# What Lies Underground vs Recursion

The clearest difference is rating: Recursion at 4.2 against What Lies Underground's 4.0. Recursion also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and chart position (#200 vs unranked). What Lies Underground's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $3.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

What Lies Underground costs $0.99 and Recursion $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Recursion holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 68 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of What Lies Underground's written reviews are positive against 65% of Recursion's.

What Lies Underground ships an update monthly, Recursion every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | What Lies Underground | Recursion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-lies-underground/id1435103407/reviews) | **[4.2 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recursion-puzzle-escape/id1658817293/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **68** |
| Positive reviews | 54.9% of reviews | **64.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#200** |
| Size | 144 MB | 550 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Positronic Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435103406) | [Glitch Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/499866302) |

## What reviewers say

### What Lies Underground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-lies-underground/id1435103407)

Embark on a first-person puzzle adventure where you awaken in an unknown location. Explore, solve unique puzzles, and uncover a hidden secret. This game offers a calm yet stimulating experience with a handcrafted world and immersive soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Original puzzles, Handcrafted world, Immersive soundtrack, Collect clues and notes, Solve at your own pace, Unlock achievements

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Challenging and interesting puzzles
- 👍 Well-made and enjoyable game
- ✨ Great graphics
- 🤔 Puzzles make sense
- 🌟 Unique puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Too difficult to figure out
- 🐛 Clunky and unintuitive controls
- 🐛 Clunky inventory system
- 🐛 Game is too short
- 🐛 Abrupt ending with no resolution

**Reported bugs**

- Game keeps freezing
- Objects disappear
- Game not automatically saved
- Game freezes
- Text does not really help

**Requested features**

- Make a follow-up/sequel
- Add more levels
- Expand the story
- Add a snapshot function
- Add a sketch function


### Recursion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recursion-puzzle-escape/id1658817293)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Embark on a mind-bending puzzle adventure where you're trapped in a repeating time loop. Use your wits and a special device to solve mysteries, find clues, and shut down a machine before the loop resets. This compact mystery game offers challenging puzzles and a unique narrative.

**Highlights:** Time-loop mechanic, First-person point and click adventure, Mystery and puzzle solving, Clue finding, Hint system, Immersive soundtrack and sound effects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Unique and innovative gameplay mechanics
- 😂 Lots of fun and laughter
- 👍 Great twist on game types
- 🧠 Mind-bending puzzles
- 🌟 High-quality games from developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔁 Repetitive tasks and puzzles
- ⏳ Too much dying and restarting
- 😩 Tedious and frustrating experience
- ⏱️ Time loop/timer causes anxiety
- ⏳ Game feels too short

**Reported bugs**

- Lift doors in chapter 3 wouldn't open
- Wireless controller doesn't appear
- Game crashes on start-up
- Stuck in the elevator (potential bug)

**Requested features**

- Add a setting to remove the time loop
- Option to disable the timer
- Longer game duration
- Richer story content
- More variety in game environments (less industrial)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is What Lies Underground free?

What Lies Underground costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Recursion free?

Recursion costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, What Lies Underground or Recursion?

Recursion is rated higher. What Lies Underground averages 4.0 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Recursion averages 4.2 from 68 ratings.

### Do What Lies Underground or Recursion have ads?

Neither What Lies Underground nor Recursion shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, What Lies Underground or Recursion?

What Lies Underground ships an update monthly, and Recursion every 2 weeks. Most recently, What Lies Underground was updated on October 24, 2026 and Recursion on October 25, 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.*