# Hero Emblems II vs Square Valley

The clearest difference is rating: Square Valley at 4.8 against Hero Emblems II's 4.3. Square Valley also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 63%) and price ($2.99 vs $3.99). Hero Emblems II's advantage is chart position (#82 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Hero Emblems II costs $3.99 and Square Valley $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Square Valley holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 156 and 93 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Hero Emblems II's written reviews are positive against 86% of Square Valley's.

Hero Emblems II ships an update every 3 weeks, Square Valley every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Emblems II | Square Valley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.3 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems-ii/id1070462618/reviews) | **[4.8 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **156** | 93 |
| Positive reviews | 62.8% of reviews | **85.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#82** | — |
| Size | 544 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HeatPot Games Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/645797561) | [Ryan Becijos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609779879) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Emblems II

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems-ii/id1070462618)

**Currently charting:** #82 Top Paid · Role Playing, #96 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Embark on an epic adventure combining match-3 puzzles with classic JRPG elements. Lead a team of heroic warriors, unleash powerful skills through strategic emblem matching, and explore a world filled with magic, monsters, and ancient mysteries.

**Highlights:** Match-3 emblem battles, Traditional JRPG exploration, Unique hero skills and backstories, Equipment customization, Food consumption system for buffs, Japanese character voice acting

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent match-3 gameplay mechanics
- 💰 No pay-to-win or microtransactions
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎵 Great music and character voice acting
- 📖 Engaging story with RPG elements

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚔️ Severe difficulty spikes and boss balancing issues
- ⏳ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and soft crashes
- 🌍 Poor English localization and translation quality
- 📋 Lack of quest journal or quest tracking system

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during final boss battles
- Soft crashes and emblem dropping errors
- iCloud sync not working properly after reinstall
- Location markers disappearing after quest completion
- Touchscreen input not working on one side of map

**Requested features**

- Enemy level indicators for dungeon difficulty assessment
- Quest journal and quest tracking system
- Endgame endless mode for post-story gameplay
- Easy or casual difficulty mode
- Game+ or New Game+ mode


### Square Valley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877)

Shape unique lands by strategically placing tiles like houses, farms, and natural elements. Connect them with roads and rivers while overcoming placement challenges. Progress through levels to unlock new tiles and face increasingly complex world-building puzzles.

**Highlights:** Tile placement for world creation, Connect tiles with roads and rivers, Strategic planning and puzzle solving, Three chapters with 45 levels, Unlock new tiles and overcome obstacles, Replay levels for higher scores, Sandbox mode for custom experiences

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging tile placement puzzle mechanics
- 🎵 Relaxing and pleasant background music
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist art style and visuals
- 😌 Calming and stress-relieving gameplay
- 💰 No ads or in-app purchases

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Unclear tile descriptions and requirements
- 🎲 High randomness can lead to unwinnable scenarios
- 📊 No real-time score feedback during gameplay
- 🐛 Occasional scoring calculation bugs
- 📱 Portrait-only mode (no landscape on iPad)

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard freezes when displaying top 10 scores
- Tile scoring miscalculations (e.g., Cherry Orchard, Fir Grove)
- Tutorial bug where selected tiles change unexpectedly
- Some tiles don't work as described in requirements
- Scoring feedback unclear until level completion

**Requested features**

- More levels and chapters
- Landscape/iPad support with larger maps
- iCloud synchronization across devices
- Real-time score feedback per tile placement
- Glossary with detailed tile explanations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hero Emblems II free?

Hero Emblems II costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Square Valley free?

Square Valley costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hero Emblems II or Square Valley?

Square Valley is rated higher. Hero Emblems II averages 4.3 out of 5 from 156 ratings, while Square Valley averages 4.8 from 93 ratings.

### Do Hero Emblems II or Square Valley have ads?

Neither Hero Emblems II nor Square Valley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hero Emblems II or Square Valley?

Hero Emblems II ships an update every 3 weeks, and Square Valley every 2 weeks. Most recently, Hero Emblems II was updated on September 25, 2026 and Square Valley on September 23, 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.*