# Turmoil vs TownsFolk

Turmoil and TownsFolk both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of TownsFolk's written reviews are positive against 38% of Turmoil's. TownsFolk also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Turmoil's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 3.3K). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Turmoil sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and TownsFolk sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TownsFolk holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Turmoil has 20K ratings behind it against 3.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Turmoil's written reviews are positive against 73% of TownsFolk's.

Turmoil ships an update every 5 weeks, TownsFolk every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Turmoil | TownsFolk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turmoil/id1485507408/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 3.3K |
| Positive reviews | 37.6% of reviews | **73.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 602 MB | 256 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xiamen Leiting Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1031897588) | [Short Circuit Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681849083) |

## What reviewers say

### Turmoil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turmoil/id1485507408)

Engage in a 19th-century oil rush simulation. Acquire land, build pipe networks, and manage resources to outwit rivals and become a successful oil entrepreneur. Upgrade technology, invest in town shares, and rise to become the mayor.

**Highlights:** Real-time strategy oil field management, Pipe network construction, Technology upgrades and new tools, Town share investment and mayor competition, Randomly seeded world for replayability, DLC with new campaigns and challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Heat Is On DLC(Discount) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Deeper Underground(Discount) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Classic Campaign(Discount) | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Heat Is On DLC | $1.99 | one-time |
| Deeper Underground | $1.99 | one-time |
| Classic Campaign | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent game
- 🕹️ Simple yet compelling gameplay
- 💰 No microtransactions
- 🕰️ Relaxing and soothing experience
- 🧠 Requires strategic thinking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall to access full game
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Concerns over privacy policy
- 🔌 Requires internet connection even for offline play
- 💳 Issues with in-app purchases not working

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial level gets stuck
- Progress not saving properly
- Language settings not working
- Leaderboard issues with cheaters

**Requested features**

- Offline play option
- More content and maps
- Multiplayer mode
- Ability to restore purchases
- More difficulty levels


### TownsFolk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987)

Lead settlers to build and expand a thriving colony in a mysterious and dangerous world. Manage resources, make critical decisions, and overcome challenges to ensure your settlement's survival. Explore the unknown, face disasters, and appease a demanding king.

**Highlights:** Build and expand settlements, Explore unknown territories, Survive challenges and disasters, Roguelite strategy gameplay, Skirmish and puzzle modes, Handcrafted pixel art visuals, Weekly challenge mode

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow of Empires bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| TownsFolk: A new world | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Solid tutorial
- 👍 Portrait mode
- 👍 Great city sim game
- 👍 Interesting mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and freezes
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💰 Requires payment after tutorial
- 🔍 Needs better balancing
- 🔍 Needs deeper gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial freezes the game
- Can't build anything and days don't progress
- Save data reverts or gets corrupted

**Requested features**

- Creative/easy mode to keep progress
- Leaderboards and daily challenges


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Turmoil free?

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

### Is TownsFolk free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Turmoil or TownsFolk?

TownsFolk is rated higher. Turmoil averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while TownsFolk averages 4.7 from 3.3K ratings.

### Do Turmoil or TownsFolk have ads?

Turmoil shows ads; TownsFolk does not.

### Which is updated more often, Turmoil or TownsFolk?

Turmoil ships an update every 5 weeks, and TownsFolk every 2 weeks. Most recently, Turmoil was updated on October 29, 2026 and TownsFolk 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.*