PARALLAX vs Red Waters
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PARALLAX
Experience a real-time text adventure where your choices shape the narrative and the fate of a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world. Engage with atmospheric sound design and make critical decisions to uncover the truth.
- Real-time story progression
- Branching choices with multiple endings
- Atmospheric sound design
- Offline mode
- Fast-forward option
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A while ago, the world ended. David Blythe is still here. After the great apocalypse, David found himself holed up in his flat with nothing but instant noodles and a jar of marmalade he took from Mrs. Crawley's pantry. He wrote a piece of software to send a call for help to every number on Earth, one by one, hoping someone would answer. Only you did. PARALLAX is a real-time text adventure told entirely through chat messages. David speaks. You reply. Choices you make shape the story, and David's fate. The horrors have passed, the world is quiet now, but David is still texting. Will you listen? Outside his window, the SH311s ("Shells") drag themselves through the streets. Inside, the pantry is almost empty, the batteries are running low, and David has questions only you can help him answer: - Are the footsteps getting louder, or is it just his imagination? — Should he risk going outside to scavenge for supplies? - What happened to the world, and is there anything left worth saving? - Do instant noodles go better with strawberry or raspberry jam? FEATURES • A story told in real time • Branching choices with real consequences and multiple endings • Atmospheric sound design and ambient notifications • Multiple endings shaped entirely by your decisions • Optional fast-forward mode and offline play • No ads. No timers. No free2play. Just David. This is not a game about shooting the undead. This is a game about keeping one stranger alive long enough to find out what happened to the world. A real-time interactive fiction experience for fans of atmospheric mystery games, narrative games, branching story adventures, and psychological thrillers told through chat messages. PARALLAX plays in the background of your day. Perfect for commutes, breaks, and sleepless nights when you're awake anyway. Pick up your phone. He's typing.
Red Waters
Uncover secrets in a mysterious town by investigating conversations, analyzing evidence, and solving puzzles. Interact with unique characters to unravel a suspenseful narrative full of twists and conspiracies. Every clue matters in this immersive interactive thriller.
- Investigate conversations and evidence
- Solve challenging puzzles and mysteries
- Discover hidden clues in images
- Interact with unique characters
- Unravel a suspenseful story
- Immersive narrative experience
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One investigation. Countless secrets. No truth is ever complete. Welcome to Willow Creek, a seemingly peaceful town where nothing is quite what it seems. When mysterious events begin to unfold and long-buried secrets resurface, you find yourself drawn into an investigation filled with twists, lies, and conspiracies. Chat with characters, analyze evidence, explore profiles, uncover hidden clues, and solve puzzles to discover the truth. But be careful... Every message may contain a clue. Every image may reveal a secret. And every discovery can change everything you thought you knew. In Red Waters, you will: • Investigate conversations, documents, and evidence • Solve challenging puzzles and mysteries • Discover hidden clues in images and character profiles • Interact with a cast of unique characters • Unravel a suspenseful story full of twists and surprises • Experience an immersive narrative inspired by the best investigative thrillers Willow Creek has been hiding secrets for a long time. The question is: Do you like playing with fire? Red Waters is an interactive mystery thriller designed for players who love suspense, investigation, and story-driven experiences. Every conversation matters. Every clue counts. The truth is waiting to be uncovered.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Red Waters at every 3 days against PARALLAX's every 3 weeks. Red Waters also leads on ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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
Both are free to download. PARALLAX sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Red Waters sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PARALLAX against 5.0 for Red Waters. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Waters has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of PARALLAX's written reviews are positive against 90% of Red Waters's.
PARALLAX ships an update every 3 weeks, Red Waters every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PARALLAX | Red Waters |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.0% of reviews — better | 90.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 95 MB | 116 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Extraordinerdy GmbH | Erick Souza |
Customer experience
PARALLAX
Red Waters
In-app purchases
PARALLAX
- Episode 2$2.99
- Episode 22$2.99
- Episode 23$2.99
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- Episode 24$2.99
- Episodes 2-5$9.99
- Episodes 10-13$9.99
- Episodes 18-21$9.99
- Episodes 22-25$9.99
- Wallpapers$9.99
- All Episodes$49.99
Red Waters
- 100 Credits$1.99
- 300 Credits$3.99
- Puzzle pass$4.99
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- 1000 Credits$9.99
- Red Waters Premium$12.99








