# Escape Machine City vs Mystery Box 5

The clearest difference is rating: Escape Machine City at 4.3 against Mystery Box 5's 3.7. Escape Machine City also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (59% vs 33%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Escape Machine City sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Mystery Box 5 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Escape Machine City holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Escape Machine City has 743 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Escape Machine City's written reviews are positive against 33% of Mystery Box 5's.

Escape Machine City ships an update weekly, Mystery Box 5 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Escape Machine City | Mystery Box 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (743 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/escape-machine-city/id1251928916/reviews)** | [3.7 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-box-5-elements/id6478146368/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **743** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **58.6% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 554 MB | 439 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Snapbreak Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1150830796) | [XSGames](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725979641) |

## What reviewers say

### Escape Machine City

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/escape-machine-city/id1251928916)

Embark on a thrilling escape adventure in a unique 3D machine world. Solve original puzzles and complete challenging quests across 15 visually stunning levels. The first 8 levels are free to play.

**Highlights:** Stunning 3D graphics, 15 beautiful levels, Challenging quests, Original puzzles, Unique machine world exploration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Levels 9 & 10 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Levels 11 & 12 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Levels 13,14,15 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pack | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Good hints without ads
- 👍 Challenging but not too difficult
- 👍 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Beautiful graphics
- 👍 Enjoyable puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔒 Upside-down orientation issues
- 💰 Paid levels not worth the cost
- 🔋 No save progress within levels
- 📺 Too many ads

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle elements not working as expected
- Doors/elevators not functioning properly
- Lights/Morse code clues not triggering
- Conveyor belt not moving after solving puzzle

**Requested features**

- Object descriptions and hints
- Save progress within levels
- Rotation support for different devices
- More challenging and longer levels


### Mystery Box 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-box-5-elements/id6478146368)

Embark on an unforgettable puzzle adventure exploring intricate boxes filled with enigmas and brain-teasing challenges. Enjoy a captivating soundtrack and get hints when you're stuck. Share your achievements with friends and the community.

**Highlights:** Intricate puzzle boxes, Brain-teasing challenges, Captivating soundtrack, Hint system, Share achievements, Elements Stone extra challenge

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All levels | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All levels + Coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All levels + Love | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Escape Machine City free?

Escape Machine City is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mystery Box 5 free?

Mystery Box 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Escape Machine City or Mystery Box 5?

Escape Machine City is rated higher. Escape Machine City averages 4.3 out of 5 from 743 ratings, while Mystery Box 5 averages 3.7 from 36 ratings.

### Do Escape Machine City or Mystery Box 5 have ads?

Neither Escape Machine City nor Mystery Box 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Escape Machine City or Mystery Box 5?

Escape Machine City ships an update weekly, and Mystery Box 5 every 2 months. Most recently, Escape Machine City was updated on November 3, 2026 and Mystery Box 5 on November 4, 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.*