# Shift Shaft vs Square Valley

Shift Shaft and Square Valley both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Shift Shaft's written reviews are positive against 86% of Square Valley's. Shift Shaft also leads on chart position (#199 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Shift Shaft costs $2.99 and Square Valley $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Shift Shaft against 4.8 for Square Valley. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 143 and 93 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Shift Shaft's written reviews are positive against 86% of Square Valley's.

Shift Shaft ships an update fortnightly, Square Valley every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shift Shaft | Square Valley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-shaft/id1387207777/reviews)** | [4.8 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **143** | 93 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 85.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [William Katz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1387207776) | [Ryan Becijos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609779879) |

## What reviewers say

### Shift Shaft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-shaft/id1387207777)

**Currently charting:** #199 Top Paid · Casual (US App Store)

This puzzle game challenges players to match three or more rocks by rotating the entire game board. Upgrade your character's stats and unlock items as you explore an underground world and battle unique enemies. Enjoy an uninterrupted gaming experience with no ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Rotate the game board, Match 3 or more rocks, Upgrade player stats, Unlock over 30 items, Battle 5 unique enemies, Explore underground world

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative rotate screen mechanic
- 👍 Easy to learn, hard to master
- 💎 Rare hidden gem
- 🧠 Clever and entertaining design
- ✨ Adds a breath of fresh air

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 Graphics could be less pixelated
- 🤔 Difficult to pick up strategies
- ⏳ Mid-run save feature missing

**Requested features**

- Non-pixelated graphics
- Mid-run save option


### 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 Shift Shaft free?

Shift Shaft costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Square Valley free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shift Shaft or Square Valley?

Shift Shaft is rated higher. Shift Shaft averages 4.9 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Square Valley averages 4.8 from 93 ratings.

### Do Shift Shaft or Square Valley have ads?

Neither Shift Shaft nor Square Valley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shift Shaft or Square Valley?

Shift Shaft ships an update fortnightly, and Square Valley every 2 weeks. Most recently, Shift Shaft was updated on September 10, 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.*