Comparison

Grim Tales 17 vs Mystery Files

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

Head to head
About

Grim Tales 17

Embark on a thrilling detective adventure to uncover the source of a deadly tragedy threatening a family. Solve intricate puzzles, find hidden objects, and explore mysterious locations to unravel secrets before it's too late.

Highlights
  • Hidden object scenes
  • Solve puzzles
  • Find lost items
  • Mystery detective gameplay
  • Explore unusual locations
  • Mini-games
  • Collector's Edition bonuses
Features
Read full description

Help Alice uncover the source of the tragedy that threatens the Gray family! Play the hidden object game, solve puzzles, find lost items and enjoy mystery detective! ________________________________________________________________________ Will you manage to uncover the mysteries of Grim Tales: Guest From The Future? Immerse yourself in a mystery detective, find hidden objects and solve riddles. Explore unusual locations and investigate the fever that killed all the Grays in the future before it’s too late! Your teenage daughter Alice needs your expertise to uncover the source of a tragedy that threatens to end the Gray family line forever! A mysterious illness has already claimed several victims, and any of the Grays could be next. Are you up to the task of discovering how it started, and more importantly, why? Things may not be as simple as they seem... IS THIS THE END OF THE GRAYS? Can you lift the curse that someone put on the family of the Grays? Do everything you can to rescue your daughter who came to you from the future and save the rest of your family! WHO IS THE SPIRIT THAT HAUNTS ANNA AND ALICE GRAY AND INTERRUPTS THE INVESTIGATION? Uncover the truth by solving engaging puzzles and mysterious mini-games. FIND OUT WHY ALL EVENTS STARTED HAPPENING IN ANNA GRAY’S NEPHEW Complete hidden object scenes and enjoy spectacular mystic locations. PLAY AS FAMOUS DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER AND FIND OUT WHO KIDNAPPED YOUR MOTHER IN THE BONUS CHAPTER! Uncover the mystery of Anna Gray’s kidnapping - take your grandfather Richard as companion and enjoy the bonuses of Collector’s Edition! Grim Tales: Guest From The Future is a hidden objects game where you need to seek and find missing objects like Sherlock. Stop the fever that's killing the Gray family and solve the unsolved mysteries and puzzles. Enjoy replayable HOPs, mini-games and exclusive сontent in this mystery detective game! Zoom in on the scenes to find items, and use hints if you get stuck. Discover more from Elephant Games! Note that this is a free trial version of the hidden objects game. You can get the full version by means of an in-app purchase. Elephant Games is a casual game developer. Explore our full game library: http://elephant-games.com/games/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elephant_games/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elephantgames YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elephant_games Privacy Policy: https://elephant-games.com/privacy/ Terms and Conditions: https://elephant-games.com/terms/

About

Mystery Files

Engage in free-to-play detective puzzles and brain teasers. Discover hidden objects in various locations and choose from a library of interactive stories and quests. Earn achievements and collect unique items as you unravel mysteries.

Highlights
  • Hidden object puzzles
  • Point-and-click adventures
  • Interactive stories
  • Brain teasers and mini-games
  • Achievement system
  • Collectible items
Features
Read full description

Free-to-play puzzles, brain teasers, and mini-games in Mystery Files: Hidden Objects, where you need to win mystery games and find hidden objects in every location! This is a library of Domini games and interactive stories that you can choose from. · Play your favorite puzzle games! Choose your own point-and-click adventure! In a single app, you can play any quest you like. An easy-to-read progress meter shows you which hidden object games you have already completed. Never choose between romance and detective genres—play both! · Never get bored! Are you worried about missing a brand-new release from Domini? Not anymore! All of our newest detective games are added to this wonderful collection. Any hidden object adventure quest you want—right at your fingertips! · Earn achievements! Play and replay your favorite puzzles to earn achievements! Be the quickest one to uncover cleverly hidden objects and show off your skills to your friends. Can you unlock them all? · Gather your own collection! Each of our thrilling adventures is full of secrets and mysteries. Be attentive as you travel through unknown worlds and beautiful locations while solving hide-and-seek interactive games! Find morphing artifacts, notes that expand the story, and fun trinkets to collect. Will you be able to complete the whole collection? Download Mystery Files: Hidden Objects—choose any quest you like and play for free! If you want bonus materials or need additional help, you can use the in-game store. ----- Questions? Email us at support@dominigames.com Visit our website to play more brain teasers and puzzles: http://dominigames.com Become our fan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dominigames Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominigames

Screenshots

Grim Tales 174 screens
Mystery Files4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Grim Tales 17 at none against Mystery Files's shown. Mystery Files's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (5.8K vs 428). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Grim Tales 17 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mystery Files sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Grim Tales 17 against 4.6 for Mystery Files. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mystery Files has 5.8K ratings behind it against 428, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Grim Tales 17's written reviews are positive against 58% of Mystery Files's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grim Tales 17 ships an update every 6 months, Mystery Files fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Grim Tales 17 versus Mystery Files: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrim Tales 17Mystery Files
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (428 ratings) — better4.6 (5.8K ratings)
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews — better58.1% of reviews
Number of ratings4285.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size810 MB431 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperElephant Games AR LLCDO GAMES LIMITED

Customer experience

Grim Tales 17

All ratings428 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%

Mystery Files

All ratings5,785 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews1,170 reviews
Positive58.1%
Neutral18.2%
Negative23.7%

User reviews

Grim Tales 17

From 428 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ❤️ Affordable and enjoyable gameplay
  • 👍 Good storyline and puzzles
  • 🌟 High-quality graphics and design
  • 🤩 Series continuity is appreciated
  • 💡 Engaging and addictive gameplay

Room to improve

  • 📉 Bonus chapter continuity issues
  • ⏳ Games can feel too short
  • 🤔 Some plot points lack explanation
  • 💰 Perceived high price for game length
  • 😵 Difficulty finding morphing objects

Mystery Files

From 5.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Continuous levels
  • 👍 No ads
  • 👍 Multiple games in one app
  • 👍 Challenging puzzles
  • 👍 Enjoyable stories

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • 🐛 Unresponsive controls
  • 🐛 Broken hint system
  • 🔑 Excessive use of keys/coins to progress
  • 🔑 Long wait times for keys

Bugs and requests

Grim Tales 17

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • 🐛 Screen sliding/unlocked on iPhone
  • 🐛 Game won't start, logo spins
  • 🐛 Game not available in US (despite prior play)
  • 🐛 Bonus game is buggy
  • 🐛 Game play screen doesn't load
Show 3 more
  • 🐛 Game crashes
  • 🐛 Screen falls off the side of iPhone
  • 🐛 Cannot see items on screen

Requested features

3 requests
  • Longer game duration for the price
  • More explanation in bonus chapters
  • Improved continuity in bonus chapters

Mystery Files

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Puzzles not working as intended
  • Scenes/items disappearing or becoming uninteractable
  • Game progress being reset or lost
  • Crashes and freezes when using in-app purchases

Requested features

3 requests
  • More ways to earn hints/coins without paying
  • Better instructions for mini-games
  • Ability to skip difficult puzzles

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Grim Tales 17

One-time1
  • Full Content$6.99
20 purchases

Mystery Files

One-time20
  • A Handful of Coins$1.99
  • Pack of useful things$1.99
  • A Handful of Crystals$2.99
Show 17 more
  • A Pouch of Coins$3.99
  • A Pinch of Gems$3.99
  • Handful of useful things$3.99
  • Pack of useful things$4.99
  • Chalice of Coins$4.99
  • Currency box$4.99
  • Heap of Coins$4.99
  • Heap of Gems$4.99
  • A Handful of Gems$5.99
  • A Pouch of Gems$6.99
  • A Bag of Coins$7.99
  • A Bag of Gems$7.99
  • Bandbox of Coins2 variants$9.99
  • Bandbox of Gems$9.99
  • A Chest of Coins$11.99
  • Handful of useful things$12.99
  • Jewelry Box2 variants$14.99

Questions

Is Grim Tales 17 free?
Grim Tales 17 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mystery Files free?
Mystery Files is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Grim Tales 17 or Mystery Files?
Grim Tales 17 is rated higher. Grim Tales 17 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 428 ratings, while Mystery Files averages 4.6 from 5.8K ratings.
Do Grim Tales 17 or Mystery Files have ads?
Mystery Files shows ads; Grim Tales 17 does not.
Which is updated more often, Grim Tales 17 or Mystery Files?
Grim Tales 17 ships an update every 6 months, and Mystery Files fortnightly. Most recently, Grim Tales 17 was updated on September 21, 2026 and Mystery Files on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons