# Midgaard by SmartMonsters vs Shimmers

The clearest difference is rating: Midgaard by SmartMonsters at 3.5 against Shimmers's 3.0. Midgaard by SmartMonsters also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Shimmers's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shimmers sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Midgaard by SmartMonsters asks for nothing beyond the download.

Midgaard by SmartMonsters holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 0% and 0% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 8, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Midgaard by SmartMonsters | Shimmers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midgaard-by-smartmonsters/id1553662764/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shimmers/id6464588154/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SmartMonsters, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547085559) | [Jochem Kleine](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706276906) |

## What reviewers say

### Midgaard by SmartMonsters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midgaard-by-smartmonsters/id1553662764)

Experience a retro text-based MUD adventure with a focus on community and accessibility. Explore a magical world, manage your character, and interact with thousands of players globally in a friendly, blind-friendly environment.

**Highlights:** Retro text-based MUD emulation, Graphical character state displays, In-app game and account functions, Blind-friendly accessibility, Friendly and inclusive community, Cross-world character movement

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shimmers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shimmers/id6464588154)

A cozy indie game where you travel through time and space to identify mysterious characters using limited questions and guesses. Collect identified characters in your Temporal Codex. Subscription offers increased encounters and ad-free play.

**Highlights:** Time and space travel, Character identification gameplay, Limited questions and guesses, Collect characters in Temporal Codex, Unique character rarities and traits, Subscription for enhanced features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shimmers+ | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Midgaard by SmartMonsters free?

Midgaard by SmartMonsters is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shimmers free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Midgaard by SmartMonsters or Shimmers?

Midgaard by SmartMonsters is rated higher. Midgaard by SmartMonsters averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Shimmers averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Midgaard by SmartMonsters or Shimmers have ads?

Shimmers shows ads; Midgaard by SmartMonsters does not.

### Which is updated more often, Midgaard by SmartMonsters or Shimmers?

Midgaard by SmartMonsters ships an update fortnightly, and Shimmers fortnightly. Most recently, Midgaard by SmartMonsters was updated on September 8, 2026 and Shimmers on September 8, 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.*