# Time Crimes vs Mystery Files

The clearest difference is rating: Mystery Files at 4.6 against Time Crimes's 4.1. Mystery Files also leads on ratings volume (5.8K vs 436). Time Crimes's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 58%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Time Crimes sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Mystery Files sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mystery Files holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mystery Files has 5.8K ratings behind it against 436, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Time Crimes's written reviews are positive against 58% of Mystery Files's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Time Crimes ships an update every 3 weeks, Mystery Files fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Time Crimes | Mystery Files |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (436 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-crimes-hidden-objects/id1061423360/reviews) | **[4.6 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-files-hidden-objects/id1589094825/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 436 | **5.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.0% of reviews** | 58.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 87 MB | 431 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Rolltower Studios Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/672539756) | [DO GAMES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542346466) |

## What reviewers say

### Time Crimes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-crimes-hidden-objects/id1061423360)

Embark on a time-traveling mystery adventure to find hidden objects and prevent a criminal from altering history. Explore beautifully hand-drawn scenes across different eras, collect treasures, and solve puzzles with a team of detectives. New content is released regularly.

**Highlights:** Solve mysteries, Beautiful hand-drawn scenes, Engaging storyline, New episodes released regularly, Find the differences, Collect rare treasures, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of Energy Items | $2.99 | one-time |
| 15000 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 44 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of Hints | $7.99 | one-time |
| 93 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 30000 Coins and 90 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Max Energy Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 64500 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 190 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Magic Key | $19.99 | one-time |
| 395 Gems | $39.99 | one-time |
| 999 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun
- 👍 Enjoyable
- 👍 Great game
- 👍 Interesting
- 👍 Challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Freezes/glitches
- 🔋 Slow energy regeneration
- 💰 Requires in-app purchases
- 🐛 Bugs and issues

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes
- Freezes during gameplay
- In-app purchases not working
- Connectivity issues
- Taps not registering

**Requested features**

- More time travel locations
- Ability to save progress/level upgrades
- Faster energy regeneration
- More mini-games
- Ability to request items from friends


### Mystery Files

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-files-hidden-objects/id1589094825)

Engage in free-to-play detective puzzles and brain teasers. Discover hidden objects in various locations and choose from a library of interactive stories and quests. Earn achievements and collect unique items as you unravel mysteries.

**Highlights:** Hidden object puzzles, Point-and-click adventures, Interactive stories, Brain teasers and mini-games, Achievement system, Collectible items

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A Handful of Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of useful things | $1.99 | one-time |
| A Handful of Crystals | $2.99 | one-time |
| A Pouch of Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| A Pinch of Gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| Handful of useful things | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pack of useful things | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chalice of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Currency box | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| A Handful of Gems | $5.99 | one-time |
| A Pouch of Gems | $6.99 | one-time |
| A Bag of Coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| A Bag of Gems | $7.99 | one-time |
| Bandbox of Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bandbox of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| A Chest of Coins | $11.99 | one-time |
| Handful of useful things | $12.99 | one-time |
| Jewelry Box | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Continuous levels
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Multiple games in one app
- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Enjoyable stories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Unresponsive controls
- 🐛 Broken hint system
- 🔑 Excessive use of keys/coins to progress
- 🔑 Long wait times for keys

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles not working as intended
- Scenes/items disappearing or becoming uninteractable
- Game progress being reset or lost
- Crashes and freezes when using in-app purchases

**Requested features**

- More ways to earn hints/coins without paying
- Better instructions for mini-games
- Ability to skip difficult puzzles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Time Crimes free?

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

### Is Mystery Files free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Time Crimes or Mystery Files?

Mystery Files is rated higher. Time Crimes averages 4.1 out of 5 from 436 ratings, while Mystery Files averages 4.6 from 5.8K ratings.

### Do Time Crimes or Mystery Files have ads?

Both Time Crimes and Mystery Files show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Time Crimes or Mystery Files?

Time Crimes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mystery Files fortnightly. Most recently, Time Crimes was updated on September 6, 2026 and Mystery Files on September 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.*