# NoStranger vs SIMULACRA 3

The clearest difference is price: NoStranger at Free against SIMULACRA 3's $7.99. NoStranger also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 53%). SIMULACRA 3's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

NoStranger is free to download; SIMULACRA 3 costs $7.99 up front. NoStranger sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SIMULACRA 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for NoStranger against 4.5 for SIMULACRA 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 419 and 229 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of NoStranger's written reviews are positive against 53% of SIMULACRA 3's.

NoStranger ships an update every 6 months, SIMULACRA 3 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NoStranger | SIMULACRA 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (419 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nostranger/id1193014248/reviews)** | [4.5 (229 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simulacra-3/id1607060727/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **419** | 229 |
| Positive reviews | **88.0% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#169** |
| Size | 160 MB | 2.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Black Vein Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193014247) | [KAIGAN GAMES OUe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252035453) |

## What reviewers say

### NoStranger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nostranger/id1193014248)

Engage in a user-choice-driven narrative where you uncover a stranger's identity, motivations, and secrets. Explore virtual worlds through real-time conversations, searching blogs, social media, and contacting characters to piece together a compelling story.

**Highlights:** User-choice-driven narrative, Real-time conversation, Search blogs and social media, Contact story characters, Immersive virtual world exploration, Believable experience with real websites

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy some Flubbertons | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy some more Flubbertons | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy ALOT of Flubbertons | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Immersive and interactive experience
- 🤔 Thought-provoking storyline
- 🕵️‍♀️ Engaging scavenger hunt-style gameplay
- 🎨 Unique and creative concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Broken links and offline locations
- ⏱️ Frustrating wait times between interactions
- 🤔 Unclear or unsatisfying ending
- 🔍 Lack of in-game feedback/guidance

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent save/progress tracking
- Glitches that reset player choices

**Requested features**

- More content and chapters
- Ability to skip wait times without ads
- Clearer story resolution and explanations


### SIMULACRA 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simulacra-3/id1607060727)

**Currently charting:** #169 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Investigate a town's disappearances by exploring a missing investigator's phone. Uncover dark secrets through digital clues, creepy videos, and interactive FMV sequences to find multiple endings.

**Highlights:** Explore town via simulated phone, Discover new found-phone horrors, Unravel secrets on phone apps, Interactive FMV sequences, Multiple endings

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging puzzle mechanics and innovative gameplay
- 🎬 Immersive phone interface and found-phone experience
- 🎭 Strong character development and voice acting (Ruby character praised)
- 🎨 Beautiful art design and visual presentation
- 🎯 Player choices impact story outcomes meaningfully

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent game crashes and freezing issues
- 💾 Poor save system with infrequent checkpoints
- 😑 Bland character personalities compared to previous games
- ⚠️ Lacks humor and lighter moments from earlier installments
- 🎬 Weak climax and anticlimactic ending

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during video calls with Ruby
- Game crashes when clicking on videos
- Screen freezes during extended gameplay sessions
- Text conversations freeze and require app restart
- Atlas map zoom function causes screen spasms

**Requested features**

- Fast mode for replaying to unlock different endings
- More frequent auto-save checkpoints
- Manual save option at any time
- In-game hints and answer options for stuck players
- More music tracks and unlockable songs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NoStranger free?

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

### Is SIMULACRA 3 free?

SIMULACRA 3 costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NoStranger or SIMULACRA 3?

NoStranger is rated higher. NoStranger averages 4.6 out of 5 from 419 ratings, while SIMULACRA 3 averages 4.5 from 229 ratings.

### Do NoStranger or SIMULACRA 3 have ads?

Neither NoStranger nor SIMULACRA 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NoStranger or SIMULACRA 3?

NoStranger ships an update every 6 months, and SIMULACRA 3 every 5 weeks. Most recently, NoStranger was updated on October 24, 2026 and SIMULACRA 3 on October 30, 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.*