# The Devil's Calculator vs Close Cities

The clearest difference is ads: The Devil's Calculator at none against Close Cities's shown. The Devil's Calculator also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 69%) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Devil's Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for The Devil's Calculator against 4.8 for Close Cities. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 245 and 356 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of The Devil's Calculator's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's.

The Devil's Calculator ships an update every 10 days, Close Cities every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Devil's Calculator | Close Cities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (245 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-devils-calculator/id1447599858/reviews) | [4.8 (356 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 245 | **356** |
| Positive reviews | **87.2% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 77 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cinq-Mars Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/924648806) | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) |

## What reviewers say

### The Devil's Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-devils-calculator/id1447599858)

This math puzzle game challenges you to decipher obscure operators on a calculator. Solve algebraic puzzles by working backward to understand the functions and purge the calculator of its demons. It's an addictive and educational experience with user-created levels and DLC.

**Highlights:** Obscure operator deciphering, Algebraic puzzle solving, User-created levels, DLC levels by mathematicians, Graphing mechanics, Hand-drawn artwork

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version of Game | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Most creative idea ever
- 🧠 Genius puzzle design
- 👍 Fun and educational
- 🚀 Brilliant game concept
- 🤓 Great for math lovers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Tedious late puzzles
- 🐛 Calculator responsiveness issues
- 🐛 Wolfram graphing feature doesn't work
- 🐛 Progress saving issues
- 🐛 Calculator malfunction

**Reported bugs**

- Some late puzzles with the third operator get too tedious with too much trial and error
- The built-in calculator needs some work and button responsiveness isn’t always the best.
- The graph to wolfram alpha function doesn’t seem to work.
- There’s unfortunately an exploit I accidentally discovered that allows you to bypass any level.
- The “real” calculator malfunctions when you want to use the answer you got previously, like if I input “330 * 2”, getting 660, then pressed “+6” on the next row, instead of showing 660 + 6 = 666, it’d show 2+6 = 8

**Requested features**

- Update the app
- Fix DLC Level 6
- More levels


### Close Cities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084)

Build beautiful cities on diverse worlds by solving unique puzzles. This relaxing game guides you through 160 levels with a simple tap or drag interface, requiring no architectural knowledge. Conquer each world's challenges and travel through time with its calming soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Build cities on empty maps, Solve 160 unique puzzle levels, Intuitive tap and drag controls, No architectural knowledge needed, Travel through different worlds, Relaxing music and pace

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hints - Small Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Medium Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads + Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Big Pack | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Devil's Calculator free?

The Devil's Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Close Cities free?

Close Cities is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Devil's Calculator or Close Cities?

The Devil's Calculator and Close Cities are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 245 and 356 ratings respectively.

### Do The Devil's Calculator or Close Cities have ads?

Close Cities shows ads; The Devil's Calculator does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Devil's Calculator or Close Cities?

The Devil's Calculator ships an update every 10 days, and Close Cities every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Devil's Calculator was updated on October 9, 2026 and Close Cities on October 12, 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.*