Comparison

Construction Simulator 3 vs The Criminal

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

Head to head
About

Construction Simulator 3

Experience realistic construction work in a charming European setting. Take on diverse contracts, build and repair structures, and expand your fleet with officially licensed vehicles from top brands. Explore a new map and master challenging missions.

Highlights
  • Over 50 licensed vehicles
  • New cockpit view
  • Over 70 challenging contracts
  • Bridge construction missions
  • Explore a 3.2km² European map
  • Build and repair roads and houses
Features
Read full description

Discover an idyllic European town in the sequel to the popular Construction Simulator 2 and Construction Simulator 2014 with officially licensed vehicles by famous brands: Caterpillar, Liebherr, CASE, Bobcat, Palfinger, STILL, MAN, ATLAS, Bell, BOMAG, WIRTGEN GmbH, JOSEPH VÖGELE AG, HAMM AG and MEILLER Kipper. Take on diverse and challenging contracts. Build and repair roads and houses. Shape the skyline of your city and expand your vehicle fleet. Discover a completely new map and unlock new contracts and vehicles with your growing company. CONSTRUCTION SIMULATOR GOES EUROPE Explore a 3,2km² map, lovingly designed to resemble the idyllic Alpine foothills and play in three different districts: The village where you establish your company, a spacious industrial area and a modern town. Use the time between jobs to explore the freely drivable open world. BRAND NEW FEATURES: LIEBHERR LB28 & COCKPIT VIEW Enjoy the Liebherr LB28 drilling rig for bridge construction for stable and deep foundations during bridge construction and other exciting missions! Another feature long-awaited by many fans is the cockpit view. Now you can enjoy Construction Simulator 3 from the inside of every vehicle and get a first hand feel of what it's like to take control of epic machines! OVER 50 VEHICLES BY 14 BRANDS A huge amount of vehicles is waiting for you! Choose the right machine for every job: Take on the challenges of road works and refurbishments with machines by Caterpillar, BOMAG or WIRTGEN GmbH, VÖGELE AG and HAMM AG. Available for the first time: The E55 compact excavator or the T590 compact track loader from Bobcat will make earth moving a walk in the park! Get behind the wheel of the MAN TGX truck to visit your local gravel pit or supply store and discover new heights with the Liebherr 150 EC-B 8 tower crane. OVER 70 NEW CONTRACTS Prove your skills on the job: From small Bavarian style family homes to industry warehouses and skyscrapers - more than 70 challenging contracts demand all your skills and precision in Construction Simulator 3. Refurbish crumbling roads and use your large vehicle fleet to master every challenge. Shape the skyline of Neustein through your unique work! - Over 50 vehicles by 14 brands - New Cockpit view - Over 70 different contracts - Liebherr LB28 for e.g. bridge construction

About

The Criminal

Explore a vibrant open world, engaging in theft and evasion. Your actions have consequences, with police pursuing you after each heist. Successfully return stolen goods to your hideout to sell them and upgrade your skills and vehicles.

Highlights
  • Open world exploration
  • Looting and stealing mechanics
  • Police pursuit and evasion
  • Vehicle and skill upgrades
  • Unlockable cars and hideouts
  • Customizable settings
Features
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Roam around the beautiful open world, looting and stealing. But remember, all your actions have consequences. With your car full of stolen loot, race back to your hideout with police tight on your heels, trying to arrest you. If they capture you, all loot is lost. However. Make it back to your hideout, and the loot is yours to sell, earning you a nice quick buck. Use money to Upgrade your skills and vehicles. Every unlockable car and hideout has different useful benefits, that will help you on your journey. The game has a lot of options in the settings menu, to make the game feel just right for your device.

Screenshots

Construction Simulator 34 screens
The Criminal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Criminal at Free against Construction Simulator 3's $3.99. Construction Simulator 3's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On rating, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

The Criminal is free to download; Construction Simulator 3 costs $3.99 up front. Construction Simulator 3 sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and The Criminal sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Criminal holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 366 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Construction Simulator 3's written reviews are positive against 78% of The Criminal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Construction Simulator 3 ships an update fortnightly, The Criminal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Construction Simulator 3 versus The Criminal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConstruction Simulator 3The Criminal
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (1.1K ratings)4.6 (366 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.8% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better366
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.6 GB226 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developerastragon Entertainment GmbHSkisoSoft

Customer experience

Construction Simulator 3

All ratings1,107 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews869 reviews
Positive71.8%
Neutral12.4%
Negative15.8%

The Criminal

All ratings362 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral6.4%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral9.8%
Negative12.0%

User reviews

Construction Simulator 3

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best game
  • 🚀 Awesome and fun
  • 🚀 Great gameplay
  • 🚀 Realistic graphics
  • 🚀 Lots of content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔋 Drains battery
  • 🔒 No controller support
  • 🔒 Repetitive jobs

The Criminal

From 366 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Good gameplay
  • 🚀 Smooth performance
  • 💡 Unique criminal theme
  • 🚀 Satisfying gameplay loop

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Cars limited to 30 mph
  • 🐛 Gear shifting issues
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 💡 Lack of weapons and customization

Bugs and requests

Construction Simulator 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Vehicles getting stuck or flying into the air
  • Inability to load/unload materials properly
  • Missions not completing due to glitches
  • Saved game progress getting lost
  • In-app purchases not working

Requested features

9 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • More vehicles and equipment
  • Ability to get out of vehicles
  • Customization options
  • Larger map with more areas
Show 4 more
  • Demolition and mining jobs
  • Trailer for transporting smaller equipment
  • Weather effects like snow and rain
  • Traffic and road rules

The Criminal

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Cars limited to 30 mph
  • Issues with manual gear shifting
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Inability to see character
  • Upgrades not working as expected

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more weapons like baseball bats or guns
  • Increase car speeds and performance
  • Improve gear shifting and transmission options
  • Expand customization and upgrade options
  • Introduce multiplayer mode
Show 1 more
  • Add more robbery and criminal activities

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Construction Simulator 3

One-time5
  • Coin Pack 01$0.99
  • Coin Pack 02$1.99
  • Coin Pack 03$3.99
Show 2 more
  • Coin Pack 04$6.99
  • Coin Pack 05$22.99
8 purchases

The Criminal

One-time8
  • $12000$0.99
  • No Ads Discount$0.99
  • All Colors$1.99
Show 5 more
  • No Ads$1.99
  • $30000$2.99
  • Update 1.0 vehicles$3.99
  • $100000$5.99
  • One Million$24.99

Questions

Is Construction Simulator 3 free?
Construction Simulator 3 costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is The Criminal free?
The Criminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Construction Simulator 3 or The Criminal?
The Criminal is rated higher. Construction Simulator 3 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while The Criminal averages 4.6 from 366 ratings.
Do Construction Simulator 3 or The Criminal have ads?
The Criminal shows ads; Construction Simulator 3 does not.
Which is updated more often, Construction Simulator 3 or The Criminal?
Construction Simulator 3 ships an update fortnightly, and The Criminal every 2 months. Most recently, Construction Simulator 3 was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Criminal on October 22, 2026.

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