Comparison

Loco Looper vs Simple Match 3

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Loco Looper

Engage your mind with a unique 3D train puzzle game. Connect track pieces to create perfect paths through charming, handcrafted dioramas. Enjoy cerebral fun with increasingly challenging levels.

Highlights
  • 3D train track puzzles
  • Handcrafted diorama levels
  • Challenging brain teasers
  • Unique pen & ink art style
  • Natural 3D effect
Features
Read full description

Trains. Fluffy Clouds. Planets. Stars. Even a seagull. Cute, tricky cerebral fun. Get on the brain train with this original puzzle game! Make a perfect track using all the pieces. The harder the level, the more ways to solve. Handcrafted levels, each a pen & ink style love letter to mini dioramas and trains. A neat 3D effect makes the game naturally POP when holding your device (no face tracking required). Loco Looper is designed and written for iPhone & iPad using Swift and Metal. Move fast and make nice things!

About

Simple Match 3

This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!

Screenshots

Loco Looper4 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Loco Looper at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Simple Match 3's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Loco Looper costs $4.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Loco Looper asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Loco Looper against 4.8 for Simple Match 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110 and 257 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Loco Looper's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Loco Looper ships an update monthly, Simple Match 3 weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Loco Looper versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoco LooperSimple Match 3
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.7 (110 ratings)4.8 (257 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews89.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings110257 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#42 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.514.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames VanasMulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Loco Looper

All ratings110 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral3.1%
Negative9.4%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews195 reviews
Positive89.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.1%

User reviews

Loco Looper

From 110 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Beautiful and charming art style
  • 💡 Clever and engaging puzzle gameplay
  • 👍 Intuitive and simple controls
  • 💯 Rewarding and challenging levels
  • ✨ Unique pseudo-AR effect

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Controls can take time to get used to
  • ❓ Difficulty spikes can be frustrating
  • 🚂 Train graphics slightly clunky compared to others

Simple Match 3

From 257 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
  • 👍 Calming and Engaging
  • 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
  • 👍 Customizable Tiles
  • 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
  • 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
  • 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System

Bugs and requests

Loco Looper

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 🐛 Game hangs or crashes frequently on older iOS versions
  • 🐛 Game resets progress upon opening
  • 🐛 Game freezes in the first level
  • 🐛 Saved levels not being recognized

Requested features

3 requests
  • Hint or pass option for difficult levels
  • More levels in the future
  • Sequel to the game

Simple Match 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Levels with Missing Obstacles
  • Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • Inconsistent Star Rating System
  • Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • Crashes on Opening

Requested features

6 requests
  • Level Editor
  • Endless/Survival Mode
  • Improved Power-Up Interactions
  • Hints or Shuffle Option
  • Landscape Support for iPad
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Loco Looper

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Loco Looper free?
Loco Looper costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Loco Looper or Simple Match 3?
Simple Match 3 is rated higher. Loco Looper averages 4.7 out of 5 from 110 ratings, while Simple Match 3 averages 4.8 from 257 ratings.
Do Loco Looper or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Loco Looper nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Loco Looper or Simple Match 3?
Loco Looper ships an update monthly, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Loco Looper was updated on November 6, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on November 8, 2026.

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