Runes vs Big City
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Runes
Uncover the secrets of a mysterious town by searching intricately illustrated scenes for hidden objects and solving puzzles. Follow a detective through a captivating storyline with unique challenges and unlock magical artifacts as you progress. Play at your own pace with optional hints.
- Search hand-painted scenes for hidden objects
- Spot subtle differences
- Solve puzzles and brain teasers
- Follow a twisting storyline
- Collect magical artifacts
- Play at your own pace with hints
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Something strange is happening in Enchanted Crossroads. Doors that weren't there yesterday. Whispers in empty rooms. A rune etched into a mirror that no one remembers hanging. When Detective Greystone calls for your help, it becomes clear — this charming little town is hiding more than it shows. Search hand-painted scenes for hidden objects, spot subtle differences, and solve puzzles that guard the town's oldest secrets. Each clue you find pulls you deeper into a mystery woven through 15+ beautifully illustrated chapters. But the closer you look, the more questions arise. Who — or what — is watching from the crossroads? WHAT AWAITS YOU A Mystery Worth Solving Follow Detective Greystone through a twisting storyline filled with enchanted characters, buried secrets, and revelations you won't see coming. A World Rich in Detail Wander through 15+ stunning hand-crafted scenes — from moonlit gardens to forgotten libraries — each hiding objects, differences, and surprises. Puzzles That Reward Curiosity Hidden object searches, spot-the-difference challenges, and clever brain teasers — 4+ unique puzzle types keep every chapter fresh. Your Collection Grows Complete quests to unlock rare magical artifacts and build a personal trove of enchanted items. Play at Your Own Pace No timers. No pressure. Helpful hints are always within reach whenever you need a gentle nudge. Optional in-app purchases are available, but you can complete the full story without spending anything. The crossroads are calling. Will you answer?
Big City
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.
- Explore over 50 cities
- Find hidden objects
- Discover landmarks
- Challenging puzzles
- USA journey
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Do you enjoy playing hidden object games? Embark on a captivating journey across the USA! Explore more than 50 cities, uncover hidden objects, and marvel at astonishing landmarks. Challenge your skills and win! Download the 'Big City - Hidden Object' puzzle game today! Enjoy more cities in future updates!
Screenshots
Verdict
Runes and Big City both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 83% of Runes's written reviews are positive against 46% of Big City's. Runes also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 9 months). Big City's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.4). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Runes sells 7 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 Runes against 4.5 for Big City. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 576 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Runes's written reviews are positive against 46% of Big City's.
Runes ships an update every 6 weeks, Big City every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Runes | Big City |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (576 ratings) | 4.5 (1.6K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better | 45.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 576 | 1.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 145 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Crisp App Studio | Ilia Stepanov |
Customer experience
Runes
Big City
User reviews
Runes
From 576 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great graphics
- 🧠 Exercises the brain
- 🤩 Fun to play
- 🧘♀️ Relaxing gameplay
- 🔍 Interesting hidden object puzzles
Room to improve
- 💰 Energy/ads require purchases
- 🕰️ Too many interruptions
- 🌃 Dark and blurry scenes
- 🤔 Unclear progression/navigation
Big City
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 👍 Variety of hidden objects
- 👍 Colorful visuals
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Time limit causes stress
- 🔍 Unclear instructions
- 🖼️ Image quality issues
- 💰 Limited free content, requires purchases
Bugs and requests
Runes
Reported bugs
2 issues- Energy recharge issues
- Purchase rejections
Requested features
2 requests- Restart option
- Clearer level progression
Big City
Reported bugs
2 issues- Incorrect item names
- Mismatched photos and selections
Requested features
3 requests- More cities and levels
- Hint system improvements
- Option for no time limit mode
In-app purchases
Runes
- Instant Hint$0.99
- Handful of Gems$0.99
- Bag with Gems$1.99
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- Infinity Energy + No Ads$2.99
- Сhest with Gems$2.99
- Master Pack Special$3.99
- Master Pack: All-included$7.99
Big City
- 10 hints$1.99
- Unlock Game, No ads, 10 hints$6.99
- 50 hints$7.99









