# Idle Mastermind vs bARTChristmas

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: bARTChristmas at none against Idle Mastermind's 12. bARTChristmas also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Idle Mastermind's advantage is ratings volume (440 vs 1). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Idle Mastermind sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. bARTChristmas asks for nothing beyond the download.

bARTChristmas holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Mastermind has 440 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Idle Mastermind ships an update every 6 weeks, bARTChristmas every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Mastermind | bARTChristmas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (440 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-mastermind/id1488900054/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartchristmas/id1591814021/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **440** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 67.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 286 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Grumpy Rhino Games LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/895152576) | [Istvan Bartucz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519206534) |

## What reviewers say

### Idle Mastermind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-mastermind/id1488900054)

Embrace your inner supervillain in this idle simulation game. Build a secret lair, recruit henchmen, and execute dastardly plans to take over the world. Choose from three unique villains, each with their own strategies and grand schemes.

**Highlights:** Play as 3 distinct supervillains, Build and customize your evil lair, Hire and manage an army of henchmen, Raid cities for resources, Unlock new research and skills, Execute evil grand plans

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Event Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Yara Starter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Seasonal Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| More Everything | $14.99 | one-time |
| Golden Throne | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1,250 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| LOL Starter Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| 2,500 Gems | $29.99 | one-time |
| Double Trouble | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and visual design
- 😂 Witty humor and charming character dialogue
- 🎮 Engaging idle game mechanics with good progression
- ⏰ Balanced gameplay between idle and active play
- 💰 Obtainable premium currency without spending money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Painfully slow progression and grinding
- 💸 Aggressive monetization and expensive in-app purchases
- 🔐 Content locked behind paywalls required for progression
- 🔁 Repetitive prestige mechanic feels tedious
- ⏳ Time-gated events requiring premium currency to participate

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when Counterfeit character robs buildings
- Random audio error producing persistent chopping/high-five sounds
- Progress randomly deleted without explanation
- Game crashes at startup after updates
- Laboratory won't produce microchips, causing soft-lock

**Requested features**

- Increase progression speed by 20%
- VIP program with spending-based rewards and stat bonuses
- Skin texture overhaul with Sid's tower theme
- More content and longer event durations
- Better balance between free and paid progression paths


### bARTChristmas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartchristmas/id1591814021)

This app offers a festive Christmas experience, focusing on creating memories and sharing gifts. It aims to bring joy and cheer during the holiday season, replacing an older application with enhanced features.

**Highlights:** Christmas gift experience, Memory creation, Gift sharing, Festive holiday theme, Replaces older app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Idle Mastermind free?

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

### Is bARTChristmas free?

bARTChristmas is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Idle Mastermind or bARTChristmas?

bARTChristmas is rated higher. Idle Mastermind averages 4.6 out of 5 from 440 ratings, while bARTChristmas averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Idle Mastermind or bARTChristmas have ads?

Idle Mastermind shows ads; bARTChristmas does not.

### Which is updated more often, Idle Mastermind or bARTChristmas?

Idle Mastermind ships an update every 6 weeks, and bARTChristmas every 2 months. Most recently, Idle Mastermind was updated on October 9, 2026 and bARTChristmas on October 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*