# Timecrest vs Shadow House

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shadow House at none against Timecrest's 12. Shadow House also leads on iOS requirement (9.1 vs 15.2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Timecrest sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Shadow House asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Timecrest against 4.8 for Shadow House. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 855 and 685 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Timecrest's written reviews are positive against 84% of Shadow House's.

Timecrest ships an update monthly, Shadow House every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Timecrest | Shadow House |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (855 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timecrest/id1027546326/reviews) | **[4.8 (685 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-house/id1136368302/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **855** | 685 |
| Positive reviews | **85.2% of reviews** | 83.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 308 MB | 647 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.2 | **9.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Sneaky Crab, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1003528254) | [Scholastic Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/392025741) |

## What reviewers say

### Timecrest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timecrest/id1027546326)

Embark on an epic fantasy adventure where your choices shape the narrative. As a young mage, you'll explore a magical world, uncover plot twists, and make decisions that determine the fate of a realm threatened by destruction. Experience a rich story with an emotional soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Interactive chat story, Branching narrative choices, Fantasy adventure, Explore a magical world, Emotional custom soundtrack, Unlockable music tracks

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 300 Time Crystals | $0.99 | one-time |
| 636 Time Crystals | $1.99 | one-time |
| Memory Oracle Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1296 Time Crystals | $3.99 | one-time |
| One Time Welcome Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| 2310 Time Crystals | $6.99 | one-time |
| 3330 Time Crystals | $9.99 | one-time |
| 6,330 Time Crystals | $18.99 | one-time |
| 6900 Time Crystals | $19.99 | one-time |
| 13,330 Time Crystals | $39.99 | one-time |
| 19,997 Time Crystals | $59.99 | one-time |
| 34479 Time Crystals | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic story and world-building
- 👍 Engaging and immersive gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful music and soundtrack
- 🎯 Meaningful choices with impact
- 🙌 Excellent accessibility for blind/VI users

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Lengthy wait times between actions
- 🤑 Expensive in-app purchases for time crystals
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and syncing issues
- 🤔 Some predictable story elements

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent save data across devices
- Text overlapping/glitching issues
- Relationship points not tracking properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to earn more time crystals in-game
- More control and customization options
- Expanded story and content updates
- Improved save/load functionality


### Shadow House

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-house/id1136368302)

Embark on interactive ghost stories where your choices shape the narrative. Explore a constantly changing haunted house with chilling visuals and audio. Uncover the dark secrets within this terrifying place.

**Highlights:** Choose your own path, Haunting visuals, Chilling audio, Changing adventures, Uncover secrets, Based on book series

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Engaging stories
- 🎨 Great visuals and sound effects
- 🤖 Interesting backstories and lore
- 🔍 Encourages exploration and discovery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Some puzzles/challenges are too difficult
- 🔇 Lack of audio/voice acting
- 🤔 Limited choices/interactivity in some stories

**Reported bugs**

- Mirror challenge in Book 3 is blurry and unresponsive
- Sigil 2 in Book 3 crashes the app for some users
- Loading issues and crashes on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more books/stories
- Improve puzzle/challenge mechanics
- Implement a save/progress system
- Include a Russian language option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Timecrest free?

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

### Is Shadow House free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Timecrest or Shadow House?

Shadow House is rated higher. Timecrest averages 4.7 out of 5 from 855 ratings, while Shadow House averages 4.8 from 685 ratings.

### Do Timecrest or Shadow House have ads?

Neither Timecrest nor Shadow House shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Timecrest or Shadow House?

Timecrest ships an update monthly, and Shadow House every 6 weeks. Most recently, Timecrest was updated on September 22, 2026 and Shadow House on September 20, 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.*