# Ностальгия СССР vs POOLS™

The clearest difference is rating: Ностальгия СССР at 5.0 against POOLS™'s 4.5. Ностальгия СССР also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). POOLS™'s advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 55%) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ностальгия СССР sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ностальгия СССР holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Ностальгия СССР's written reviews are positive against 80% of POOLS™'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Ностальгия СССР ships an update every 5 days, POOLS™ monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ностальгия СССР | POOLS™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1467336403/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **79.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 222 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [AYTEYLZ EOOD](https://appshunter.io/developer/455568454) | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) |

## What reviewers say

### Ностальгия СССР

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1467336403)

A puzzle game designed to evoke nostalgia for those who grew up in the Soviet era. It features elements reminiscent of childhood and youth, offering a journey back to familiar times.

**Highlights:** Nostalgic puzzle gameplay, Evokes memories of Soviet childhood, Themes of youth and past experiences, Immersive nostalgic atmosphere

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Малая куча серполотов | $0.99 | one-time |
| Отключение рекламы | $0.99 | one-time |
| Средняя куча серполотов | $1.99 | one-time |
| Большая куча серполотов | $2.99 | one-time |


### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Slow, reflective exploration, Atmospheric and immersive environments, Inspired by liminal spaces, Unfolding narrative through exploration, Six distinct chapters, Unique sound design

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ностальгия СССР free?

Ностальгия СССР is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is POOLS™ free?

POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ностальгия СССР or POOLS™?

Ностальгия СССР is rated higher. Ностальгия СССР averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while POOLS™ averages 4.5 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Ностальгия СССР or POOLS™ have ads?

Neither Ностальгия СССР nor POOLS™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ностальгия СССР or POOLS™?

Ностальгия СССР ships an update every 5 days, and POOLS™ monthly. Most recently, Ностальгия СССР was updated on October 21, 2026 and POOLS™ on October 29, 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.*