# Time Machine vs Big City

The clearest difference is ads: Big City at none against Time Machine's shown. Big City also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.4). Time Machine's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 48%) and ratings volume (4.5K vs 1.2K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Time Machine sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Big City sells 3 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 — 4.5 for Time Machine against 4.5 for Big City. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.5K and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Time Machine's written reviews are positive against 48% of Big City's.

Time Machine ships an update every 5 months, Big City every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Time Machine | Big City |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-machine-hidden-objects/id1468066239/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-city-hidden-object/id6470893377/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 1.2K |
| Positive reviews | **64.2% of reviews** | 47.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 227 MB | 145 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Crisp App Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143551614) | [Ilia Stepanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/907542403) |

## What reviewers say

### Time Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-machine-hidden-objects/id1468066239)

Embark on a thrilling hidden object adventure across time. Solve mysteries, find objects, and restore disassembled items in vibrant, animated 3D environments. Replay scenes for new challenges and rewards.

**Highlights:** Hidden object searching, Spot the differences, Puzzles, Object restoration, Time travel exploration, Collectible rewards

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instant Hint | $0.99 | one-time |
| Preview Hints Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Infinity Energy + No Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bag with Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| GoldMaster Special | $3.99 | one-time |
| Сhest with Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Master Pack: All-included | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lots of fun
- 👍 Challenging but enjoyable
- 🎨 Great graphics
- 🎶 Enjoyable music
- 🧠 Good brain exercise

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚧 Too many ads
- 🔍 Difficult to see objects
- 🕹️ Repetitive gameplay
- 🤔 Unclear progression
- 🕰️ Short game length

**Reported bugs**

- Missing/incorrect objects
- Glitches with certain features

**Requested features**

- More levels and content
- Zoom functionality
- Customizable brightness/contrast
- Better instructions and guidance


### Big City

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-city-hidden-object/id6470893377)

Embark on a captivating journey across the USA, exploring over 50 cities to find hidden objects and discover astonishing landmarks. Challenge your observation skills and win in this engaging puzzle game.

**Highlights:** Explore over 50 cities, Find hidden objects, Discover landmarks, Challenging puzzles, USA journey

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Game, No ads, 10 hints | $6.99 | one-time |
| 50 hints | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 👍 Variety of hidden objects
- 👍 Colorful visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Time limit causes stress
- 🔍 Unclear instructions
- 🖼️ Image quality issues
- 💰 Limited free content, requires purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect item names
- Mismatched photos and selections

**Requested features**

- More cities and levels
- Hint system improvements
- Option for no time limit mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Time Machine free?

Time Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Big City free?

Big City is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Time Machine or Big City?

Big City is rated higher. Time Machine averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Big City averages 4.5 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Time Machine or Big City have ads?

Time Machine shows ads; Big City does not.

### Which is updated more often, Time Machine or Big City?

Time Machine ships an update every 5 months, and Big City every 9 months. Most recently, Time Machine was updated on September 22, 2026 and Big City on September 24, 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.*