inspired by liminal spaces, Unfolding narrative through exploration, Six distinct chapters, Unique sound design

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 怨念 free?

怨念 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is POOLS™ free?

POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 怨念 or POOLS™?

怨念 is rated higher. 怨念 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while POOLS™ averages 4.5 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do 怨念 or POOLS™ have ads?

Neither 怨念 nor POOLS™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 怨念 or POOLS™?

怨念 ships an update every 5 months, and POOLS™ monthly. Most recently, 怨念 was updated on October 24, 2026 and POOLS™ on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*