Sanctuaries vs SimpleCities
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sanctuaries
Defend your treasure from invading conquistadors in this tower defense and hero RPG. Strategically place traps, upgrade your empire, and lead powerful heroes into battle to repel the attackers across diverse levels.
- Tower defense gameplay
- Hero RPG elements
- Strategic trap placement
- Hero customization and abilities
- Empire building and upgrades
- Multiple levels and enemy types
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The conquistadors just landed and they are coming for your treasure! In this tower defense / Hero RPG, you must protect your Sanctuaries against this new threat. Take arms, lay down traps, improve your empire and lead your Heroes into battle to repel the invaders! Fight off the conquistadors Conquistadors are coming and they're after your gold! Their insatiable greed drives them to sack your temples where your most beautiful treasures are kept. They cannot be reasoned with so it’s up to you to use every means available to repel them! - Welcome to the Aztec coast: More than twenty different levels with unique layouts. Fight in an idyllic setting of sandy beaches and turquoise waters. - Numerous enemies with different characteristics, resistances and abilities like the speedy scout or the slow, armoured veteran, not forgetting the cunning engineer nor the suicidal sapper! Lay down deadly traps Defend yourself by laying traps on walls and floor of your labyrinthine sanctuaries. You must protect your treasure room at all costs! - Eighteen unique traps! From sharp spikes to poisoned arrows, from burning embers to pools of boiling water or mud, not to mention barricades or giant fans (!), nothing is too extreme to repel the conquistadors. - Be strategic! There are numerous traps, but you may only select a few. Choose wisely based on the various damage they inflict: physical, fire, water, poison and bleeding. - Adapt your loadout: Different battlegrounds and varying enemy types mean that there is no perfect one-size-fits-all loadout of traps. - Experimentation is the key: Upgrade your traps in the workshop with a wide range of enhancements and try different configurations. Be creative! Lead your heroes in battle Empowered by the Aztec deities, your heroes are the real thing. Your success against the invaders lies with them. - Four unique heroes: possessing varying degrees of strength and speed, they can either charge into the fray or attack safely from afar. - Deadly powers at your fingertips: Each hero comes with two core abilities and an Ultimate. From fireballs to skeleton summoning, healing allies or even teleportation. - Improve and customize them all: Get experience in combat, level-up, upgrade your heroes’ abilities et equip them with enchanted runes. Pick your favorite skin and get a new appearance! - You are in charge! You have full control over how your heroes behave and when they use their abilities. You'll be responsible for their success... or failure. Make your empire thrive Since the war, most of your city's inhabitants have stayed indoors. Set up the empire’s defense and bring back your city to its former glory. - Citizens at your service: Unlock and Visit seven main buildings in which you'll find craftsmen, merchants and nobles ready to support you in the ongoing war. - Choose your crest: Personalize your own aztec shield with plenty of emblems, patterns, colors and ornaments to choose from. - Repopulate your city: Gain new types of villagers and follow them in their daily routine. - Beat the many challenges: Follow numerous quests to get exclusive rewards or try your luck in the Pyramid of Fortune! Adventure awaits!
SimpleCities
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Build a city. Keep it running. SimpleCities brings classic city simulation to iPhone with a native, touch-first interface. Start with open land, build roads and power, zone new neighborhoods, balance the budget, and watch your city grow one decision at a time. Every city develops differently. Residents need homes, businesses need customers, industry needs workers, and everything depends on power and transportation. As the population grows, you will face traffic, pollution, crime, fires, blackouts, and increasing demand for public services. Features: • Build residential, commercial, and industrial districts • Draw roads, rails, and power lines directly with your finger • Manage taxes and funding for roads, police, and fire protection • Track traffic, pollution, crime, land value, growth, and city services • Respond to fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, monsters, and other disasters • Play eight classic city emergency scenarios • Inspect your city with detailed data maps and reports • Pause or adjust the simulation speed at any time • Save multiple versions of your city and restore earlier progress • Import and export compatible classic city files • Choose from several visual themes, including the original classic style • Learn the game with a complete Field Guide for new mayors SimpleCities is easy to start and difficult to master. A healthy city needs more than roads and buildings. It needs planning, patience, and a mayor who can survive the annual budget.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SimpleCities at none against Sanctuaries's 11. SimpleCities also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). Sanctuaries's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support 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. Sanctuaries sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. SimpleCities asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sanctuaries ships an update every 2 weeks, SimpleCities every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sanctuaries | SimpleCities |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 246 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Spooky Games | Ktisis Web, LLC |
In-app purchases
Sanctuaries
- Soldier's pouch$2.99
- Welcome pack$2.99
- Necromancer Pack$4.99
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- Adventurer's treasure$4.99
- Follower's pack$4.99
- Thunder Pack$9.99
- Merchant's chest$9.99
- Conqueror's Path$9.99
- Nobleman's riches$19.99
- Conqueror's spoils$49.99
- Emperor's Wealth$99.99
SimpleCities
No in-app purchases









