Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) vs TheGreatGame
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
Create a personalized thunderstorm experience to aid relaxation and sleep. Customize rain intensity, thunder frequency, lightning effects, and background sounds. Includes a sleep timer with audio fade-out.
- Customizable thunderstorm types
- Adjustable rain and thunder sounds
- Toggleable lightning effects
- Background ambient sounds
- Sleep timer with fade-out
- Bluetooth and AirPlay support
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Summon a thunderstorm on your mobile device. Relax and fall fast asleep to the sounds of rain and thunder. The camera flashes when lightning strikes. THUNDERSTORMS • Strong Thunderstorm — Heavy rain with frequent lightning and thunder nearby • Normal Thunderstorm — Steady rain with a full range of lightning and thunder • Weak Thunderstorm — Light rain with occasional lightning and thunder far off • Passing Thunderstorms — Rain and lightning intensity changes as the storms pass Rain • Toggle rain sound effects • Change rain audio: Default, Heavy, Steady, Light, On Tin Roof • Change rain volume Lightning/Thunder • Toggle thunder sound effects • Change thunder volume • Change delay lightning (Wireless audio delay offset) • Toggle delay thunder • Toggle lightning light effects • Change lightning transition effects • Change lightning/thunder occurrence: Default, Occasional, Normal, Frequent Passing Thunderstorms • Change starting storm for Passing Thunderstorms: Weak, Normal, Strong • Change cycle time for Passing Thunderstorms: 15m, 30m, 60m Background Sounds • Toggle background sounds: Birds, Cicadas, Crickets, Frogs • Change background sounds volume ADDITIONAL FEATURES • Sleep Timer — Set a timer with a gradual audio fade-out. • Bluetooth and AirPlay Support — Connect to Bluetooth speakers directly, or connect to speakers with AirPlay using the Control Center. Adjust the Delay Lightning setting to offset wireless audio delay. Please contact me at support@thunderstorm.scottdodson.dev if you experience any issues. I'd love to hear your thoughts and appreciate you taking the time to rate and review the app. I want to continue to improve Thunderstorm Simulator and create a great experience for you and future users. Thank you! —Scott *Ad-free version: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/thunderstorm-simulator/id1200949907
TheGreatGame
Embark on an outdoor escape room adventure across various locations. Teams solve clues and navigate between points to win. Enjoy a socially distanced game experience.
- Outdoor escape room experiences
- Multi-location gameplay
- Clue solving challenges
- Team-based competition
- Socially distanced activity
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The Great Game is an outdoor escape room that is offered in different locations around the country. Teams must move from location to location, solving clues, in order to win the game. Game play is socially distant. Do you have what it takes? (Icons by Icons8)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) at none against TheGreatGame's 5. Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2). TheGreatGame's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. TheGreatGame sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) asks for nothing beyond the download.
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TheGreatGame has 1.1K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)'s written reviews are positive against 75% of TheGreatGame's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) ships an update every 4 months, TheGreatGame every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) | TheGreatGame |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (12 ratings) — better | 4.2 (1.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 1.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0.0 | 14.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 75 MB | 67 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Scott Dodson | The Great Game LLC |
Customer experience
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
TheGreatGame
Bugs and requests
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
TheGreatGame
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and glitches
- QR code issues
- Trouble joining/creating teams
Requested features
2 requests- Improve stability and reduce glitches
- Make the experience more accessible
In-app purchases
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
No in-app purchases
TheGreatGame
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Great Game Campus Ticket$4.99
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- Large Tip$9.99
- Great Game College Ticket$9.99
Questions
Is Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) free?
Is TheGreatGame free?
Which has better reviews, Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) or TheGreatGame?
Do Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) or TheGreatGame have ads?
Which is updated more often, Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) or TheGreatGame?
Other comparisons
