# Idle Mastermind vs bARTballs

The clearest difference is price: Idle Mastermind at Free against bARTballs's $2.99. Idle Mastermind also leads on ratings volume (440 vs 2). bARTballs's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Idle Mastermind is free to download; bARTballs costs $2.99 up front. Idle Mastermind sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. bARTballs asks for nothing beyond the download.

bARTballs 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Idle Mastermind's written reviews are positive against 100% of bARTballs's.

Idle Mastermind ships an update every 6 weeks, bARTballs every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and June 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Idle Mastermind | bARTballs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (440 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idle-mastermind/id1488900054/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartballs/id6448678953/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **440** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 67.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 286 MB | 220 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| 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


### bARTballs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartballs/id6448678953)

A vibrant and engaging ball game where players collect balls to earn points while evading enemies. Includes a tutorial for practice and offers a fun, colorful experience.

**Highlights:** Ball collection for scoring, Enemy avoidance gameplay, In-game tutorial, Colorful graphics, Fun and engaging experience

**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 bARTballs free?

bARTballs costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

bARTballs is rated higher. Idle Mastermind averages 4.6 out of 5 from 440 ratings, while bARTballs averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Idle Mastermind or bARTballs have ads?

Idle Mastermind shows ads; bARTballs does not.

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

Idle Mastermind ships an update every 6 weeks, and bARTballs every 3 days. Most recently, Idle Mastermind was updated on September 29, 2026 and bARTballs on June 28, 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.*